Storage Solutions for Closets 2014 Ideas

Closets are great for stashing stuff, but when that stuff gets disorderly, chaos gets the upper hand. Conquer your closets with these tips. 
Get your closets in order using our favorite closet organization ideas. Learn how to adapt strategies and plans to work for your home's closets and see what savvy tricks can help keep closets clutter free.

Plan a closet makeover by measuring your current closet to determine hanging requirements and storage needs. Next, you'll need to clear everything out of the closet so the new system can be installed. This is a good time to go through items you can no longer use and donate them to charity.

Closet systems can help you make the most of the space you have. Here, the hanging bars, cubby storage, and drawers help organize clothing and ensure that everything has a place. A curved dressing bench takes up less space than a rectangular one.

You might think the more shelves, the better but this is not always true. The shelves themselves take up inches of precious storage space, and too many of them can make it difficult to stack or remove items. It's best to design shelves that will fit the various items you have to store.

Don't have a lot of closet space? Freestanding armoires are perfect for customizable storage space to take the place of a closet. Wire shelving in ready to assemble cabinets maximizes storage and allows for easy organization of foldable garments. A tiered shelf stores shoes at the bottom of the cabinet, while sweaters and seasonal accessories are placed in baskets on the top shelf.

Fabric storage bins help keep an open closet neat, organized, and presentable. Double rods on both sides of the storage tower provide extra space for shirt and pants storage. Apply adhesive picture labels to the outside of the fabric bins to make it easier for kids to stick with your organization system.

If you love shoes and deciding how to store them is your main closet woe, try these tips from John Trosko, a professional organizer and co author of The Experts’ Guide to Doing Things Faster.

Slim shoes, such as flats and flip-flops, can be stored two to a cubby. Use spare slots for belts, scarves, and clutches.

Drawers give the closet a polished, built-in look, plus handy closet door storage for folded clothes. Bulky items like sweaters and purses can go on the open shelves.

Eke out another sliver of storage by putting a shallow basket on the shelf below the top row of hanging clothes. Use it for things that fold up small, such as tights, T’s, or socks.

Whether your closet is big or small, good lighting will make it even more functional. Look for ceiling-mount lighting that doesn’t need to be hardwired as a quick update for a reach-in closet. Lamps can be used in a walk in closet for extra illumination, which is beneficial for dressing areas. If your walk-in closet has a window, install a light-blocking window covering. That way, you can keep out the natural light when you’re not using the closet. Constant sunlight might cause some clothing to fade.

For a narrow and short space, stair-step rods for kids’ clothing storage. Since their clothing is short and slender, you can hang one rod higher and further back in the closet and another bar lower and more toward the front to get a double layer of storage. Consider tension shower rods, which can be installed without making holes in the wall and are easier to change as the child gets older.

Using double closet rods one over the other is the best way to squeeze more storage space out of a closet. Be sure to measure the length of each item you'll be hanging there and allow another 6 inches of clearance above and below each rod. Blouses, shirts, skirts, jackets, and kids' clothes will all fit on double rods.

Cut down on your ironing time with an ironing board that’s always ready to go. Hang a wall mount ironing board near an outlet and store the iron nearby. Simply fold down the board when you’re ready to iron. There are also ironing board cabinets that can be recessed into a wall. Learn how to install one with the video below.

See through wire drawers make finding clothes or other items in your closet quick and easy. This metal pull-out storage system has drawers with various depths to fit into different sized spaces, and provides a more organized form of storage than simple cubbies would provide.

Label bins and boxes with luggage tags. Loop the tag around handles and insert a label into the tag’s pocket. Putting labels on boxes and bins that are stored up high is especially helpful. That way, you won’t have to guess what’s in the box, and you can pull down the right one on your first try.