If you’re like me, the beginning of Spring 2022 marks two years of working from home. With the promise of outside opening back up. Now is as good a time as any to focus on one of those projects that I’ve put off for a while. Plus, I think we can safely assume by now that returning to a “new normal” is going to need some preparation.
This weekend, let’s focus on finally organizing your closet.
The ultimate plan to organize your closet in just one weekend starts with some preparation. I have organized many closets for family, friends and clients over the years and the first thing I always ask them to do is think about how they’d like to improve their morning routine. Are you running from the shower to the bureau on one side of your bed for your undies, then to the armoire on the right side of the bed for your shirts, the closet for your slacks and then the laundry room to get the blouse you want to wear that day? If that sounds familiar, this guide will help you. Your morning routine should flow smoothly like warm butter on a hot croissant. But, we’ll get to that. First, let’s talk planning.
Prep Day
On the Friday before you finally organize your closet, you’ll need to gather the provisions that are going to help you be successful.
I like to either select a playlist to listen to or a tv show to binge. Both options need to be choices that can play in the background and act like a sort of elevator music for your environment. Don’t put songs on your playlist that are going to inspire you to drop everything and dance, we need to stay focused.
The same goes for TV Shows. Pick something that you don’t have to follow too closely. It should provide a steady, comforting set of voices to keep you company. My favorite music for any type of house chore is Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, some house music, early Brandy…I think you get the vibe.
The shows I like to have on in the background are Monk, Madame Secretary and some HGTV shows. The good thing about the TV shows is that it is an easy way to keep track of time. If each show is an hour, I can gauge my progress by the ending of an episode. I’ll say to myself, “I will work for 2 more episodes, then get lunch.” or, “I have spent a whole episode on the sock drawer, get it together girl!”.
The other items I need to arrange in the planning phase are: gathering of the snacks, water and energy drinks and meals for two days. Some of my fave snacks are:
- Pretzels
Energy Drinks
- Candy
More Candy
I know that looks like I am doing the most. I won’t argue with you. But, let she without sin cast the first stone.
I don’t want to have any reasons to leave the house. Once I leave, the organization trance is broken and it is hard to get back on track. A few days prior to my project, I will put some thought into what I will need to create a closet space that supports my Flossie Life. Some questions that I ask myself to figure out what my space should look like are:
What are your most frequent activities each week? If your days aren’t spent going to tea parties and your nights don’t usually involve attending galas, there is no need to have your fascinators, Easter hats and floor length gowns hanging by the entrance to your closet. But, if you go to brunch or have Sunday Funday every week you’ll want to have easy access to your cute ‘fits.
Do you work out daily? If I want to create the habit or make it easier for me to work out each day, I need to organize my workout clothes in one section. For easy access I place those in a drawer right next to my underwear. That way when I shower in the a.m. I can grab a set with ease.
What kinds of clothes do you usually wear to work? When I was consulting in the DMV, my work wear consisted of J. Crew suits and sheath dresses. Now, that I’m in SoFlo, before the pandemic hit, I worked in a more casual environment. I shifted my closet to accommodate the new rules. And that was before we started working from home every day. Now, it is VERY casual. I have a lot of maxi dresses, kaftans and coordinates.
The point is that your closet should be set up to make it easier to get your day going not slow you down. If you’re spending time in your closet trying to figure out what to wear or looking for a particular item, it is time for you to organize your closet in a way that suits your lifestyle.
Prep Day Checklist:
- Background entertainment
- Snacks
- Water
- Energy Drinks
- Hangers
- Shelf Bins and other organization accessories
- Trash bags and/or receptacles for donations
Day 1 – Putting the Plan into Action
On the first day that you’re implementing your plan to organize your closet, the goal is to set up the appropriate zones in there. The items you use most frequently should be placed nearest to the entrance of your closet. If you have a walk in closet and your door opens to the right, your most used things will be on the left. If the door opens to the left, put them on the right. If you have a wall closet with sliding doors, and you open both doors at the same time, put your fave things in the center of the closet. If you open the right door first place them on the center right and vice versa if you tend to open the left side first. I think you get the point.
I also like to organize my clothes by color and type. Since I work from home every day, if it’s not work out clothes, I tend to reach for an easy dress or coordinates. Those are the first things you see when you walk in my closet. On the left, I have my dresses and straight ahead, I have all of my coord sets. Based on what you do most, put the clothes for that front and center. Then arrange the clothes for your other activities on either side. If you don’t have enough space, identify what can be folded and placed in baskets to save space for your hanging items. On this first day, you should have established the skeleton layout for your closet. Your layout should allow you to move in either a straight line or circle to get everything you need to get ready for the day. Did you know that UPS driver policy is to only make right turns? Read all about it here.
In the same vein, you’ll want to avoid setting up a design that forces you to go back and forth across your closet or room.
Put on the background entertainment of your choice. Maybe one of the podcasts I put you onto in the post I did about my favorites. You want something that is going to keep you up and moving. Anything too intense that requires your full attention will be a distraction and prevent you from getting through Day 1. To begin, pull from your closet anything that you haven’t worn or doesn’t fit anymore.
There is nothing worse than having a full closet and nothing to wear.
Day 1 Checklist
- Create closet zones
- Remove items that you haven’t worn or can’t fit
- Consolidate donation items into a to-go bag or bin
- Donate items that no longer serve your Flossie Life
Day 2 – The Home Stretch
If you follow the plan and create your skeleton closet design on Day 1; on Day 2 you should be able to start adding meat to the bones. On the second day, you may feel a bit of remorse at having purged. Don’t worry though, when you start using your closet and get reacquainted with pieces that were lost in the clutter, you’ll be happy you did it.
Replace all of your old hangers with skinny matching ones. I got these from Amazon – 
Also make sure that all of the hangers are facing the same direction. Because. Order.
If you’re short on hanging space, put your folded tanks and t-shirts in a drawer or fabric bin. Something like this…insert pic of mine and options for them to choose from.
Before placing your new hangers and bins in the closet, dust the shelves and freshen up the area a bit. Make it nice for your clothes. 
Day 2 Checklist
- Clean/dust closet shelves and fixtures
- Rehang clothes on new hangers
- Fold smaller items for storage in bins
- Celebrate your hard work with a toast or treat
Now comes the moment of truth.
Restock your closet with your favorite things perched on new hangers or stored in matching bins.
I hope you’re proud of all of the hard work you’ve put in. Let’s do it again in 3 months or when the seasons change again.
Here’s a link to how my project went.
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