How to Put Your Closets in Order for the Holidays

The holidays are not upon you and your closet is already at capacity? The prospect of making room in a closet that is hard put to accommodate what you have now for all the guest coats, seasonal wear and gift wrap is enough to put one off. And you would like to be able to open the door and come by what you need without trouble?

Then you are in good company. We at Southern Closet Systems have been putting Tampa Bay homeowners’ closets to rights since 1983 and we can tell you the holidays have a habit of showing up every deficiency in your storage. For a custom solution have a conversation with us at (813) 592-8548. In the meantime there are things you can do to prepare.

We will walk you through it.

A Clean Sweep to Begin With

You do not organize clutter; that is the first rule. So before any hangers or bins are purchased, clear out the space and see what you are working with. It is the most difficult thing to do but also the most satisfying.

Put your possessions in order:

• Regularly used items stay
• What is in good shape but has no place in your life gets donated
• Anything with a stain or otherwise on its last legs is trashed
• Move to another room what should be there
• Seasonal or keepsakes you wish to retain are put away

Be candid. A year without wearing something is ample reason to let someone else have it this holiday season.

Make Room for What is to Come

Even in Florida one puts on more in the winter months. You want your family’s boots, sweaters and coats to be easily at hand when the weather turns, so put them where they can be seen. Summer clothes of a lighter weight can be pushed to the back or up on a shelf.

Guests are another matter. Should you have relatives in residence you will want an open area for their bags and coats. Some forethought here means you will not be in a fluster to put things aside when the doorbell goes off.

For Gifts and the Like

There is nothing to add to your holiday stress like misplacing a present from weeks back. Put aside a spot for your ribbon, tape and wrapping paper. A high shelf is ideal to keep gifts from prying eyes of children.

And having your supplies in one place spares you from ransacking the house for a pair of scissors on the 23rd of December. If everything is where it should be the season is less of a hassle.

Do Not Waste the Vertical Space

Below the hanging clothes and over the top shelf is where most of a closet is squandered. See if a second rod will not give you twice the room for your shirts and trousers. An over-the-door unit is fine for shoes and scarves while dividers on the shelf will stop a pile of sweaters from falling in. Make the inch count and you will find you had more room to begin with.

Put Like with Like

Categorize what you are keeping and by frequency of use. Things you put on every day should be at eye level. Occasional pieces can be stowed higher or lower. Shoes with shoes, accessories in one corner.

Some small tools go a long way:

• Hangers that match for uniformity
• Baskets for the odds and ends, belts and socks
• Clear bins and labels for boxes and shelves

If an Upgrade Is Called For

All the sorting in the world will not do it if the layout, rods and shelving are not right for your lifestyle. A custom system is then in order.

As Tampa Bay’s First Custom Closet Company we are the ones to call. We are in-house at our local factory for all of it, no subcontractors. Our team will design and install a system in four easy steps suited to the way you live. We have won HGTV’s “Rock the Block” after all, so we know how to make storage that is as smart as it is attractive.

Tampa, St. Petersburg, Palm Harbor, Clearwater, Wesley Chapel and the rest of the Tampa Bay area are where we work and we are on hand 24/7. To have your closet ship-shape before the holidays set in, ring us at (813) 592-8548 for a no cost estimate and we will put together a space made to your measure.