When you live in a small space typically a rental apartment or a studio, you need to be smart with the way you store your belongings. This is even more true for your closet. Is there anything more unpleasant in the morning than not finding the sweater you want to wear? Or having to rummage/unfold everything because nothing is quickly accessible?
A poorly organized closet could be a bad start to the day. That’s why it’s important when you live in a small space to think about how you’re going to organize your closet. Being myself “a small-spacer”, I thought a lot about the best ways to put together my closet and what to consider before doing so, here is what I came up with:
Key criteria to consider before organizing your closet :
1.What clothes and accessories do you own?
Think of the clothes you need to access every day? The shoes, the bags, the jewelry, the scarfs, etc… Make a list and sort every item by category such as sweaters, coats, jackets, t-shirts… The idea here is to evaluate the number of items you have in each category.
Once you have that it will give you a good idea of the type of storage you need (hanging, shelves, drawers, etc…). You’ll also be able to evaluate the items you need daily versus the items that are seasonal and so that can be stored somewhere else.
2.What are your storage habits?
Now that you know the amount and types of clothing you need to put in your closet, you need to take into account your storage habits. This means how do you store your things on a day-to-day basis? Are you the neat type that folds everything perfectly? In this case, you might wanna consider having open shelving as they will always look sleek and tidy. Otherwise, hanging space could be a better fit for you.
There is no right or wrong here, but rather a willingness to create a closet that suits your habits of storage. You need to be realistic and avoid choosing a method of storage that you won’t be able to maintain. The idea is to simplify your life, not to make it more difficult.
3.Closet visibility
What you want to avoid at all costs is having to rummage through your stuff to see what you actually own. I know this is tricky especially when you live in a small space. Small-spacers have this tendency to optimize every square centimeter. Most of the time it’s a good thing, but sometimes it’s better to let things breathe in order to see more clearly. A closet filled to the brim with stacks of inaccessible clothing is definitely not the best solution.
Instead, having a clear vision of your closet can really make your life easier. Imagine that at a glance you can have a good idea of your wardrobe. Wouldn’t it be easier to get dressed in the morning?
If you think about it, the open-closet trend is the quintessence of visibility. The idea behind it is to display your clothes, shoes, accessories in the manner of a stylish clothing boutique. So, when you wake up to get dress, you feel inspired by what you see rather than drained by it.
>>See how I build my wardrobe with this DIY <<
A simple solution for small-spacers to keep an organized closet
You may have all the best organization tips in place to fit all your stuff in but there comes a time when your apartment is not expandable. So what can you do when you’ve reached that point?
Capsule wardrobe
So of course being the Marie Kondo fan that I am, I will tell you that decluttering is key and will always encourage you to live with less. But it’s not your only option. A capsule wardrobe is also an excellent starting point and allows you to get your feet wet. “A capsule wardrobe is a small collection of clothes that can be put together in different ways”. Usually, you make one for each season but it can be less or more depending on where you live or your lifestyle. The advantage of working with a capsule wardrobe is that it reduces the number of clothes you have to store in an accessible and visible way. Which is typically what small spacer struggle with the most.
Learn more about capsule wardrobe
BONUS: The unexpected side effects of making a capsule wardrobe
As a capsule wardrobe user myself, I have noticed unexpected (and cool) side effects of making one.
- Finding your personal style
Making a capsule wardrobe can help you find your personal style. Having fewer pieces to choose from, forces you to think about what you want to put in this capsule. It is also necessary to make sure that the selected clothes mix well together which helps you to define your style.
- Sparing you some precious time
It also spares you some time in the morning as getting dressed is way easier when everything goes with everything. Also, imagine having only pieces of clothing that you love in your wardrobe. Wouldn’t it be the best feeling?
- Buying less but of better quality
You’ll find yourself willing to buy more intentionally and less than you are used to. knowing that you have limited space will make you think twice at whether you buy this item. Hence you’ll probably invest in more quality pieces that will last you longer rather than on-trend pieces.
