Often when we tour potential homes with our clients, priorities are; kitchen, bathrooms, and storage. In Philadelphia row homes, you often find yourself working with pretty small closets in bedrooms. We’re here to tell you, don’t let tiny closets be a deal-breaker! We turned to our friend Michelle Dillon, founder of Together Organizing, and asked her all about making tiny closets work. She has taken over our blog this week to share her expert tips and advice. Enjoy and happy organizing!
Starting Fresh
Chances are your closet was NOT designed just for you. Chances are your closet feels WAY too small and you often dream of doubling (or tripling) the size of it! As a professional organizer, I regularly work with clients on making the most of the space that they have. Together, we can make your space feel much larger than it is!
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but before we maximize your small closet you MUST complete the following two steps:
Donate or Sell. I can guarantee that there are at least a few items in your closet that do not fit, are completely outdated or look sad, or worn, and are just not for you anymore. There are hundreds of charities all over the city that are in need of donations and Poshmark or ThredUp are great for selling certain items.
Memories must go elsewhere. Often we save clothing for the memories. If you MUST keep a TShirt that holds good memories but you will never wear it, it should be in a memory box somewhere far away. It does NOT deserve prime closet real estate!
Hang it, Stack it, Sort it
Phew! Now that you (and your closet) can start to breathe, let’s make it a true dream!
Measure Your Space. Before gathering supplies, you will need measurements (length, height, width) of all doors, shelves and rods. Make sure to measure the depth of the entire closet as well.
Gather supplies to maximize your VERTICAL space. Often, we don’t use the up and down (think: TALL) spaces in closets. A bin that is 4 inches tall on a shelf that is 10 inches tall is what we do not want here. Thankfully, we have TONS of solutions for this problem:
Shelf dividers allow sweaters to stack the entire height of the shelf.
Under the shelf, baskets can hold smaller items like belts, underwear etc.
See-through pull out bins come in almost every size fit perfectly on tall shelves.
Adhesive or over the door hooks are simple and are great for accessories and clothes that never seem to hang themselves up.
Stay in Season. A closet “switch” before a new season is a MUST for a tiny closet. Winter boots and hats do not need prime real estate in summer months. Labeled bins in a storage room are ideal for this!
Think Realistically. Everything does not need to fit in your closet! If your shoes tend to live in a pile at the front door, we can probably find a perfect storage solution for them…. at your front door! Convenience and simplicity are imperative when it comes to tiny closet organization.
Play the Game: Closet Puzzle. Now that you have weeded out the non-essentials and gathered your supplies, putting your closet back together is a puzzle. Even as a professional, I use trial and error to see what fits where. Sweaters stuffed in a bin? Maybe we hang sweaters and fold jeans instead. Mix, match, try out all of the options and eventually you will get it PERFECT. Hint: patience and deep breaths required!
Michelle Dillon is the owner of Together Organizing based in Philadelphia. She specializes in closet organization and is a pro at making tiny closets work! Contact Michelle at michelle@togetherbymichelle.com - on Instagram or at 248-885-1609 to set up a free consultation!
