Optimize New Custom Closet System in Wilmington

Follow these steps from local professional organizer Lydia Fields to streamline the process:

1. Take Everything Out

This step can be the most overwhelming, but with a little pre-planning and patience, you can take advantage of the remodel process by sorting like items together as you remove them from your closet. Be sure to clear a decent-sized space to use as a temporary staging area before you begin. You may be surprised at what you find tucked away in the dark corners of your closet!

2. Sort Like with Like

As you remove items from your closet, separate them into piles based on type. For example, place all shoes, blouses, pants, shorts, work out clothes, scarves, purses, belts, etc. into their own piles. If you have a lot of one particular type of item, shoes, for example, break it down even further: boots, heels, sandals, etc.

Clients are often quite surprised to see how many pairs of flip flops and tee shirts they actually own. It can be fun to count them up and determine how many days you could go without having to wear the same thing twice!  Any non-clothing or accessory items should be given new homes entirely, keeping the focus of your closet on items that help you get dressed.

3. Joy-Check Each Item

Once you have removed and sorted all the items, work your way through each pile and assess how you feel about each one. If it is an item you love to wear and feel good in, keep it with confidence! Everything else should be discarded by way of donation or consignment. Think how good it will feel to have a closet filled only with items you enjoy wearing. (Utilitarian items like work clothes or uniforms may not necessarily spark joy, but they do allow you to do your job, and that is definitely something to be joyful about!)

4. Master the KonMari Fold

There are many video tutorials out there that will walk you through step-by-step how to fold your clothes so that they stand on their edge rather than flat and stacked. This method of folding makes it so much easier to see and enjoy what you have. Arranging them in order from light to dark will also give you that swoon-worthy “After” look.

5.Create Zones

You likely did quite a bit of planning when designing your new custom closet, so this part should be pretty easy. Once your Top Shelf Closet remodel is complete, create zones in your closet for the different types of clothing and accessories you own. The point of creating zones is to make getting ready for any occasion a cinch because your choices have been narrowed down to only those that are relevant for that activity. (Why shuffle through 25 tee shirts while looking for a dressy top to wear out to brunch?)

If you workout frequently, designate a section of your closet for your exercise tops & bottoms. If you wear certain clothing for work, designate a section for work clothes. By keeping like items together, you won’t forget about that clutch you love that is languishing somewhere behind all your handbags.

Once everything is back in place and beautifully arranged, you can step back and enjoy your new, organized closet.