Go Higher
Don’t ignore high altitude areas in closets. Raising the closet rod even a few inches can create enough space below for a short-hanging rod or a shelving system. To maximize a long-hanging space, fold pants in half on wooden hangers and add them to your short-hanging section.
Get Hooked
Hooks on the back of the door can be used to store bathrobes, purses, scarves, and other accessories. Consider hanging a shoe rack too.
Double Up
You can literally double your storage space by installing another hanging rod for short-hanging items.
Move It Up
High spots are good places for out-of-season items (like ski gear and hiking stuff) or special occasion shoes and accessories.
Sort It Out
Always hang shirts, skirts, blouses, and light sweaters (folded so they don’t stretch out). For maximum organization, group similar articles of clothing together, unless you’re a stickler for grouping by color.
Make It Accessible
Fold T-shirts, jeans, and bulky sweaters and stack on shelves. Put no more than 10 items in a pile (three to five for bulky sweaters). That way, when you grab a piece of clothing from the bottom, you won’t collapse the pile.
Box It In
Boxes are also a good place to stash accessories. Roll up ties and pairs of gloves, and keep them on an accessible shelf so you can easily pull the entire box out and view all your options. Put a label on each box (unless you have an incredible memory).
See It Clearly
Shoes are easier to stack and to spot when you put them in clear, labeled boxes. Try theclearboxamerica.com for colored, transparent ones.
Shelve It
A 14-inch-wide shelf not only allows clothing to rest comfortably, but it’s also broad enough to hold baskets and bins for accessories and gym gear. Adjustable shelves are ideal -- you can change their height and add or remove them as needed when rotating seasonal items, such as sweaters.
Basic rule: After chucking what you haven’t worn in a year, the person with the most clothes should get more of the closet -- even if it’s the guy.
Photo credit: Mark Lund
-- Laura Gilbert
See More: Cleaning & Organizing