Life, Styled
When you think of a closet, you envision a space within a room that opens with a door. For some, it means enough room to hang up clothes or store larger items. It has, however, evolved to become much more than a mere stash and go-to spot for necessities. From hall closets to pantries to linen and bedroom closets, they serve multiple purposes. Today, it can be a mini dressing room, a place to keep all the kids’ sports equipment, and even a place of meditation ( really, it’s a thing). It is a great way to gain extra storage in the bedroom for personal items and is considered an extension of the home. Even though many of us enjoy having a closet, it is often not used to its fullest potential and can even leave us feeling stressed when we can’t find anything because of clutter. Today, we share some tips for each closet in your home so you can get the most out of these great spaces.
Bedroom Closet Tips
Let’s start with the most common closet in the house and the one that is used on a regular basis. There are actually three different classes of bedroom closets: walk-in, reach-in (known as wall closets), and wardrobes. Let’s break it down a little more and discuss what can be done to maximize the use of each.
- Walk-in closets: Closet envy if you are watching HGTV or The Housewives of Atlanta – It yields sufficient space to walk around comfortably and see everything inside, not to mention they increase the home’s value. Adding custom shelving and hanging rods provides storage solutions and organization that helps everything have a place, plus allows you the peace of mind of knowing where everything is at a glance. Having extra storage cubes is great for keeping smaller items or even folded clothing like pants and shirts, leaving room to hang up dresses, suits, and coats on the rods. Depending on the size, you can also include an island where personal items can be kept, including your jewelry, and have a seating area so you can dress right in there, making it even easier to get ready. Reach-in closets: often called wall closets, and are the more common option in many homes today. With these closets, you simply open the door and reach in for what you need, hence the name. These are great closets for offices, craft rooms, and kids since everything can be seen fairly easily. Because it is smaller and the layout differs from a walk-in, it is best to strategically place your accessories, such as hanging rods and shelves. Double rods make it easy to hang shirts and blouses, while shelves can store shoe boxes or supplies. When used properly, these closets provide enough space to keep that part of the house organized smoothly..
- Wardrobes: Though not as popular as they once were, wardrobe closets are an excellent way to gain some extra storage in any bedroom or home office. Built-in or freestanding, they offer additional space to put clothes, books, supplies, or other large items. Consider using boxes to store loose or random items inside the wardrobe to keep things orderly and easy to reach.
When you choose the right option that works for you, it can make your daily routines go so much better. Choosing the right organizational tools means your routines stay better.
Hall Closet Tips
These can be some of the most useful spaces in the home due to the high foot traffic and the items often stored inside. On the flip side, they also have a reputation for becoming oversized junk areas, too. Here are a few ways you can keep the clutter down and boost efficiency.
- Hooks: Installing hooks inside the door or on the inner closet wall makes it easy to hang and remove items quickly.
- Shelves: Double your storage space with shelving. They allow you to store items in an organized way. Remember to place your most-used items at chest level, making them easy to find and use.
- Boxes: Never underestimate the value of a good box. Use labels to easily keep track of the contents, and never waste time opening boxes that don’t have what you need. Because they stack well, they also mean more efficient storage in closets.
- Plan: Be strategic in what you place where. If it is the hall closet, then only keep items that pertain to that, such as coats, purses, hats, briefcases, shoes you are currently using, and even the kids’ backpacks. If you don’t use it when entering or exiting the house, it should not be stored in the hall closet. The same principle applies to the linen closet. Only keep what goes in that area of the house to avoid clutter piling up.
- Purge: Make time once a year to go through your closets and remove items you don’t use anymore, consider doing an online yard sale or making a donation.
Different closets serve different purposes, and when each runs according to what they were made for, it helps keep the house from becoming disorganized, and everyone is able to keep track of their belongings. Read a few more tips from HGTV here.
Pantry Closet Tips
While they may not be considered a true closet according to the definition, they are a kitchen’s best friend. Pantries can store everything from ingredients to small appliances and pots and pans. They save your kitchen cabinets from having to do double duty of dishes and food items, plus they are all strategically located in one area. Here are a few things that will aid you in maintaining its orderliness.
- Keep it together: When organizing your pantry, try to keep items together that go together, such as flour, sugar, salt, or canned goods with boxed items. This makes it easy when cooking or baking, without having to search for the right ingredients.
- Order of use: Things that are used every day, like flour and sugar, should be kept at chest level for easy access. Snacks for the kids should be placed on lower shelves where they can reach them. Heavy items, like crockpots, should be placed on the floor or lower shelves, while light items can be stored up high.
- Containers: Small items like muffin liners, spice packets, tea bags, and individual snacks are easier to organize and find when they are in boxes or drawers. Consider purchasing a few, especially clear ones, to use in the pantry.
A pantry is a great asset to your kitchen as it allows multiple items to be in one convenient spot, making meal prep or snack time a snap.
Walker Woodworking Too much clutter can detract from your home’s wellness and leave you feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and even depressed if it sticks around long enough. It can also make it difficult to concentrate, which can affect the entire family. It’s important to set about decluttering in an eco-friendly way to ensure that you aren’t throwing out things that could be put to good use elsewhere. With so many landfills already overflowing, it’s imperative for us all to do our part and keep recycling.
Keep reading for some great tips from Greenbook Design on how to declutter your home in an eco-friendly way.
Greenbrook DesignWarmer weather is just around the corner, meaning we can finally spend more time outside doing what we love, like grilling, swimming, and sitting around fire pits. One thing that all of these have in common is that they can be done in your own backyard. Outdoor spaces are trending this year and for good reason, since they provide a change of scenery for homeowners without having to drive somewhere, plus they add more usable space to your home. Enjoy fresh air, cool summer nights, and time with family all within the safety of your own home. Here are a few reasons and benefits to adding or upgrading your outdoor space.
Greenbrook DesignColor. It is what gives our world variety and speaks a language all its own. It is a versatile element that is used in various professions such as art, entertainment, and even cooking. Interior designers thrive on color to express their client’s personality and tell their story. Color is also the common thread that ties other elements, like texture and pattern. Woven together, they create a sense of unity and influence the mood. It is fairly common knowledge that each color implies a mood, such as blue is calm, green represents growth, and yellow expresses happiness. The colors you select for your home can have an effect on the atmosphere, and more and more homeowners are looking to add a little comfort with color.
Walker WoodworkingThe kitchen sink is probably one of the most important elements in the kitchen, since it’s where we wash dishes, rinse food, and wash our hands. There are so many options, such as stainless steel, porcelain, and ceramic. Then, of course, there are multiple styles and sizes. At Greenbrook, we are always looking for new items that will meet a need for our clients, and sinks definitely are one of them, which is why we are an authorized dealer for the Karran Sinks.
Walker Woodworking Old meets new to create a blend of something beautiful, which is one way to summarize grand millennial style. While minimalism is still a popular trend, many millennials are finding comfort and freedom of expression from their beloved family heritage. Grand millennial is a combination of the new with things of the past, like that old wingback chair from grandma’s attic, and breathing new life into it through reupholstering it. This style also pairs perfectly with many people’s desire to recycle and reduce waste by repurposing existing materials. Let’s unpack this style a little more and find out if it is right for you.
Walker Woodworking 
Walker Woodworking