Customizing your closet doesn’t have to be painful. Sure, there are quite a few things to take into account, but the basic principles – economy of space, accessibility, and organization – are fairly intuitive. Of course, rules and good intentions tend to get thrown out the window once there’s a second person involved. What seemed simple and intuitive to you might make no sense at all to your partner.
The design experts at Closet and Storage Concepts Philadelphia know that while “love may be blind,” it’s not much fun to be in your closet when there’s a big mess in sight. We’re here to remind you that cohabitation doesn’t have to be a daily struggle. And while there might not be a way to make your beloved stop tossing socks across the room, we’ve come up with some pretty clever ways of making your closet work for both you and your partner.
Before You Begin
You’ll hear the same thing from anyone who successfully shares a closet with another person: the two essential ingredients to long-term happiness are preliminary purging and designation of personal space. Before you even think about overhauling your closet to make it more conducive to cohabitation, go through your stuff. Donate it, or set up a clothing swap with friends! Ideally, you should purge one person’s things at a time, since letting your significant other have a (limited) say in what stays and what goes will lead to a more equitable feeling at the end of the process. Then stake out a sacred space for each person.
Make It Ridiculously Easy
Here’s the question you should ask yourself as you create an organizational system: on your laziest days, will both of you still use this system? Sure, having separate drawers for different color socks might sound appealing, but will your partner really take the time to sort through them on laundry day? That tilt-out hamper might look great and save space, but is it going to mean that clothes never quite find their way in it? Use what you know about your significant other: are they a super-organizer, or an efficient speed demon? You can create the best system in the world, but if it’s not designed with both of your existing habits in mind, it won’t last long.
Find The Right Storage Tools
Speaking of existing habits: it is possible to change them by using tools that make the habit obsolete. Shoe racks, ergonomic shelving, and open displays are all consistently successful storage solutions for people with less-than-ideal closet habits.
The best way to get a sense of how to streamline your shared closet is to schedule a free consultation at your Philadelphia home! The team at Closet and Storage Concepts has the experience and technical knowledge to solve even the most complex closet problems. Get started today!
Top photo: © Jummie