While your closet is not a focal part in your home, it’s something that is used daily and may need a little extra love. I always found myself feeling frustrated and stressed trying to find specific items, so I decided to DIY customize my closet and it was absolutely worth it. If you’re feeling the same way, this blog is for you!
Image courtesy of Crazy-Wonderful
To have an organized stress-free start to your day makes a huge difference. If you’re constantly on the go and don’t have time to dig through clothes and messy drawers, it may be time to invest in upgrading your closet space – and no, this does not have to be a huge project! This past Summer, I did a fairly large renovation on my home and while I was at it made the decision to revamp my closet spaces. I can’t stress enough how this minor change has made such a huge difference in my day to day.
First off, if you’d like to go the route of having professionals come in and build out a custom closet for you, that is definitely an option. If you’re like me however and enjoy a little weekend DIY project, I have some steps that will make this project easy breezy.
Your initial step should be to source inspirational images so you’re not going into your project blind. This is where Pinterest comes into play. Click here to head over and start looking through different ways you can build out and organize your space. Once you have a solid understanding of what you want your space to look like, it’s time to get measuring. One important factor I learned through my DIY process was measuring from floor to ceiling and leaving the appropriate amount of clearance for sprinklers – you definitely want to avoid getting too close to those!
Next, it’s time to understand which materials you’ll be needing. Here is a breakdown of three different options to consider, as explained by Family Handyman.
Laminate storage system
- Available in 3/4-in. particleboard with a tough baked-on (or “thermally fused”) Melamine resin coating.
- Offers a wide variety of built in closet drawers, doors and finishes.
- Sleek, built-in look.
- Telescoping poles and predrilled holes allow you to easily add shelves and accessories.
Combination laminate and wire system
- Combines the economy of wire shelving with the built-in look of a laminate tower.
- Tower provides flexibility for accessories and future expansion.
- Wire shelves provide sturdy support for heavy items.
Wire storage system
- Low cost.
- Fixed wire systems install easily using clips and brackets that support shelves and other components.
- Wire systems let you see everything easily and keep clothes fresh by allowing air to circulate around them.
Personally, I find wire shelving to be a bit difficult to work with when it comes to organization, and often not the best to look at. If you feel the same way, an easy place to source your materials is IKEA. I headed to the Coquitlam store and built out my closet with the dimensions I had measured at home. Their system is so easy to use and you can quite literally drag and drop different shelving units, drawers, and hangers to get an exact idea of how your closet will look and function. Then you simply submit your order and pick up the materials you’ll be needing from their store. It took me about four hours from picking up my materials from IKEA to building it into my primary bedroom closet, so this is definitely doable as a one day job!
If you’d like to incorporate any wiring systems, you can head over to any RONA location, or click here to take a better look at both their wiring and alternative closet organizational systems. When it comes to building out your system, Family Handyman explains that you should divide your clothes into short, medium, and long and use these measurements for hanging sections:
- Double-hang (when possible) at 42 and 84 in.
- Long-hang at 70 in.
- Medium-hang at 60 in.
- Long-hang pants at 54 in.
Hanging rods longer than 36 in. might bow from too much weight, if you feel this may be a problem for you, add another support bracket or tower unit for longer rods!
At this point, your closet should be looking drastically different! Next you’ll need to organize your clothing items (personally I like to colour code and divide my closet into sections such as coats, sweaters, long sleeves, short sleeves, tanks, shorts, sweat pants, dress pants, etc).
And VOILDA! Your closet transformation is complete. I hope these tips help if you’re considering revamping your closet space!