By Sara Pedersen
Before a fashion challenge or shopping for a new seasonal wardrobe, it’s important to sort and purge closets and drawers, removing unnecessary items. But once that process is complete, it’s time to glam up the closet! Keep reading to learn some “high and low” options for bringing some style to your clothing storage spaces. From adding inexpensive drawer liners and swapping out hangers, to adding a glam light fixture and painting an accent wall, there are many things that can be done to put the icing on the cake!
LOW TIME & FINANCIAL COMMITMENT
Add drawer liners. My favorites are the lightly scented ones from Crabtree & Evelyn but many other brands are available on Amazon. If you like the look of pretty drawers without the scent, try contact paper, leftover wallpaper, or gift wrap. (If you go with gift wrap, make sure it’s the sturdy kind.) Measure, cut, and tack down with a few dots of glue or double-stick tape. Or add a scented sachet of lavender, citrus, or cedar to your drawers or closet. Available for purchase on Amazon or at home good stores, or make your own with yummy essential oils available at your natural foods store.
Swap out your hangers. This means getting rid of all of your dry-cleaner’s wire ones! They get tangled and are not sturdy enough. Out they go. Replace with one or two standard types. Try white plastic tube, velvet “huggable,” sturdy wooden, metal pants, or whatever suits your fancy. And for goodness sake, face them all the same direction!
Organize your jewelry. There are many options to store your jewelry inside a top drawer in divided boxes, on top of a dresser on a stand, or hanging on a wall. Are you a displayer or a tuck-away gal? Is out-of-sight also out-of-mind? Perhaps you could store away things you don’t use often, and display or keep out the pieces that you wear frequently or want to remember to wear!
Add drawer organizers. There are many to be found at The Container Store in every shape and size. They will allow you to divide and contain underthings or keep flimsy camisoles and t-shirts in line. Or you can make your own using old shoeboxes or cardboard.
MEDIUM TIME & FINANCIAL COMMITMENT
Paint the closet walls. Yes, this could be an undertaking. But you’re taking everything out of the closet anyways, so now is the time to do it! Give it a clean, fresh coat of light-colored paint that makes you smile. This reflects the light and gives you a solid neutral background to view your clothing against. Or go a step further and wallpaper the closet, or just one accent wall for a huge impact.
Add a new light fixture. This is especially important if you have no (or poor) lighting in your closet. If you have a walk-in closet, consider the impact of a fabulous chandelier in this space. Wow! It doesn’t have to be expensive. Even Ikea has some great ones for less than $100.
Add some artwork. Search art.com for a piece of artwork that will make you smile every day. Or simply enlarge a favorite family photo and pop it in a pre-matted frame. If you don’t have any wall space in your closet (those without walk-ins), perhaps you could frame a small photo that makes you happy, and place it on a shelf.
HIGH TIME & FINANCIAL COMMITMENT
Install a new closet system. This can be done on a budget! Sometimes it’s as simple as moving up a single-hanging rod a bit higher and then adding another below it. If it’s time for an entire closet system, check out Home Depot or Lowe’s. Bring measurements and they can help design your perfect closet. If you’re handy, you can install it yourself, or hire a handyman to do it for you. If you want something fabulous, check out the elfa® line from The Container Store. It is modular, super-sturdy, attractive and well worth the investment.
ABOUT SARA
Since 2000, Sara Pedersen has offered hands-on organizing assistance for countless Twin Cities residents. She helps them organize, simplify, and discover time to do the things they love. She is the author of Born to Organize and Learn to Organize, both available on Amazon.
She lives in Shoreview, Minnesota, with her husband, two children, and tabby cat, Mulligan. When she’s not working with clients, she enjoys finding new and creative ways to organize and decorate her home! She also loves to dig in the garden, take evening walks, eat chocolate, and explore the North Shore of Minnesota.
Visit her website at www.TimeToOrganize.com for helpful organizing tips, donation resources, and access to her free set of Organized Acts of Kindness Cards.