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Closets have a reputation for being messy. You shove everything inside and close the door. Then you don’t think about what’s behind that door again. Out of sight, out of mind.
But just imagine how beautiful that closet could be.
Organizing your hall closets so it’s not an avalanche risk is easier than it sounds. We have seven great ways to organize your hall closets.
Follow these tips to take them from the danger zone to something you can be proud of.
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1. Pull Everything Out to Put It Back In
No matter how they were intended, hall closets turn into catch-alls before long.
This first step is the purge.
It’s completely necessary to pull everything out of your hall closet.
Absolutely everything.
Once you have all your stuff out where you can see it, start going through it piece by piece. Toss items you no longer want or need. Relocate the things that belong to other areas of the house.
Now you should only have the things that truly belong in the closet. This means it’s time to start putting it all back in again!
2. Trade Out Hangers for Hooks
This applies specifically to coat closets.
Putting bulky coats on hangers makes your closet look more cluttered and disorganized. Plus, it takes longer to stop and hang your coat up on a hanger.
Do you expect your kids not to just toss their coats in and run?
To remedy these problems, take out the hanging rod and replace it with hooks along the walls. You can choose any hooks you like!
If you don’t have very many coats to hang up, one row of hooks should be plenty. But if there are lots of coats to store and you have little ones in your family, you may need a second row below the first. As an example, check out this coat closet makeover.
Combine simplicity with an organization to keep coats hidden from view and off floors.
3. Use the Back of the Door
In small closets, every inch of space matters. That’s why you can’t let even a bit of it go to waste.
The back of the door is the perfect place to store smaller items. Think mittens, gloves, and scarfs in your coat closet. Or washcloths, hand towels, and extra toiletries in your linen closet.
Thankfully, there are plenty of ready-to-go products to help you get the most out of your door space.
Over-the-door shoe racks are a popular choice among organizers. They have a bunch of little pockets for you to tuck things into so they don’t run amuck in your closet.
You can also install other forms of storage. Think rods to hang things over and hooks to put items upon. Baskets can hold all your small objects that don’t have another home.
Just make sure whatever you use is secure so it doesn’t come flying off whenever you open the door.
4. Boxes, Bins, and Baskets
When the hall closet has shelves, it’s easy for them to become chaotic. It’s important to have structure so your things aren’t lying out everywhere.
Decide on a color theme before you start choosing your bins and boxes. Unify everything with a matching color palette so it feels cohesive. This works even if there’s a medley of things stored inside.
Separate similar items into appropriately-sized bins so they’re easy to find.
Baskets are nice for your linens because they provide airflow. Wicker is classic but wire baskets are great for a more industrial aesthetic. Use them to hold smaller towels and toiletries.
Roll your towels spa style for an even cleaner look.
If you prefer being able to see everything, that’s perfectly fine. Shelf dividers can provide the same sort of structure without closing anything off. You can find them in cloth, acrylic, and wire depending on your preference.
5. Put Labels on Everything
Do yourself a favor and nab a label maker.
It’s going to make your life so much easier if you label your bins with what’s in them.
You’ll find what you’re looking for at a glance and can also put things away quickly. No more leaving the cleaning up for later. It will be so simple to walk over and put things where they go now.
And imagine how good it’ll feel when everything gets put back in its proper place every time, no matter who puts it away. (That’s the dream.)
If you’re not a fan of the way labels look when they’re printed from a label maker you can go the handwritten route.
Stylized labels are available that have pretty die-cut edges and come in different colors. It all depends on what fits with your design sense.
6. Get Things off the Floor
No matter how tidy you keep it, putting things directly on the floor isn’t cute.
It’s even less appealing when you have a pile of mismatched shoes growing in your coat closet. Or cleaning products flailing into each other in the closet at the end of the hallway.
Invest in a bit of extra storage to clean up your floors and keep everything perfectly organized.
A cubicle or a rack at the bottom of your coat closet can keep shoes paired up and ready to grab when you’re in a rush. As long as everyone commits to actually putting their shoes away.
Use broom holders to hang your mop and broom on the wall or the back of the door so they aren’t falling over.
Hooks, baskets, bag dispensers, and extra shelves can ensure space isn’t wasted. They’ll hold those extra bits and bobs you don’t have another place for.
If, after all that, you still have things hanging around on the floor, it might be time to find a new place to store them.
7. Leave Yourself Room to Grow
The last thing you want to do during this process is cram your hall closet 100% full.
With no room to grow, the first time you add items, your hall closet will be overflowing.
We don’t want that.
Cut back enough so there’s space left over in some of your bins for new items to take up. If you’re able, leave one basket or bin completely empty in case you need it for a purpose that doesn’t exist yet.
Give yourself permission to add things to your hall closet without fear.
And if you hit capacity, don’t hesitate to try tip #1 again.
In Summary
The hall closet is an important space that holds a lot of things you use in your daily life. But it’s easy to forget about how it looks when you don’t look at it for more than one-minute bursts.
No more skeletons in the closet. It’s time to clean up your act.
These seven tips will help you organize any and all of your hall closets in a jiffy.
You may be surprised at the positive impact it has on the rest of your day.
Author Bio:
Ryan Sundling is a Group Marketing Manager at Cardinal Group Management. He has over 10 years of experience in the conventional housing industry and works with West 38 on a daily basis to help them with their marketing efforts.
