Long Weekend Organization Challenge: The Entryway Custom Closet

Day One: Empty and Clean

The experts at The Spruce say you really need to empty out your custom closet completely to fully assess what is buried in there. You will be surprised by what you will find, and it will help you locate all those missing items you’ve been trying to find.

Try to make some piles of items as you pull them out of the closet - a pile for shoes, a pile for winter gear that needs to be washed and put away for another season, a pile for outdoor clothing, and a pile for everything else. 

Try to throw out trash as you come across it; it’s remarkable how much clutter and garbage a front closet will accumulate, especially if you have children. 

Once the closet is completely empty, give it a thorough cleaning. Wipe down the shelves, vacuum, and mop. Entryway closets also take a fair amount of damage, as shoes and sports equipment are sometimes thrown inside. Take time to fix any damaged areas, and get rid of any broken hooks or hangers.

Day Two: Sort and Discard

Hopefully, as you were pulling items out of the closet, you were discarding most of the pieces you no longer wanted. If not, this is the time to sort through the piles and decide what to keep and what to toss.

Try not to overthink it; kids’ shoes and boots that won’t fit them next season can be donated; the same applies to winter gear like gloves, hats, coats, and snow pants. If you come across pairs of your shoes that you haven’t worn in ages, think about getting rid of them as well.

Go through each of your closet piles and decide what will be returning to the closet once you’re finished. Take everything else and either throw it out, bag it up for donation, or store it elsewhere in your home. To properly store your winter garments, invest in sturdy totes with lids to keep out dust and dirt.

Day Three: Organize and Set Up

Before putting anything back into the closet, plan out how you want your closet to be organized and set up. What do you want to use to store smaller items? Where will your shoes be stored? What spring and summer items do you need to add to the closet? These are some of the questions you want to ask yourself before setting up your custom closet.

The storage pros at Homes and Gardens recommend using a variety of storage options, so choose pieces that will be of most use to you, such as storage bins, shelving, and large hooks.

Maximize the space in your closet by having a designated space for all of your items, such as racks for your shoes, some storage bins for smaller items like hats and sunglasses, sturdy hangers for your jackets, and some large hooks for your bulkier or awkward items like umbrellas and backpacks.

Conclusion

While reorganizing a closet can seem like an overwhelming task, it doesn’t have to be if you break it down into smaller, manageable steps. Follow this guide, and you will have your front entryway custom closet ready for summer by the end of the long weekend. Are you up for the challenge?

Sources

• https://www.homesandgardens.com/interior-design/hallways/entryway-closet-ideas
• https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-organize-your-coat-closet-5076188