In this post, I will show you how my client used a regular size dresser in a standard reach-in closet. Removal of the closet doors was necessary for the client because they were sliding doors that made access to the interior inconvenient. I suggested that drapery panels get placed at either end of the closet to soften the space as well as to distract from the missing doors. Since we are dealing with a wholly exposed closet, we also needed to consider blending the closet interior with the bedroom by using more interior design principles in the organization.
The first thing we did was place the dresser in the middle of the closet for a couple of reasons. First, it simply looks more balanced and aesthetically more pleasing. Secondly, drawer access is better when the dresser in positioned in the center of the closet.
Next, we cleared the floor removing a large cloth container filled with shoes. The basket was simply adorable so I moved it to the upper shelves and filled it with bed linens belonging to the room. We moved the shoes to under-the-bed storage containers that matched the bedroom décor. We also added additional under-the-bed containers to house stuffed animals, toys, and dolls that were scattered throughout the bedroom.
There was a basket on the closet floor that contained clothes for donation. This basket was too large for its purpose since it would take a long time to fill before emptied and donated. The client had other baskets throughout the home for this same purpose. Therefore, we condensed them to one and placed it in a hallway closet.
I transferred two-tiered drawer organizers that were formerly under the beds and moved them to the floor of the closet. They were completely awkward to utilize under the bed so we transferred them to the closet floor where they are easy to access.
The overhead shelves needed to look pretty. Uniformity was key. The client selected beautiful pink and purple containers that tied in with the room’s décor. Notice how the baskets perfectly fill the space of the closet shelf. Each basket is designed to hold a particular group of belongings.
The hung clothes needed better order and uniform hangers. We first had gone through all the clothes and decluttered them. We carefully selected which clothes required hanging verses folding. We had two different types of girl’s dresses, formal and casual. We hung the formal clothes on one side of the dresser and casual dresses at the other. The shorter garments such as shirts, cardigans, jackets and the like were placed over the dresser where they hung without contacting the dresser top — the hung clothing needed to be dispersed evenly on the rod to create an orderly appearance.
All folded clothing was stored in the dresser drawers belonging in the closet and bedroom. We had enough drawers so that each drawer stored a separate clothing inventory such as pajamas, undergarments, t-shirts and so on. Beneath the dresser, we lined slippers under the PJ drawer that were formerly forgotten about under the bed. Now they are exposed and more likely will receive use.
This project was an excellent example of how anyone can make their closet highly functional without breaking the bank. We repurposed an old piece of furniture thus increasing needed drawer space in this bedroom. Inexpensive baskets found online added ample overhead closet storage while adding color and décor to the room. Relocating organizers that were underutilized and inoperable under the bed to the closet floor where they are easy to access was a strategic move. Properly laying out the clothing on the rod and using all matching hangers made the clothes visually appealing and accessible.
