Expert: Jamie Novak - 11/15/2007

Question
QUESTION: I live in a house that is over 50 years old and the closets (3 in the entire house) are small and shaped weird. The opening of the closet is at one end of the closet and the rest of the space extends roughly a foot and a half behind the wall and are about 3 foot deep. I love to have my home organized but the closets have always been a sore point. I need to know how to make the most of the available space and still have room to move things around if need be. If I need to be more specific please let me know. Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

ANSWER: Hi Mikka I'm glad you emailed. Small odd shaped closets must be the question of the month, I just wrote someone else about this :)

I love that you are looking at ways to maximize the space, I think most people would simply shove stuff into the closets and hope for the best.

So let's see:

First I'll ask if there is enough light. Without proper light it will be difficult to find things and put them back properly.

If you need more light there are inexpensive but very functional stick up lights on the market. Much better than the old time push kind that didn't really light up enough.

Now once the lighting is taken care of my next suggestion will be shelving. In addition to the shelving which can include corner shelving for odd spots, I'd also say rolling carts can work well, these would roll into the closet and roll out for use.

Another thought is that if there is anything that can hang then a rod can work well, remember these can be put in on an angle or front to back instead if the typical side to side.

One other idea is hooks, on the back of the door or on the walls, hooks can hold lots of stuff!

I hope a few of these ideas gives you inspiration for the space. If you have a digital camera and feel like posting photos for comment you can do so on my message board at http://messageboards.ivillage.com/n/mb/listsf.asp?webtag=iv-hgrealorg&nav=start&

If you need clarification or more ideas don't hesitate to write back :)

Happy organising, Jamie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I was considering a closet kit maybe, so that way i could custom make it for my needs, but i don't know how many shelves to get or how to put them in so i can optimize my storage space. More ideas would be helpful, the closets don't have doors. I wanted to hang either a shower rod or a curtain rod and hang something to hide the contents of the closets. What kind of material (wood, wire shelving, etc.) would be best for a kit or basic organization? If you could be a little more specific I would love it! I am slow do get going in the inspiration department! We need to purge but I now if I actually get a system for the closets it would be a lot easier. I appreciate you helping thank you.

Answer
Hi again,

I'm not a big fan of closet doors, lots of times I take them off on purpose.

I use the tension shower rods since I don't have to put holes in the door jam. BUT measure first- sometimes the flat surface is not wide enough to hold the end of the rod.

I then use tab top curtains so they slide easy. But you could use a beads or anything else that matches your decor.

As for the design. Yes, editing what you own is a good place to start so you then create space for the stuff you are keeping :)

I'd suggest taking the closet measurements and designing a closet. You can then purchase the items for the closet. If you have a Target store nearby I'd suggest checking out their lne of closet organizers made by California Closets.

The wire shelves can be tricky- items fall through...

Here are some sites to design your own or to get help with the design at no cost.


https://www.easyclosets.com

http://www.closetstogo.com

http://www.closetorganizersusa.com/

http://www.containerstore.com/

Good luck with your project!