Now matter what kind of home you have, from an apartment to a 3 story house, you can always use more space. Understanding how to organize your closet can be the start of it. But in order to do that you have to know how you are going to use your space.

What type of storage do I need?

First off you need to do a little self analysis. Are you the type who like to fold and stack your shirts, jeans, etc neatly or do you hang them up? Do you use a lot of accessories like belts, scarves and ties. Do you keep everything or do you change it up?

I’m a hanger!

If you are the type who hangs the majority of your items you’ll need to make sure you plan for plenty of hanging space. Double hanging provides maximum storage space and is required most often so make sure to designate the longest hanging space for that area. The standard double hang spacing is top hanging at 84 inches and middle hang at 42 inches off the floor. Make sure you change that spacing if you require more space for one hanging area over the other. Long hang is reserved for dresses, slacks and other tall clothing. Since long hanging clothes take up loads of storage space try to minimize your requirements or keep tower and drawer storage space to a minimum.

I’m a stacker!

If you are a stacker you will want to make sure you plan out plenty of shelf and/or drawer space. Using multiple shelf towers adds gobs of vertical storage space while minimizing horizontal space. Integrating shelf dividers will keep clothing stacks neat and orderly. Add drawers and doors into the towers if you like to seep items out of view. Use different drawer depths based on the drawers use. Shallow depth drawers are great for socks and undergarments while deep drawers are ideal for sweaters or bulky items.

Wait… I’m both!

t’s ok, most are. You will still want to maximize your hanging space with double hang areas but integrate a bit of vertical storage. Don’t forget that you have the shelves above hanging areas that can be used as shelving storage too. 4 feet of hanging space is also 4 feet of shelving space! Top hanging shelves are great for storing seldom used items and bulky storage. Lower hanging shelves are the best places to store often used items. Use baskets and bins to keep these areas organized and accessible.

An attractive and organized closet is just within reach. Take time to consider all of you’re clothing habits and storage needs and you will be off, stress-free and organized in no time.