closet case

I've noticed that when you can't remodel or repaint, one thing you can always do is reorganize. So when that "nesting" urge strikes, I find myself reorganizing my pantry or my closet. That's right, closet, singular. My husband and I share a closet made for one.

Whomever designed our high rise, take note - in 1100 sq. ft. (maybe I just think this coming from the city) you can fit more than one person. Thus, you need more than one tiny closet. I like to call it a "boîte à bijoux" closet... Yeah, right...

Anyways, for a little eye candy/inspiration I am loving the images assembled by The Estate of Things recently, check it out! Here is a sample of the images she collected:

photos on Flickr and by Steven Gambrel

Here is a personal favorite, just because I like wooden built-ins. Actually, I like closets that look more like clothing libraries than laundries or boutiques, but that's just me. This one belongs to Eva Longoria-Parker as photographed by Instyle Magazine.


So back to reality. The one thing I've learned is that even the worst closet can be revived, inexpensively by these, all available from Target, Ikea and Walmart. Maybe not the most permanent solution, but it sure is a start:

Matching wooden hangers. I cannot say enough about this. I own about 150 of them and they are inexpensive to boot, thank you Target for your thirty odd dollar multi-packs! They make our closet look a lot less chaotic. There was a time when I went for colorful plastic but believe me, matching hangers just feel neater.

A good, vented, shoe rack that doesn't look rickety is such a luxury. Especially if you wear leather soled shoes. I once heard a discriminating sartorialist say that men should have enough leather shoes to never wear them back to back. The reasoning being that if you didn't give the leather a chance to dry out (think sweaty feet, sorry for that image) you'll ruin them faster. Anyways, for twenty-some bucks at Walmart, I'll take it!

Now here is where things get strange. I love shelving but rentals often have inexpensive wire shelving which can lead to lines in your sweaters. I like modular shelving but without a back, I found things were constantly falling behind them and impossible to dig out. An affordable solution? Well remember how I said I like closets that resembled libraries? I use MDF bookshelves with shelf separators. Inexpensive and readily available from any discount retailer, these are awesome and they look great with several lined up in a row. And if the movers are ever rough with them, I know I can easily find a replacement like this Billy bookcase from Ikea, but FYI Target and Walmart carry some similar ones for around twenty dollars if there is no Ikea nearby:

So that's how we cheat to make nightmare closets (okay, just one) work for the two of us.