7 ways you can organize your closet with one Birmingham-based designer

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two women looking at their closet, organize your closet
Designer Megan White of Closets by Design with a client. Photo via Riley Campbell for Bham Now

As more people transition from home back to the outside world, we’re looking at our closets with a different eye. What needs to go? What do we keep? Maybe we’ve gained a few pounds from the stress of the last 14.5 months, and it’s time for a closet makeover. We reached out to designer Megan White of Closets by Design for her top pro tips for the rest of us. Here’s what she said.

1. Get ready to transition back to working outside the home

clothes in a closet
This is a time of transition for everything. Photo via Riley Campbell for Bham Now

Megan and I started our conversation with the obvious: more and more people are getting out and about now, and that means different things for our wardrobes. 

“People working from home weren’t necessarily wearing the suits, the skirts or the pant outfits that they used to. Since they’re going back out into the work field, and back into offices, they’re purchasing new clothes, and we have to find room for that in their closets.”

To maximize the space you have, Megan recommends folding leggings and t-shirts (you know, your basic WFH uniform) and hanging the fancier things: suits, skirts, nice shirts.

“We help design a closet specifically for each client and their needs. For someone who’s transitioning to working more outside the home, we would design for more hanging space.”

If you know it’s time for a closet redo, reach out to Closets by Design to see what they can do.

2. Drawers in closets are a thing right now, if you want to organize your closet

in-closet drawers
In-closet drawers are a thing right now. Photo via Riley Campbell for Bham Now

Once you fold all the foldable things, you’ll need a place to put them. 

“One of the biggest trends that we’ve been noticing recently is that people are moving away from dressers in their bedrooms, and we’re doing drawers in their closet instead, especially in new homes and renovations. You can’t get any furniture right now without a long waiting period. If the piece isn’t on the floor, you may be looking at a six-month wait.”

Megan White

3. People are using all the vertical space in their closets

using all the vertical space
People are using all the vertical space in their closets. Photo via Riley Campbell for Bham Now

Now that people have had time to declutter, and stare at their things for some time, the desire for organization is strong. 

“We’re also going up in height, and using the vertical space in closets. Everyone really wants to maximize as much space in their closet as they can.”

Megan White

4. It’s good to clean, purge and organize seasonally to organize your closet

I don’t know about you, but I generally organize my closet twice a year. Once in the fall as we get ready for back to school, and once after our very short Alabama “winter,” when I feel like it’s safe to put the sweaters away. Turns out I’m in good company.

A lot of people change out their wardrobes by the season, and then they’ll put those in different closets. A good time to do purging and organizing is seasonally when you’re switching out what you’re wearing.”

Megan White

5. Think of your closet like a house: the main floor, the attic and the basement

a place for all the things
The ideal closet has room for everything. Photo via Riley Campbell for Bham Now

This was a fun new tip for me, and changes the way I’ll think about our closets going forward:

“As far as organizing the closet itself, if you think about it like a house, you have your main floor—everything that’s eye level is going to be what you utilize the most. Everything in your attic is things that you don’t necessarily need every day. Down low would be your basement things that you need more so than you need what’s in your attic. That’s how we organize it.”

Megan White

6. Keep like things together

One #protip for keeping your closet organized is to keep like things together:

  • Pants with pants
  • Shirts with shirts
  • Folded items together 
  • Shoes with shoes
  • Bags with bags

Always good to get back to basics…

7. Go through kids’ closets at least once a year, to organize your closet

small crown, quote and basket in a closet, organize your closet
Sometimes little details make all the difference. Photo via Riley Campbell for Bham Now

We all know kids outgrow and accumulate things quickly,and if you’re not careful, it can all pile up. So, according to Megan, it’s good to go through their closets at least once, if not twice a year, with the change of seasons. 

Want professional help making your closet even better? Reach out to Closets by Design of Central Alabama today.

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Sharron Swain
Sharron Swain

Writer, Interviewer + Adventurer | Telling stories to make a difference

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