How to organise your closet like a pro: 3 minimalist rules

I remember that when I was a teenager and I was fantasising about my dream wardrobe. I wanted a spacious white walk-in closet filled with lots of different clothes that I would love and wear, and getting ready in the morning would feel like an experience.

Then life happened, I accumulated more and more stuff and even though I had a lot of space and I was close to realising my dream closet, my wardrobe felt overwhelming and stressful.

But since then, I had time to simplify and redesign my wardrobe in a way, so I actually love it. And I’m sharing my steps with you so that you can too organise and design the dream closet of your own – no matter how big or small it is!

There are three simple rules to understand and even though they sound simple, if you follow them, they will transform your closet into your dream one.

So let’s start…

Watch the new & improved guide here:

1. KEEP IT CURRENT

The first step is to make sure that everything in your closet serves you. And when I say everything, I mean everything!

If you want to open your closet and feel calm yet inspired, doing this is the most crucial step because no matter how many organisers you buy or how much stuff you move around – that won’t make a difference if you’re working with too many pieces of the puzzle.

So keep your closet clutter-free and…

• DECLUTTER ITEMS YOU NO LONGER LOVE, NEED OR WEAR. If you haven’t worn something in a year, maybe it should go. And if you have things that you don’t like but you feel guilty to throw away, do it anyway. Don’t keep anything that you don’t love, need or wear – check out How to declutter your closet for more information.
• REMOVE ITEMS THAT DON’T FIT YOU. When going through your closet, stay honest and ask yourself: “Does this fit my body right now?”. If the answer is no, it shouldn’t be in your closet. First and the best way is to declutter those items completely, but if you’re not ready to let some of them go, consider putting them away in a box for 6-12 month. Just make sure that the box is out of sight, so you can truly forget about it until your spring cleaning comes around (and then you can decide if you want to keep it or not).
• LET GO OF UNCOMFORTABLE ITEMS. You know that jumper that you love, but it itches so much that you never wear it? Or that lovely jacket that is too tight around the shoulders? You should let those pieces go. You’re not wearing them anyway, so maybe you can sell them and use the money for something else. Or at least they’ll find a better home with someone who will wear them.
• PUT SEASONAL STUFF IN STORAGE. There is no need to keep summer dresses (unless you’re wearing them, of course) in winter, and winter jumpers in the summer. So put those items in storage – check out my blog post about capsule wardrobes for more information.
• PUT SPECIAL PIECES IN A DIFFERENT PLACE. If you have pieces you don’t use often and they’re taking valuable space in your closet, consider finding a different spot for them; maybe a part of your partners closet if he has more space, or perhaps you can fold the items and put them in the box somewhere. A great example of this is clothing for special occasions.

2. KEEP EVERYTHING VISIBLE

The second important thing to keep in mind is that we must see everything in order to maximise our closet.

Because if we don’t see our clothes, we can forget about them, which means we don’t use them and we feel we have fewer options then we really do.

You know that time when you were cleaning out your closet and you stumbled upon something you forgot you had?

That happened to everyone and we want to avoid that going forward. 

So organise your closet in a way where you can have a clear view of everything:

• FOLD YOUR STUFF IN YOUR DRAWERS VERTICALLY INSTEAD OF HORIZONTALLY. This way, you see every single thing in your drawer, not just the first row (check out KonMari method of folding for best results).
• PUT AS MANY TOPS AND DRESSES AS YOU CAN ON HANGERS. Keeping things on hangers gives us a clear idea of what we own, plus it’s easy to take something off and put it back on again, so that means less mess. Some things, like bottoms and heavy knits, are better stored in drawers and on shelves, so keep that in mind when organising. But at the end of the day, you’re the boss of your closet! 
• DON’T PUT THINGS IN THE BACK (except for long term storing purposes). If you have to move something in order to get to something, that might not be the best way of organising. So try to avoid that, unless you don’t have any other options. Also, a better approach is to play around with baskets and design DIY drawers, so you get the most use out of your deep shelves.
• KEEP THINGS YOU USE MOST FREQUENTLY IN EASY TO REACH PLACES. This seems like a no brainer, but sometimes we open our wardrobe and simply fill it up without taking the time to think where do we want to keep stuff and how. So place the items you use the most in a place with easy access and the things you use less frequently in a more difficult to reach area (such as top shelves or bottom drawers).

3. KEEP IT PRETTY

By applying the first two rules, you’ll already feel a huge difference, when it comes to getting ready in the morning.

But considering we use our closet every single day, it should be worth spending some time designing it in a way so we’re excited to use it.

And if you ever dreamed of having a dream closet as a little girl (guilty! :P), then this is the time to unleash your dreams and get inspired!

So here are some of the best tips if you want to start today:

• KEEP EVERYTHING ORGANISED BY COLOUR. This is a simple (and free!) way of creating that boutique look right at your home. This is especially useful if you have a small wardrobe and you don’t have a lot of stuff, but if your closet is bigger, then categorise it first and then do it by colour next.
• MATCH YOUR HANGERS! No matter how much you declutter, your closet will probably always look a bit unorganised if your hangers are a complete mess. So find a style of hangers that you like and commit to them. If you have a smaller closet, I recommend going for velvet hangers to save space while still creating that beautiful boutique look, but if you have more space and you like the look of wooden hangers than go for those. Personally, I would avoid buying plastic hangers because they rarely look nice, but if you already have them and you love them than keep them.
• PLAY WITH NICE AROMAS. If you want to protect your clothing from moths while keeping your wardrobe smelling nice then find products that will do precisely that – I keep cedar wood blocks with a hint of lavender to keep moths at bay.
• CUSTOMISE IT. This can be a bit more expensive but think how you can create something on your budget: you can put a beautiful wallpaper on the back of the closet, maybe you can repaint the wardrobe in a colour that you would love, perhaps you can change the wardrobe doors or add a lovely drawer handles. If you’re not happy with your closet and you have the budget to renovate it, then I recommend you do it (especially if you own the place or you’re going to live there for a long time). If not, check the next tip.
• CREATE A FOCAL PIECE. If you want to create a beautiful closet without spending money renovating it, then creating a pretty focal point can do the trick. First, choose an area where you can do it and then find inspiration online. If you have some shelf space, you can put a frame with a nice picture or quote, add some flowers or a cute trinket tray for your jewellery. But if your area is limited, then you can add something on the inside of the doors, like a lovely mirror or inspiring quote.
• KEEP EVERYTHING ORGANISED BY COLOUR. This is a simple (and free!) way of creating that boutique look right at your home. This is especially useful if you have a small wardrobe and you don’t have a lot of stuff, but if your closet is bigger, then categorise it first and then do it by colour next.
• MATCH YOUR HANGERS! No matter how much you declutter, your closet will probably always look a bit unorganised if your hangers are a complete mess. So find a style of hangers that you like and commit to them. If you have a smaller closet, I recommend going for velvet hangers to save space while still creating that beautiful boutique look, but if you have more space and you like the look of wooden hangers than go for those. Personally, I would avoid buying plastic hangers because they rarely look nice, but if you already have them and you love them than keep them.
• PLAY WITH NICE AROMAS. If you want to protect your clothing from moths while keeping your wardrobe smelling nice then find products that will do precisely that – I keep cedar wood blocks with a hint of lavender to keep moths at bay.
• CUSTOMISE IT. This can be a bit more expensive but think how you can create something on your budget: you can put a beautiful wallpaper on the back of the closet, maybe you can repaint the wardrobe in a colour that you would love, perhaps you can change the wardrobe doors or add a lovely drawer handles. If you’re not happy with your closet and you have the budget to renovate it, then I recommend you do it (especially if you own the place or you’re going to live there for a long time). If not, check the next tip.
• CREATE A FOCAL PIECE. If you want to create a beautiful closet without spending money renovating it, then creating a pretty focal point can do the trick. First, choose an area where you can do it and then find inspiration online. If you have some shelf space, you can put a frame with a nice picture or quote, add some flowers or a cute trinket tray for your jewellery. But if your area is limited, then you can add something on the inside of the doors, like a lovely mirror or inspiring quote.

By following these three rules, no matter how small or big your closet is, you’ll create a wardrobe of your dreams and it will also help you improve your style and get ready in the morning.

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