Closet Organization and Wardrobe Clean-Out Tips

Meet Lisa Adams, our seriously skilled (and chic!) closet expert!

R29: Could you describe a little more about what you do?
Lisa Adams: I'm an interior designer that specializes in high-end, luxury closets—I create living spaces that are highly functional and also beautiful. I term these spaces boutiques, dressing rooms, man caves, multi-functional and multi-purposeful spaces. At LA Closet Design, the emphasis is on the closet design, but our process is from start-to-finish — inventory, design, sourcing, fabrication, installation, and organization/styling.

Lisa's first client, Dana Doumani of Dana Doumani Design, was looking for an organized, luxurious and feminine space.

R29:Before you set out to revamp a closet, what type of research do you do?

Lisa Adams: I ask my clients A LOT of questions about their preferences, requisites, style, lifestyle, morning routine, evening routine, laundry habits, editing schedule, etc. If there is a particular closet style I am trying to achieve, I flip through many design books of that genre/period, and put together inspiration boards on Pinterest.
R29: What is the most important thing to consider when organizing a closet? (ie functionality/need/style/etc.)
LA: When organizing (and designing) a closet, I pay attention to the functionality (flow of the closet) and how my client gets dressed, dresses and functions in the space.

R29: Why do you think good feng shui is so important to a closet?
LA: Feng shui is highly important to a closet because everything is energy! Some people think of closets as "out of sight, out of mind" — however, you simply cannot hide the negative energy. A few easy feng shui pointers: color and light (make sure the lighting is warm and inviting); clear the clutter; organize; and finally, beautify (add photos and display pieces of jewelry).

R29: What are the best space-saving tricks everyone should know and use?
LA: Evaluate the amount of short hanging items you have to long hanging items and add double hanging in areas where you can manage it. Most sliding door wardrobes have one rod for long hanging and most people have more short hanging than long, so, make the space most effective for you! If you have deep shoe shelves, then I like to organize/style with one shoe of the pair behind the other; that way, at first glance, you see every pair of shoe you have. Organize T-shirts in a drawer vertically so you see every shirt when you open the drawer (gone are the days of shirts stranded at the bottom of the stack!). If you have high ceilings, consider taking your cabinetry to the ceiling so you are utilizing the full height of your closet. And finally, I think acrylic dividers for purses/clutches are great! They keep your purses vertical and organized.

Alright, have we taken a wrong (or right!) turn and ended up at Ladurée in Paris? We love these pretty lavender storage boxes purchased from Sarah's Hat Boxes.

A bit hectic in there!

R29: Any luxurious additions that will make your closet feel completely new and revamped?
LA: Adding a boot rod and hanging your boots in boot trees; adding shelf LED lighting; adding a custom jewelry drawer insert (so luxe!); and adding beautiful storage boxes.

R29: What are your top 3 tips for revamping a closet space?
LA: 1. Change out hangers
2. Add lighting
3. Add pull-out hooks for bags or outfits you're feeling inspired by!

R29: What is your system for organizing clothes?
LA: Type (formal, casual, etc.), then style or brand, then color.

Lisa's second client, Masha, is a stay-at-home mom and model. Masha was looking for an efficient, functional space that would make getting dressed in the morning quick and simple. Who can blame her?!

R29: LA doesn't grant much opportunity to completely switch out certain clothes as seasons change. How do you keep things current and fresh?
LA: There should always be space in your closet (or a separate closet elsewhere) for "seasonal" wear, even in LA, so that you can rotate clothing and shoes as seasons change. In Masha's closet, I put her shoes in clear acrylic drawers (not bins but drawers), so she has the luxury of seeing every shoe at first glance and can rotate shoes very easily as seasons change. It's also fun to be able to rotate clothing (again, the idea that you are 'shopping in your closet'), so the more you can rotate clothes that you aren't wearing and display the ones that you currently are, the better! Have fun and play around with color schemes too—if the summer trend is baby blue and tangerine, then pull out all of these colors in your closet and display them proudly in your closet!

R29: What's a quick way to improve lighting in a closet?
LA: Add battery-operated, lighted hanging rods or battery-operated under-shelf lights. If you can also add a ceiling fixture/chandelier, that will make your closet so glamorous.

Don't let surfaces (your floor, that chair, a tabletop) become a loading deck for clothing. Instead, try to find a home for every piece and then stick to it!

R29: How do you decide what to display versus what to store away in cupboards and drawers?
LA: Most clients have certain things they want to display, and I help them to achieve that (eg typically, sneakers and ties for men; purses, jewelry and shoes for women). I help them to create a boutique-like space so they feel like they are "shopping in their closet."

Let's whip these drawers into shape, shall we?

R29: Where should you keep your jewelry and trinkets? Display or stow away? Any creative ways of displaying?
LA: Jewelry can be stored in drawers (custom jewelry inserts) or display in hanging cabinets or even framed and hanging as artwork!

R29: What little upgrades make the biggest difference? What big upgrades make the biggest difference?
LA: Changing hangers so they are all consistent is a little upgrade that goes a long way. Other "little" upgrades include changing/updating your drawer handles/knobs; adding drawer inserts; EDITING/PURGING, and adding pull-out hooks. Some big upgrades that make the biggest difference are lighting; replacing painted hanging rods to metal finish rods; and taking your cabinetry to the ceiling and adding a ceiling trim/crown molding for a finished, custom look.

R29: Do you have any advice for staying organized, long past that first day where everything is looking amazing?
LA: When I design my closets, I design with the intention that everything has its place; therefore, theoretically speaking, the art of maintaining this organization should be simple. This tends to fall by the wayside when people add to their inventory and do not proportionally edit their inventory, so you are consistently adding and adding, which leads to stuffing and stuffing your closet. To encourage my clients to edit on an everyday basis, I incorporate a laundry drawer with the following liners: dirty laundry, dry cleaning and a separate liner for editing/donating/alterations. That way, if you pull something out of your closet that either doesn't fit, has a stain or needs to be altered, you immediately put the garment into the liner and TAKE ACTION. So, the editing process becomes organic and an every day routine as opposed to a yearly spring cleaning action.

R29: These two examples were really spacious walk-ins. How would you meet the challenge of a tiny closet? What are some easy upgrades you can try in a smaller closet space?
LA: With a tiny closet, it becomes even more imperative to use space wisely — to fold items in a drawer more efficiently and to organize drawers using dividers. Editing/purging is key! In a smaller closet space, I would still offer the same upgrades: changing out hangers, changing handles/knobs, changing hanging rods, adding lighting, having an organizational method, adding pull-out hooks, and adding drawer inserts.