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New Year, New Closet
By Stephen Nickse

The New Year marks the perfect time to give your closet a fresh start. Many people make New Year's resolutions promising to bring new organization and structure into their homes, and a bedroom closet overhaul is a good starting point to accomplish that goal. Streamlining the closet allows you to free up extra storage space you may not have realized you had, and in the process get rid of some outdated items that serve no purpose besides consuming space.

Giving your closet a new beginning for the New Year requires starting out with a blank slate. By removing everything from your closet, you can eliminate some of the organizational mental block that is common when you are simply accustomed to a certain layout. Once the closet is empty, clean all of the surfaces within to remove dust and dirt that has likely accumulated.

Next comes the moment of truth. Go through all of the items you removed from the closet and assess which are worthy of keeping, which can be donated and which to toss. This can be difficult if you are the type who has a tendency to hold onto things beyond their useful life. For clothing, shoes and accessories, ask yourself some basic questions about each item in question to help in your decision. Have I worn the item in the past year? Does the item fit, and am I comfortable wearing it? Is it still in style? Making an honest assessment of how much value you get from an item may give you the extra push to eliminate items you are holding onto for the wrong reasons.

You can also narrow down the contents of your closet by simply rethinking the items you store in it. Take a look at the types of items that are being stored there besides clothing, shoes, and accessories. Consider whether some of the items can be stored in other parts of your home, such as another closet, the garage or basement. Boxes, sports equipment, linens, out of season clothing, and other rarely used items are good candidates for relocation.

Next, return everything to the closet in an orderly manner. Group like items together when hanging clothing, creating a section for sweaters, one for blouses, one for trousers and so on. Ensure that you designate adequate space for smaller accessories, such as belts and scarves. Bins and baskets situated on closet shelves make excellent storage options that keep smaller items organized and out of view. Use matching containers to contribute to a streamlined appearance.

Whether you have two pairs of shoes or a collection worthy of its own closet, shoe storage cannot be overlooked. Organizing shoes neatly on the closet floor is one option, but this method can impede walking room and be difficult to maintain. Shoe organization solutions vary from plastic boxes to hanging canvas containers to shelving, and the best style for you depends on your closet size, preference and budget. Having one organization system that accommodates all of your shoes will result in the most streamlined look in your closet.

Organizing a closet often frees up extra storage space that in turn makes it simpler to reorganize other areas of your home. Whether you aim to organize your bedroom or your entire home for the New Year, the closet is a great place to start.

About the Author: Stephen Nickse is the founder of Closet Solutions, a leading provider of quality Boston closets, strategically headquartered in the nation's design capitol, Boston, Ma. For more information, please visit http://www.closet- solutions.com

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Closet Solutions for the New Year
By Ron Maier Jr.

Now that the New Year has begun, you may be looking for ways to reorganize your home. If your closets are in disarray, then you may need a few pointers to get you to the point of organization that you wish to be. Our dream is to open our closet doors and see all of the clothes perfectly spaced and organized. Everything is in its place and is where we can easily get to it. Things that we always use are easily accessible and storage items are packed neatly away and out of the way. Well, this isn't usually the case for most of us. If you open your closet door and see a wall of disorder, then you have some work to do.

The first step is to pull everything out. Yes, everything means everything! If you don't have the floor space to work in, then use your bed as your work area. Pull everything out and put it on the bed. Clean the shelves, light fixtures, drawers if you have them, and even the hanging rods. Get rid of all the dust that can build up in this ignored area and start fresh. Use closet fresheners to make it smell good too. Some things to consider are floral potpourri sachets, cedar wood blocks, balls or chips, and baking soda to absorb odors. These can be especially useful in areas where you will keep your shoes. No one wants their clean clothes to smell like stinky feet.

The next step is to start with the big storage items. Quilts and comforters that aren't being used can be stored on a top shelf, since you don't need to get to them very often. Use bags that can be compressed to keep them clean and dust free. If you put a dryer sheet in the bag with the blankets, then they'll come out smelling great when you're ready to use them. If you don't like bags, then consider plastic containers that stack easily. They look nice and neat, but also serve the purpose of keeping things fresh and clean. If you have a very large closet, then you might consider building or purchasing a large drawer system to store your linens and blankets.

Next, you need to get rid of any old clothes and shoes that you no longer need or use. If you find yourself constantly bypassing certain shoes because they hurt or they are scuffed up, then go ahead and donate them to charity. Make a box of shoes, belts, and handbags that you can easily give away. Then go through the clothing and put things that just don't fit, are out of style, or you just never wear into another box or garbage bags. This is also a great time to throw out all of those mismatched hangers that are making your closet look trashy. Get yourself some high-quality clothes hangers, such as wooden hangers, to keep your clothing perfectly separated on the bar. You'll appreciate the uniformity every time you open your closet door. Everything will hang nicer with a little space between each garment, leaving you with less digging and less ironing to do.

Get your closets organized and start your New Year off on the right foot!

About the Author: Ron Maier is the owner of OnlyHangers.com, a leading provider of high quality clothes hangers,including wooden hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyhan gers.com

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