Joy to the Closet

Spring is finally here! I am ready for shorts, dresses, and flip flops! Besides ramping up my fitness routine and getting bikini ready, I decided to reorganize the apartment starting with our clothes. Bye bye boots!

We have lived in our apartment for six months and one of my favorite things is the closet. The amount of space is AMAZING! I usually edit my wardrobe after the Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer seasons. This gives me perspective on what clothes I wore and what clothes I don't like anymore. Plus it makes room for new additions!

A few weeks ago I watched the Netflix series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, and was inspired to tackle our walk-in closet. In the series she explains how items bring joy and if you don't feel a real connection it's time to move on. Kondo has multiple steps to achieve organization, but begins the process with clothing. Instead of using my traditional ways of organizing, I wanted to apply Kondo's methods to the space.

Kondo advises her clients to take every piece of clothing and place it in a pile. After piling everything on the bed, including shoes, belts, undergarments, dresses, and suits, I was pleasantly surprised I could still see the comforter! After a brief period of overwhelming anxiety, just kidding, I was ready to begin the process.

Due to the space and structure of the closet, I decided to place my shoes on the top shelf. I always try to store my shoes in the original box if possible. This allows for easy storing and protects the shoes. Some boxes have a picture of the shoes on the box, which is extremely helpful.

I also grouped the shoes according to occasion and season. I was able to part ways with four pairs...I'll call that a win! Brad's shoes were displayed on a metal shoe rack on the floor of the closet. It wasn't a problem since he only has nine shoes. My final count was 25...no comment.

We each have our own plastic dresser to hold undergarments, t-shirts, workout gear, swimwear, and pajamas. I placed the dressers along the wall and displayed items on top to maximize the space.

After Brad finished sorting the rest of his clothes, it was time to organize his side of the closet. I wanted to group our items separately, his on the left side and mine on the right side.

I placed his shorts and dress slacks on the bottom rack in between his shoes and dresser. I ordered his items starting with jackets, sweaters, and dark colored dress shirts to coincide with the Fall/Winter season. I continued with light colored dress shirts, polos, and t-shirts to coincide with the Spring/Summer season. Hopefully this will make it easier for him to find what he needs.

With Brad's side complete I was able to focus on the rest of the space. I placed my long sleeve blouses, sweaters, and jackets on the rest of the main rack.

Since the rack on the right side was the ideal height for dresses, I thought it made more sense to place tanks and short sleeve shirts there as well. Out of all of my items, dresses were the most difficult to part with.

I decided it was time to donate my three bridesmaid dresses and other dresses I had worn to multiple special occasions. Even though they once sparked joy, it was time to move on. Goodbye lace! I divided the dresses into three categories from left to right: resort, special occasion, and casual. From there I added robes, tanks, blouses, and casual t-shirts.

I placed Brad's suits on the far right side over my hope chest, which also served as a place for my shorts and belts. Above the rack, I wanted to display my purses and favorite pair of heels. I am very minimalistic when it comes to handbags. Quality and functionality are a must for me!

For a final touch I hung a mirror on the wall above the laundry hampers and a metal rack behind the door for items to be worn again. I felt great after organizing our closet and taking inventory of our clothes. Moving forward, I will take a hard look at each new item I plan to purchase and make sure it sparks joy. I hope to employ Kondo's methods in other areas of our home as well.