I Spent a Year Designing My Closet—Here Are My Top 8 Organizing Tips

Welcome to Closet Week. With spring almost upon us, we’re dedicating a new story every day to refreshing your closet. Expect wardrobe organization ideas, clean-out tips, and advice on what to toss and keep for the season ahead. Get ready—it's time to rejuvenate your style and make space for fresh, clutter-free beginnings.

Behind the closed doors of our wardrobes, I find most fashion folks and shopping enthusiasts suffer from something I call the triple C: chronic closet chaos. Symptoms include pieces of clothing inexplicably disappearing and only resurfacing after you wanted to wear them, needing to summon all your force to make room to wedge in a new purchase, and the paradoxical feeling of having nothing to wear despite owning heaps of dresses, tops, and pants. For as long as I can remember, my wardrobe has been overstuffed and disorganized, or as I lovingly like to think of it, bursting with possibilities. So naturally, when I had the opportunity to design a custom gifted closet with The Container Store, I was thrilled. A chance to break free from the crammed closet tyranny of my own making? I was so in.

The first step was to chat with the in-house design experts. It turns out I have a lot of opinions about shopping for clothing but could use specialized help with how to best organize that clothing. I chose to do the consultation virtually (once a digital editor, always a digital editor), but they also offer free in-home and in-store appointments if you prefer to see swatches and design configurations in person.

I learned from my personal design consultant that The Container Store offers three main lines that can be used for custom spaces: Elfa, Avera, and Preston. After careful consideration, I landed on Preston for my closet. In my opinion, it marries the best of both worlds: form (it has a beautiful and elevated design) and function (it’s incredibly practical and fulfilled all my organizational dreams). Thankfully, the team made the whole process seamless, offering suggestions and optimizations that would work best for my random specific needs, such as plenty of room for my large collection of white tops. Throughout the process, I kept marveling at how no one else will have my exact closet, because it’s custom built to fit the space perfectly and integrate seamlessly to my home’s architecture. It struck me that whether it’s a couture gown or a closet, custom is inherently special.

While their team whipped up closet renderings on a dime, my delayed house remodel meant I actually got to take my time and ponder the design for a year. So when the final vision came to life with their installation team (shout-out to our installer, Michael, who is a professional carpenter and casually comes from a family of woodworkers), I felt like I had learned some legitimately helpful organization tips, which I’m happy to share here.

Tip 1: Start With a Blank Slate

It’s classic closet-cleaning advice to pull everything out and intentionally choose what makes the cut to be put back in. This tactic always seemed high-effort though, and I imagined I would ultimately lose motivation and saddle myself with foreboding piles of displaced clothing that would sit for weeks on end. However, I've changed my tune since having a closet installed forced me to do this exercise. I was surprised at how it provided a new level of decision-making clarity so I could ultimately more effectively cull my admittedly excessive collection of clothes. I asked myself questions like, Have I worn this in the past two years? Do I feel a resounding “Yes, I should keep this!” when I look at this item?

Tip 2: Find Your Light

Before my Preston closet, my previous wardrobe lighting systems were underwhelming. My last space featured a single unseemly bare bulb swinging from the ceiling. The horror! I’ve found that strategic lighting is not only aesthetically pleasing but also adds an element of function. For example, it helps to be able to actually see which black blazer I meant to grab. I got to pick which sections were lighted with the Preston, but even if you’re not doing a custom closet, The Container Store offers stick-on closet lights that can be placed anywhere.

Tip 3: Great Accessorizing Starts With Good Organization

Accessories are some of the hardest-working items in your closet, so I would prioritize organizational tools for this category first. Being able to see and remember exactly what you own will only lead to reaching for a wider range of your best baubles more frequently. And just like that, you’ll have better-accessorized outfits. In my Preston closet, each piece of jewelry lives in its own little acrylic box, and it sparks an unexpected amount of joy.

Tip 4: Faves to the Front

I’ve found it’s helpful to identify your wardrobe MVPs and put them in the most easily reachable spots. For example, if you’ve got a section of coats, put the ones you’d save in a fire at the front. (Yes, I would save clothes in a fire; don’t judge.) This allows you to easily understand which items are getting the most play and more easily let go of the ones that are naturally being pushed to the back of the closet. And while I recommend you play favorites with your prime pieces getting premier placement, I think all clothes should be on the same level when it comes to matching hangers. My favorite are the slim velvet hangers because they are space saving and help prevent slipping.

Tip 5: The Long and Short of It

Smart closet design is all about maximizing the space you have, and I learned it’s key to nail the right proportion of short hanging space for items like tops and long hanging space for pieces like maxi dresses. Obviously, you can fit in double the hangers by stacking two short hanging sections, so I’ve taken to putting items like pants folded in the short hanging section rather than hanging full length with clips. Being able to customize every element from the exact length of each rod to the height of shoe shelves to fit my specific shoe collection is one of the best things about designing a closet with The Container Store. Call me a control freak, but it’s especially pleasing to know that every item has a place that’s specifically intended for it.

Tip 6: Bin Wisely

As a new parent, it’s become increasingly important to keep spaces tidy so life feels a little more orderly, and there’s nothing better to contain chaos like a bin. The Container Store’s options are exceptional, and my two favorites are the faux leather (so luxurious!) and the clear acrylic. For collections of items that are visually a bit more homogenous and thus look a little more cohesive together, I opt for acrylic bins. It’s hugely practical to be able to see what’s in each bin at a glance. In the event that the items don’t look as pleasing together or easily get a bit jumbled, it’s all about the cognac faux-leather bins for me.

Tip 7: A Shoe Edit

Organizing any closet is an exercise in picking your priorities. I own an unhinged number of shoes, so I found it made sense for me to dedicate space for a “shoe capsule” of my favorite pairs to display. Since shoes are often the last item added to complete the outfit, it’s also an easy category to store your less frequently used pairs in other spaces, like a hall coat closet. Not to mention the fact that many shoes are only relevant for particular occasions or weather. The Everything Organizer collection, in particular, has some great shoe options, in addition to every other closet organizational category, from bins to drawer dividers. Designing a custom closet, as compared to builder-grade options, means I get to make decisions that make the most sense for my preferences and lifestyle. At the risk of sounding trite, I honestly feel like the queen of my closet!