Before Selecting Bedroom Closet Systems

Bedroom closet systems can be an integral part of the organizational efforts in your home. Unfortunately, no closet organization system can magically shrink your stuff so that it takes up less volume or expand your space.  Ultimately there is a point at which your closet just cannot hold any more.  That’s why to be able to effectively use your closet, you need to actively manage what goes in before installing closet organizer systems.

What Goes In

Before spending money on a closet system, many people forget to take the proper first step. First you will need to filter through the contents of the closet.  Taking this time up front will pay off benefits later when you are trying to actually use your closet in everyday life.  

Step 1 – First ask yourself, “What is the purpose of THIS closet?”  In the case of a bedroom closet, the typical purpose may be something like:

To store my hanging clothes and shoes that I wear regularly

In my closet I actually store a few other things including our luggage.  In this case I just added luggage to the list of contents. If the list is too lengthy, that is a warning that this closet may have too many purposes. “Sugar, does your Barbie doll collection belong in our BEDROOM closet?!?”

Another red flag are words like stuff, miscellaneous and junk. Words like these are not specific enough.  If you use one of them, then you don’t have a clear purpose for the closet.  Use specific categories like hanging shirts, dress pants, all pants, shoes, luggage.  Whatever happens to apply in your situation.

Once you have a clear purpose for your closet, you will be able to make good decisions as to what needs to stay in it.

Step 2 – Now that you know the purpose of the closet, look at each and every item and decide if it needs to stay.  In reviewing each item, you will have a few different answers to the question, “Do I really, REALLY need or want this?”

• I do need/want it, because I wear it or use it regularly.
• I MIGHT use it or wear it if….
• I do not need/want it, because it’s…
• I do need/want it, but it belongs somewhere else.

What you do with the item at this point is obvious for 3 of the 4 possible answers. If you need or want it, give it a home in the closet.  Dispose of it if you do not need/want it.  Put it in the room it belongs if it belongs somewhere else. MIGHT is the answer that gives us the most trouble.

If you ever say MIGHT, then you should seriously, SERIOUSLY consider disposing of the item. Too many times we get so attached to the fact that we own the item and we forget that we don’t use it, need it or want it.  We are attached to the item rather than what it can do for us. When the word MIGHT comes out of my mouth then I know I should probably dispose of the item.  If I MIGHT use it, then there is most likely someone else who WILL use it!

What you put back in your closet is going to be much more important than the bedroom closet systems you select. Take the time to create the purpose for the closet and weed through the items. Give serious consideration to those items you MIGHT use/want and try to convince yourself to get rid of them.  Once you know the purpose for your closet and your items are filtered, you will be able to make a good decision about what bedroom closet systems will be useful to you. Your things will now be able to be found when you need them!