Sorting out my wardrobe has been on my to do list for as long as I can remember. I did a major clear out of clothes last year using the Konmari method and I have been meaning to organise the space for ages without the masses of unworn clothes kicking about. One of the main tips of the Konmari method is to store as many of your clothes as possible in drawers so my wardrobe should be lovely and clear but I just didn’t get round to finishing the job off. Whilst at Homesense the other day I spotted some great clothes hangers, a basket and a full length mirror that I knew would be perfect to spur me on to get the wardrobe done. So, what does one do on a beautiful sunny bank holiday morning at the crack of dawn? A wardrobe makeover, of course!
I have never bought a brand new wardrobe and when I moved into this flat over seven years ago I had no budget left for one. Instead I bought two old cupboards for about £40 from eBay, changed the knobs and painted the exterior and they look fine. However, not being purpose built wardrobes and pretty old the interior leaves a bit to be desired as you can see…
So, here are my top tips for re-organising and refreshing an old wardrobe…
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- 1. Paint the interior
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- 2. Buy new hangers
1. Paint the interior
My wardrobes are heavy wood, which makes the inside very dark. This makes seeing my clothes extra difficult and the overall effect is that of a big black hole. Therefore, the first thing I did was to paint the interior a light colour so everything becomes that bit more visible.
2. New hangers
You may think that beautiful luxe padded or wooden hangers are the ideal option but actually the slimmer your hangers are the better in order to create as much space as possible. However, no one wants horrible wire hangers, even though they are most space efficient, as they get so tangled and misshapen. I found these brilliant hangers at Homesense – I love the storage department there – that are both slim, sturdy and fabric covered so they glide along the rail with no scraping. Perfect.
Flex covered hangers from Homesense.
3. Sort hangers by colour according to type of clothing
The Konmari method advises to hang different types of clothes together i.e. all dresses together etc. Buy different coloured hangers and hang all dresses on one colour hanger, all tops on another and so on. This helps to keep your clothes organised and super easy to find.
3. Sorting hangers by colour makes it even easier to find items of clothing.
4. Hang mirror on back of wardrobe door
I don’t have space in my bedroom to hang a full length mirror so the back of the wardrobe door is the perfect place for it.
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- 4. Hang a mirror on door
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- 5. Add basket for extra storage
5. Clear bottom of wardrobe
A good rule to stick by is not to have anything in your wardrobe that can’t be worn i.e. my suitcase that I was stashing there had to go! However, it is tempting to dump lots of stuff in the bottom of a wardrobe so a basket seems like a good option as it can be pulled out so you can find what you need – whether it be shoes, scarves, bags – and loads of stuff won’t get lost at the back of the cupboard.
So there you go…brighter, more accessible and better organised.
Knowing the inside of a cupboard is organised brings such a sense of calm to a room, don’t you think? Or is that just me?!
What does the inside of your wardrobe look like? Is it all serene from the outside and chaotic inside? Give some of my tips a go and let me know if they make a difference.
Katy x
*This post was written in collaboration with Homesense.
looks great! I did this recently with our small closet and having an organized and tidy clothes storage its so satisfying!
Oh my god, I’m so going to do this! Different coloured hangers for different types of clothes is GENIUS. Love those flex covered hangers too – remind me of the HAY ones.
I inadvertently did the different colour hangers for different clothes types trick, just through picking up different packs of hangers over the years! I’ve wanted to make them all uniform for a long time but reading this has made me re-think that plan – at the moment it’s obvious to both myself and my other half where certain items of my clothing go, but if all the hangers are the same no doubt he’ll put things back wherever he fancies, and I’ll just end up getting frustrated!
Your wardrobes look fab now, calming as well as organised! I love having an organised closet or cupboard, the ‘stuff’ drawer in our kitchen is next on my list! X
Great tips ! Nice article……..
I’m in love with those hangers! Do they have a specific name, and can they only be bought from HomeSense? I have searched the HomeSense online but can’t seem to find them in the department you mentioned (it won’t open for me!). Any tips please? Cheers, heather
Where did you get those lovely hangers from?? I need these in my life 🙂
Mine is a old vi rage brown thingy I love it but it dark brown.
So I’m going to paint it and add a few things you have see if it makes a difference, mine has it’s own morrow soon lucky
Oh my lord this phone is awful for spelling.
My wardrobe is vintage and huge, dark brown but I do love it.
I’m planning on painting it white and adding a few new gadgets like you have also I am very lucky mine has it’s own mirrow.