Storage and organization frustrations are common issues, but the solutions are not one-size-fits-all. There's no one remedy that can fix a chaos problem, nor is there an organization plan that works for everyone. Sometimes your solutions are limited or require out-of-the-box thinking. So, when a busy mom of 3 found herself with insufficient closet space, too many directions to go with clean laundry and an underutilized spare bedroom, she came up with an unconventional fix to closet organization... and the closet room was born.
While I know that not everyone has a spare room that can be repurposed as a dressing room for 3 little girls, I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the process and wanted to share this fun idea for turning unused space into something useful for the whole family.
About the client: {M}
M and I have crossed paths a few times over the years at community events, but I never had an opportunity to really chat with her. She's an absolute delight with 3 beautiful little girls and a fun-filled, kid-centric home. Everywhere you turn there are signs that this family loves playing and spending time together. It was no wonder this mom wanted to not only create a better system for keeping the girls' clothes neat and organized, but to do it in a way that allowed her girls to enjoy the space as well.
M had already made great progress on the project before calling me in to assist. She'd purchased some new clothing racks and moved a few dressers into the unused guest room, but wanted help moving the project along in an effort to get it finished before returning to work at the end of the month. Her mom joined us for the afternoon and, truth be told, it's no wonder M is such a joy! Conversation came easy during our 3 hours of sorting, folding and hanging clothes.
We started with a general discussion about how the space would best work for the family and ultimately decided that putting each girl's clothes into one section (one wall each, to be exact) would make the most sense. It can be tempting to fill open space with items that truly belong elsewhere (in this case, sharing dresser drawers), but for this working mom, keeping track of 3 different sizes and the process of hand-me-downs from one to the next was already a full-time job and the goal was to make things easier. The added benefit of keeping each girl's clothes separate is that, as they get older, they can easiliy find items that are their own rather than having to sort through a sister's things to find something that fits properly. I'm a big fan of giving kids responsibilities (age appropriate, of course) and having distinct zones will allow them to slowly take on the task of putting their own clothes where they belong or selecting their own outfits each day.
Their oldest was assigned the left wall with a large dresser and clothing rack, which M had already set up and sorted. Their second had a temporary rack while M waited for a second matching rack to arrive, and a slightly smaller dresser. The baby got the closet, which was set up using several different shelving and organization systems. While some might prefer to go right for a perfectly matched closet system, I like to encourage people to start with what they already have on hand so that they can try out different ways of organizing things until they find the option that works best for them. You can always invest in matching items later, once you find the setup that works best to fit your needs.
We went ahead and stocked the baby's closet with clothes from the next size up, which she's just weeks from moving into, and came up with a plan to have a bin handy for everything she grows out of along the way. Since she's expected to be the last, M will have the opportunity to donate or sell anything that gets used for the final time with their youngest, so it'll make life easier to have a convenient place for those items.
With the arrival of the final rack and the last few items put away, M was able to put the finishing touches on the girls' closet room after I left. I know she'll be adding some personal touches going forward, but she's now got one place to bring all of the clean clothes to be put away and can more easily wrangle all three girls into one space when it's time to get ready for the day.
While the solution to M's problem was an unconventional one, at the end of the day, everyone needs a little relief from the extra work that life requires. When it comes to organizing, it's not about having everything in a place that looks nice... it's about everything being in a place that makes the most sense for YOU! If it can also look cute, that's a bonus! But life is short... give yourself the gift of an organization plan that saves you time, energy and stress. Then give yourself the gift of a cookie... you deserve it!
