Closet Organization Basics

A custom closet, or any storage for that matter, should not be about the type of material, future potential or even the height, width or depth.  It should be about the best use of the space allotted while meeting the needs of the user.  This article will attempt to guide you through the evaluation of your needs and what direction they will take you in getting organized and installed.
Here are the basic steps one should take in deciding what type of storage system to use:

• What are you going to store vs. discard?  I have to encourage many of my clients to purge the space, whether it be closet, garage or pantry, and it usually feels good in the end.  Though they dread the thought of pulling all of the clothes, shoes, gas cans, tools out, that also forces them to evaluate what they NEED to keep vs. what they WANT to keep.  Now that you have a good idea of the “keepers”, move on to step 2!

• If it is a closet, measure the linear footage of each type of clothes.  In other words, use a tape measure along the front edge of the rod and see how long each section runs.  Shirts and blouses, long dresses, folded over pants (or are they hanging long?), hats and folded clothes on shelves.  Shoes need to be separated – men’s vs. women’s – as you have to allow for the difference in width.  Garages need the same kind of count only looking at cans, sporting goods, tools, coolers, etc.

Now for space planning:

• How high are the ceilings?  Most people cannot reach any higher than seven feet without a step ladder.
• What is the allowable depth?  Minimum storage depth should be 12” as everything from books, cans, shoes to a folded shirt will need at least this much.
• What is the width of the space?  That determines the number of vertical supports.  In a garage, I would not run over 24 inches in between supports unless I knew it would be for light uses.  Closets can be spaced out upwards of 42” if only used for hanging clothes.  I tend to stick with 36” widths on closet shelving as they too are subject to overloading.

Now it is a matter of laying out the linear footage along the divided spaces to insure you have enough of each type to accommodate your belongings.  The good news is that, if you live in a modest size town, there are usually closet or space planning professionals that will work with you on the above steps and come up with a workable plan.
As I am in the custom storage industry, the software we use is invaluable to maximizing the usable space while taking into account the client’s needs.  The steps above are exactly what I use (plus a lot more hard earned experience!) to please my customers.



To learn more, please visit:  Closet Tailors of SW Florida and Closet Tailors