One Closet at a Time

Spring is here and that means flowers and sunshine and renewal! For many, myself included, it also means spring cleaning. I like to break it down into bite sized, easy to manage parts, to avoid getting overwhelmed, and so, to keep it simple, I am going to focus this time primarily on closets. Why? Because a beautifully organized closet is a wonderful thing.  

I know this may sound daunting, especially if you’ve never really done this before, or it has been some years. Depending on how many closets you are lucky enough to have (especially if you live in NYC), or if you have an attic, basement or garage to tackle-it may take time. But, if you remember to take it little by little, closet by closet, and break up the work with some of my tips, you will soon be able to find everything you’ve been looking for, and really put all your space to use.

I find it’s helpful to set yourself a time frame or a schedule so you have a good stopping point. For me, that’s two hours every Saturday set on a timer. If you haven't completed the section you are working on, believe me you will feel a desire to go back to it, dare I say a gravitational pull. That is definitely what I have found keeps me going back for more, sometimes even that same day.  If you have finished what you were working on, and even if you haven't, give yourself a big pat on the back, in case no one else is going to, and make a plan for your next task.

I also love to accomplish other spring cleaning tasks while I am working on my closets. This past weekend, I had my Roomba vacuuming, ran some vinegar and CLR fluid (that’s Calcium, Lime and Rust remover) through my dishwasher to give it a good clean, (yes. your dishwasher needs to be cleaned periodically too) and ran my shower curtain and liner through the wash.

It is a great feeling to be able to accomplish so many things simultaneously. Once I get these tasks started, I can let them run and focus all my energy on tackling the closet.

Even if a closet has to be multifunctional, which in NYC where I live, is mostly all the time, I like to group like-things together and make sure everything has its own place, to maintain a sense of order. So even my coat/overflow shoes and handbags/AV equipment/extra water/miscellaneous closet is organized with everything having its own space. 

A California Closets installation on one of my projects

Most of us fill up our closets without any rhyme or reason until they get overstuffed and we can't find anything. If the organization is built in from the beginning, it makes it much easier to keep it that way. Once you pull everything out and pare it down, it may be an opportunity to plan a new design, or update an existing one, that accommodates all of that closet’s needs. I usually use California Closets, and have also occasionally used the Container Store. What I love about these systems is they allow for future flexibility, so if you find that an area of folded storage isn't as useful as a hanging section would be, you can easily make that change, often by yourself, once the system is in place. 

While closets are a big part of our day to day-whether it's getting dressed in the morning, storing our sports equipment or cleaning supplies, they hold a more significant purpose too: the repositories of our most important and prized possessions. I’m sure many have faced the chaos of packing up for a move, or being left to sort through the possessions of

family members who have passed. In either instance, these items of significance are the most important, but often the hardest to locate and keep safe. Working to keep our closets organized and giving everything a place means that a weight can be lifted for ourselves and our loved ones in the future as well. 

In a similar vein, one of my friends from my recent trip to Sri Lanka told me about a system called Nok box which keeps all your important paperwork, keys, passwords, and other information in one place. With sections like “Bank Accounts”, “Insurance”, “Investments” and “Will” to name just a few, it's like a miniature closet for all of your life information for easy access by you and/or your heirs. I can see that getting it completed will take some time, but like the closets, I intend to do it one section at a time. And also like the closets, once you get it completed, you only need to do a quick yearly update. This Nok box, stored in a safe, will definitely be something I am adding to my closet this year. 

Happy cleaning & organizing, and more importantly, happy Spring!

-Deborah Emery