Small Satisfying Projects

Over the years, I’ve worked on many large-scale organizing projects and designed and renovated significant spaces. But often it’s the small, satisfying projects that have the most impact—especially for a client who was super excited about a new closet.

Who would have thought that a six-foot closet makeover could change someone’s day-to-day life? Well, you use your bedroom closet every single day. If your clothes closet is a mess, your day won’t start or end on the right foot—particularly if you can’t find your shoes!

Perfect-For-You Closets

I love working with people who want a perfectly organized space, even though we know “perfect” only exists in staged pictures we see in magazines and online. I’m happy that my client and I came pretty close to perfect. I hope she tells me if it stays organized over the long term, especially since her husband thought the two of us were a little “over-enthusiastic” about folding and stacking his sweaters and placing shoes just so. Remember Carrie’s closet in Sex and the City? Perhaps that’s what started this whole obsession with tidy closets in the first place.

The Before and After

Anyway, back to the before-and-after. When my clients bought the house, there were two tiny closets side by side, each with its own door. Apparently, back in the 1950s-1960s, “Mr. and Mrs. Homeowner” kept their clothing separated and sacrificed closet space to do so.

My client’s husband, “Mr. Homeowner,” made a very valiant effort to make his small closet as functional as possible. He added a few shelves in the bottom half of the closet for folded clothes. He also installed an extra hanging rod next to the low shelves. However, the shelves weren’t quite deep enough, so when he stacked a few sweaters on them, they toppled onto the floor. By that point, he felt it was just easier to throw the stuff on the floor on top of the shoes since that’s where it would end up anyway. I totally get it. Why bother even trying?

A closet renovation or reorganization sounds like a simple job, but once you list everything the client needs in the closet space, you realize it’s a little tricky. Thankfully, my clients were ready to renovate and had the good sense to remove the wall between the closets, creating one large closet with double doors.

In the end, the design was fairly typical. We placed shelving in the middle and added hanging space on each side. Since Mr. Homeowner is quite tall, we placed the hanging sections higher for him and lowered them for her, as Mrs. Homeowner is shorter. We also added a shelf on the bottom to tuck her shoes under.

Same Space, Better Design

Interestingly, the new closet has the same amount of hanging space as the old one, but it somehow works so much better. We added a pullout tie and belt rack on the far right for Mr. Homeowner. Simply hanging your belts on a nice rack can change your life, I swear!

I gave my very organized client a big round of applause for buying perfectly matching hangers. When all the hangers are the same, it’s much easier to focus on your clothes.

It’s such a relief when a space that once felt frustrating starts working smoothly in everyday life. Sometimes it really is the small, satisfying projects, like a well-planned closet, that make the biggest difference in how your day feels.

Are you looking at your own closet and thinking it could be working harder for you? Whether you want to improve function, create a better flow, or simply make mornings a little less stressful, I’m always happy to help with closet organization and design that makes the most of your space.