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Organizing the Home

Help Me Organize My Master Bedroom Reach-In Closet

11 years ago

Hello:

Our MB reach-in closet is 87"wide x 24"deep x 96" high. It has one lenght of rod running from one end to the other and two long shelves above the rod. My husband's shirts and other clutter are slowing running me out of the closet. I dread the day I'll come home to find that the rod has collapsed and al the clothes and other stuff in the closet on the floor.

We have a good handyman but I need your thoughts/suggestions as to how to better divide/organize/partition the closet. It has two bifold doors and access to the attic is also inside the closet. I would post a picture but the clutter is too embarrassing. Help! Please!! Thanks.

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Comments (5)

donnawb
11 years ago
I would start by getting rid of every thing that you no longer need then measure shirts and pants. Do double rods where possible and even some shelves. I would google closet organizers to get an idea of what you can do and it also depends on budget.
LuAnn_in_PA
11 years ago
I agree with dd50.

Plus...
It is very hard to make recommendations when we don't know what you have and how you store them.

Some people hang jeans; some do not.
Some people hang t-shirts; some do not.
Lots of shoes kept in the closet or not?
Need handbag storage?
etc?
etc?
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Neat. That's large enough to be considered a dressing room, I think. Since I struggle with a 42" x 14" closet, I'm really happy for you to get that space. I think the first thing you need to do is look at the clothes that you have. How many feet of hanging space will you need? Double rods will save a lot of space, but that depends on how you hang trousers and such--by the hem with those clamp hangers, or folded over a hanger? How much long hanging space will you need for long dresses and skirts and coats? Given that you will have more hanging space than you did before, what do you have folded in drawers now, that you will be hanging in the new closet? You might do a consultation or two with a closet company or the closet designer at a home store. They will have the knowledge of specialized storage units that would work well for you. My first instinct is to do double rods on the 12' wall, a single rod on the 5' wall, with shelves above everything. (I'd put all the out of season clothing at the window end of the closet.) Then go wild with shelves and drawers on the 8' wall. Put a full length mirror on the wall that the door opens against, and a bench or stool somewhere to sit down and put on shoes. I've added a link to a video of a woman giving a tour of her closet--the configuration is a little like your space, except that you might have more room. It's long and she rambles a bit, but she does a decent job of explaining what's stored where and why. There are many other closet tours on YouTube that could give you some ideas. Here is a link that might be useful: organized closet
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OMG Shades, you have to post a photo. Trying to picture that gave me a headache LOL. I too am interested in this as my next project is going to consist of expanding my closet to stretch wall to wall!! Yeah baby lots of room for junk. LOL I have posted rooms that looked junky before. It just illustrates I really need help LOL. Now once I fix up said room that won't happen again. but like Shades said desertsteph said its not going to cause any of us to faint. Besides none of you know me and I don't know you...do I? It might be a different story if we were coworkers. NO actually I have photos on my blog that I am not proud of but it is what it is....and I am working to correct. How else can anyone get a visual without a photo. So to encourage you here is a photo of my messy closet before I organize it on my next project go round.
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sherwoodva
11 years ago
Chio, if you are worried about the rod collapsing, add extra brackets to hold it up. Then do as suggested, sorting and figuring out what you need. One side can have double rods for shirts and the other side can have a single rod for longer stuff like pants and dresses.

Since you are labeling your husband as the culprit, you could divide the closet rod in half. One side is his, and one is yours. He has to find a way to make all of this stuff fit on his side. Another method is to reverse the hangers on everything and if it is still like that after a year, toss it, because it never got worn.

I'm sure you will find lots of ideas, but it isn't clear if you are asking how to organize or how to keep his stuff from crowding out yours.
chiommy
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for the replies. The closet has one long rod at running the length of it and two shelves above the rod about 20 inches apart. My husband has more shirts than anyone needs (though he''ll never admit this)and his shirts take up his half of the closet and about half of my side as well. We don't store shoes in the closet but use the shelves for folded jeans, sweaters, t shirts and other stuff. I would store my handbags in the closet if there was space. We also store our carry on bags at the bottom of the closet but I guess we could relocate those. Thanks again for the help.
lazy_gardens
11 years ago
Have the handyman make a barrier in the middle of the closet ... and divide up the space on each side according to the clothing that each person has. If your husband has so many shirts he needs two rods, mount two of them. But if they won't all fit along with his jeans and t-shirts and sweaters, he may have to do some wardrobe pruning. (does everything fit? does he wear all the shirts?)

Do you have room for off-season storage elsewhere? Or for t-shirts and sweaters in a dresser drawer?

And definitely get the luggage out of the prime closet space unless you travel weekly.

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