Making Use of the Space You Have {Declutter Challenge}

Last Updated on August 2, 2017 by lydiaf1963

Once you’ve sorted through your clothes the next step is to figure out a system to keep them neat. Not everyone is blessed with a huge closet but even large closets can present an organizational challenge. By making use of the space you have you’ll be able to develop a sustainable system for storing your clothes.

We’re actually lucky to have closets in our apartment. When we were searching for a place to live we looked at several places which had freestanding armoires. Our closets came with a rod and an overhead space. Rick bought stock lumber and built a couple simple shelving units.

I know from past experience that stacking folded clothes always ends up in a mess…just ask anyone who’s ever worked in retail. Instead of stacking, I purchased a few baskets to store my pullovers, summer skorts, scarves and tank tops vertically within the basket.

Hangers are expensive here in Spain. I guess I got spoiled by the 10 for $1 sets of plastic hangers from Walmart. Fortunately, once you purchase them you shouldn’t need to buy more for a while. I bought 3 hangers for slacks which gives me space for 6 pairs of pants. After the most recent declutter, I only have three pairs at the moment, but there are lightweight pants waiting in the Summer clothes.

My clothes tend to be neutral colors so I wear colorful scarves, tank tops and jewelry to brighten things up a bit. The baskets and the hanging jewelry organizer keeps everything at hand.

Last week, I talked a little bit about my dressers. Since then, I’ve cleared out two more drawers and have the option of freeing up some hanging space by putting some of my tops in the drawers.

The space over top of the closet had been under utilized in the bedroom. In the other room, it’s deep enough to store the small suitcases we use for out of season storage and when we travel.

It’s a pain in the rear to get to. Even Rick has to use a step stool to get into it. If I want to do any work up there, I need to use a ladder. Needless to say, I put off decluttering that space until I couldn’t do it any more. Has this ever happened to you? You put something off because you kind of dread it, and when you finally do it, it’s stupidly easy. That was the case with the overhead. It took all of a half an hour to clear it and make it neat again. ***hanging head***

You can purchase plastic bins like we’re used to using in the US, but the stores closest to me carry these heavy cardboard boxes in various prints and sizes. I had to get over the fact that I will probably never be able to find two of the same size with the same pattern, but these are perfect for storage. I have my sheets in one box. The Christmas stuff is in another. My craft supplies and other miscellany are in the other boxes.

Clearing out the overhead and making use of the space helped me clear out a couple drawers in my dresser.

Originally, I stored my props for Lydia’s Flexitarian Kitchen with my dishes in the kitchen. But I need the space for food, lol. So I tried putting the dishes in the overhead area. The box was too heavy and lifting it down was an accident waiting to happen, so I swapped the props with stuff I had stored under my bed.

Those boxes were scavenged vegetable delivery boxes. They’re heavy duty corrugated cardboard and slide easily under the bed.

Rick has one for storing his socks and a wooden box for other stuff. When I need to sweep the dust bunnies from under the bed, they’re easy to move out of the way.

Speaking of Rick. I haven’t really addressed his stuff. That’s because he has his area…and I have mine. And it’s better that way.

Sure, it’s irritating when I need to hang clothes in the spare bedroom and he has taken over the space with a project. But there’s always room in the salon for the clothes racks. Right in front of the TV, hahaha.

I could put them in the corner by my favorite chair, but that’s where all my knitting supplies are.

The craft supplies are the next area to be decluttered. I’ve done a little bit, but my yarn stash and knitting supplies have yet to be touched.

How about you? Do you have any particular storage challenges? Have you solved them?