If your storage closet looks anything like mine, you can hardly open the door without being bombarded with arts and crafts, winter wear, shoes and boots, a pile of games, and a variety of items that I shoved into the closet to avoid having to look at them any longer. In fact, I often steer clear of the closet altogether, knowing what awaits me inside.
Since avoidance isn't a practical solution, my husband and I have finally started researching inexpensive options for a storage closet makeover. How can we keep our closet well-organized, presentable, and practical without a major purge or a major spending spree?
Toss it.
One of the biggest hindrances to a clean and accessible storage closet is too much stuff. Before you begin any home makeover, take a good look at what you're storing. Do you need it? Have you used it recently? It is just taking up space? Now might be a good time to donate it or toss it.
Utilize the space you already have.
Our storage closet has only one shelf towards the top of the closet, with a hanging rack for jackets and coats underneath. Take advantage of the shelf for those items you rarely need; in our case, we keep games for family game night on the top shelf. Stack games by size in order to keep them neat and tidy.
You can also utilize the hanging rack for more than just clothes hangers and winter wear. Depending on the size of your closet, you can purchase inexpensive hanging racks or even shoe racks to hang and store items in. Store winter scarves, gloves, and other accessories in one rack, while utilizing another for shoes that don't get used regularly but that don't have another home.
Use the back of the closet door, too, depending on the space you have and the amount of items you need to store. Over-door fabric shoe racks are great for shoes, but small tools, mail, and other items you may want to separate and keep handy can also fit.
Don't forget the floor.
Don't just throw items onto your storage closet floor once you're done dealing with the walls and racks. If you aren't convinced about the closet set up and want to maintain flexibility, you could use an inexpensive, clear, rolling cart (or several) here. The clear drawers allow you to see what's located inside of each, without letting the clutter spill out onto the floor. Or, choose small crates or baskets inside the closet on the floor, ideal for shoes and other junk your closet may accumulate. This is a slightly more expensive option, but will give your closet a more upscale, finished look.
