SORTed lives ~ woman's closet

 Disclaimer :: these aren't the greatest of pictures, and thye certainly don't do justice to this closet makeover.  I was just so excited about getting everything sorted that I guess I wasn't focused on capturing our transformation on film!

Here's the closet BEFORE.  The client had already done quite a bit of work on her own.  She went through all of her clothing and purged about 4 or 5 bags of items to be given away or donated.  Much of her "keeper" items were stored in a closet in a different room.  The client complained that the closet was too jam-packed when all of her clothing was in there.  She had some products in place to help maximize space, but they weren't really working for her.  In the picture on the left, you can see a double closet rod was added below the shorter hanging items, but it was wobbly and not very functional.  There was an obvious need for some kind of shoe storage as well.  One huge structural plus to this closet is the built-in shelves, which were being used to store cleaning and toiletry supplies (the closet is off the master bath), but they were clearly under-utilized.

 

What made all the difference in this project was adding some space-maximizing products.  Here are the products we used, all purchased at Bed, Bath, and Beyond or The Container Store.

 

 

Our main goal in this closet was to increase the hanging "real estate" so that clothing would not be wedged in too tightly.  We used the products pictured above to accomplish this goal.  Previously, the client had all of her t-shirts on hangers.  Instead, we used labeled canvas bins (1) to sort her t-shirts into categories and placed them on built-in the open shelving (see AFTER picture below).  We used more open canvas bins in various sizes to containerize bulk cleaning supplies, handbags, leggings, scarves, camisoles, and even boots!  (For the record, I love open bins

 . . . here's why.)

 

Bulky denim jeans were also taking up a lot of the hanging room, so we folded them down and placed them in short stacks below this expanding closet shelf (2).  On top of the expanding shelf we placed more canvas bins, making better use of the closet's vertical space.

 

To increase hanging space even further, we added this double hang closet rod (3) and utilized a variety of hanger types (4-6) to increase vertical hanging space versus creating more side-to-side bulk.

 

Instead of taking up shelf space for shoes, we added this shoe rack (10) on the ground, then used shelf dividers (9) to organize sweatshirts on the shelf above the client's athletic wear. 

 

It's not visible in the AFTER pictures, but this awesome little cart (7) fit perfectly into the awkward space betwen the open shelving and the wall (the cart is only 6 3/4" wide!).  It holds the client's bulk toiletry items, as well as bath and body products she saves to give away as gifts. 

 

The cleaning supplies remain on the open shelving towards the top, and we added this turn-table (8) to make items in the back more accessible.

 

Here's a glimpse at the results!



simple tool - bag hook for the car

Container Store just wrapped up their annual travel sale, and though I was VERY tempted by this bag, I managed to make it through the sale with only one tiny purchase.  It's a simple thing, but it has made my car feel much more organized, so I thought I'd share.

In Austin, one-time-use plastic bags have been outlawed.  Some stores offer paper bags, but mostly Austinites are switching to reusable bags.  I fully support the eco-friendly nature of this mandate, but it is HARD to remember to bring your bags into the store.  I leave mine laying in the back seat in hopes that I will see them on my way out.  This works for me because no one sits in the back on a regular basis, but it still feels kind of like a mess.  I want my bags to be in sight, but not in the way.  Here's the new gadget that solved that problem:

Now my bags hang neatly from the back of my driver's seat (I put all of my bags inside one skinny reusable bag so it's easy to grab the whole bunch when I head into the store).  Voila!  Underneath the bags, I use a caddy that is actually a scrapbooking organizer.  It houses an emergency first aid kit, coupons, umbrella, a bible, a lint roller, bug spray, sun screen, and extra set of glasses, a pen and paper, and some CDs.  The pocket behind the seat holds Stella & Dot catalogs in a plastic folder.

planner love!

I know many people have moved to electronic methods of calendar- and list-keeping, but I think I will always be a paper/pencil kind of girl.  The act of writing something down helps me to remember it, and the act of crossing it off once it's accomplished brings a rush of satisfaction every time.  I don't care how "smart" my iphone might be...it just doesn't do it for me like a dayplanner.

My life has revolved around the school calendar since I entered kindergarten, so my "new year" really begins in August.  For that reason, I choose to use a July through June planner.  I've used the same eco-friendly one from greenroom (available at Target) for the past few years.  Needless to say, I start checking the shelves of my local Target around April in my excitement for the new line.  By May, they are usually available and I will snatch up a new one and begin plugging in important dates for the year ahead.  Here's the one I grabbed a few months ago:

 

The good: familiarity (since it's exactly like my old one), size (at about 6"x8", it fits into some of my larger purses and is easy to tote), sturdy cardboard composite cover, attractive, provides monthly and daily planning, plenty of room within each day's allotted space to write appointments, events, reminders, and to-dos

 

The bad: Though I love how much space is provided for each day, the lack of structure makes it a struggle to decide where to write what.  I try to separate to-do lists, events, and errands into separate parts of the box, but inevitably it becomes a big mess.  Here's a picture of what a typical week looks like. 

 

I highlight the list items I've actually accomplished and move those I haven't accomplished into the next day's box.  This system has been working for me, and my intention was to continue with it, UNTIL....

 

Ahhh.....I fell in love!  Check these babies out!!

 

I wasn't shopping for a planner since I'd already purchased mine, but I passed by this end cap and was immediately drawn to the color and design of these Blue Sky planners styled by designer Dabney Lee.  I picked one up, began to flip through it, and loved what I saw!  Though I'd already purchased one (and wrote in it, so it can't be returned), I decided it was worth it to replace the old version with this horizontal 8"x10" planner (see arrow above). 

 

Here's what I love about my new planner:

 

A large monthly calendar, flanked by a monthly Do/Call/Buy list for the month....love it!

 

Daily columns with bullets for listing to-dos and events...perfect for the way I used my planner! 

 

Here is how I plan to organize it:

 

The new planner does have some down sides ~it's larger and less durable seeming than the one I was using before.  Overall, though, I think this design is going to work so well for my needs. I can't wait until Monday, when I get to start using it!