Cleaning & Organizing

How to Organize Your Clothes in a Small Space

posted on September 25, 2014 | by Amanda Holstein

How to Organize Your Clothes in a Small Space

One of the biggest challenges when moving from San Francisco to New York? Finding enough room in my apartment for all my clothes! In San Francisco, I had a big six-drawer dresser plus a pretty large closet, so fitting everything wasn’t much of a problem. But now I’m in a smaller space with quite a tiny bedroom. With my love of design and organization, it felt taboo to have my clothes pouring out of drawers in such a messy fashion. So not okay with me. I was determined to find a way to make this work. So if you’re looking to organize your clothes in a tight space, here are some helpful tips I learned along the way.

Use Every Bit of Space

Seriously, every bit of space. Get creative! My scarves and clutches, for example, I store in my TV console. I leave lipgloss and sunglasses by my front door, so I can grab them on my way out. There’s no need for everything to be in your room – use the space! Use any corner of the apartment to fit a small bookshelf or add floating bookshelves to wall space. Your clothes and accessories don’t always have to be hidden behind drawers. If you have space on a shelf or a cabinet, use it!

tv_console_purses

Build Up

With small spaces, I always recommend using the wall space and building up. I got rid of my large, horizontal dresser and swapped it for a narrower, vertical one. This was a huge space saver in my tiny bedroom. Shoes are always tough in small spaces as well. Try finding some wall space and displaying them on a thin but tall bookshelf. It’s not only a great way to keep them organized without taking up much room, but they also look pretty gorgeous on display too!

shoes_bookshelf

Organize by Season

With the change of seasons in New York, I don’t need my whole wardrobe all the time. So instead of trying to fit everything in places I can access, I folded up my (many) sweaters in a place slightly less accessible than the rest of my clothes. Once the seasons change, I can swap them for my shorts and tanks. Do the same with your heavy coats and winter accessories. Might as well pack them under your bed and hold off until the cold season hits.

Finding a way to stay neat and organized, even in the smallest of spaces, is a must-do in my book – and these tips prove it’s totally feasible. While moving across the country was difficult enough, being able to master this challenge definitely gave me a much needed confidence boost not only on my organizational skills but on my ability to be independent as well.

How do you stay organized in a small space?

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