What is a Wardrobe Closet?

A wardrobe closet is a freestanding piece of furniture that serves to house, what else, your "wardrobe." In the old days a wardrobe was used by only the rich and resembles that of a chest of drawers that we know today. The advantage these days to wardrobe closets is their unique functionality and design.

Why Use Wardrobe Closets

There are hundreds of various closet wardrobes that handle a variety of functions. At furniture stores you will see wardrobe armoires which are essentially the same thing. They house everything from clothing to accessories and the like. when a home has small closets and very little storage space sometimes you have to find alternative methods for organizing your expanding wardrobe.

I have a nice wooden armoire that I use in my bedroom to help store my folded items like jeans, t-shirts, and undergarments. This allows me to use my small reach in closet strictly for my hanging items that I need to keep wrinkle free. This system works great for me and helps me keep closet and bedroom organization in check.

Wardrobe Styles

There are numerous wardrobe furniture pieces you can find both online and in your local furniture stores.  Wood is obviously the most popular choice and the finishes include, maple, mahogany, oak, pine and cherry to name a few. They come in a plethora of setups. Some include drawers and shelves while others just have a single shelf and rod stored inside. Almost all have two folding doors to conceal the items inside.

Some of the most popular brands are:

• Whitmor
• Honey-can-do
• Trademark Home

Simplify and Organize Your Closet Effeciently

It is a fact that we wear 20 percent of our clothes 80 percent of the time. This means most of your wardrobe never sees the outside of the closet. So what does this mean? We have a lot of "junk" in our closets that doesn't need to be there so cleaning out clutter is key. Closet organization ideas are essential to keeping your closet clutter at bay.

Whether you have a meager single bar closet or a huge walk in closet the issues are still the same, keeping it organized effectively. Start by getting rid of the 80 percent of items you don't wear. Take an hour or two to go through all of your wardrobe pulling out things you really won't and don't ever wear.

Donate them to your local Goodwill or sell them at a local yard sale. Heck, try Ebay for more expensive items that are in very good shape to get some of your money back.

Here is a great little method for finding out how much of your closet you actually wear. Try this!

Hanger Trick: At the start of the season turn all your hangers around so they are facing backward toward you. Then everytime you wear something hang it back up facing the other direction. At the end of that season see how many hangers (items) are turned the wrong direction. This will tell you how much you wear that item.

Reclaim vertical space by utilizing creative ways to go vertical with storage in your closet. Make use of shelving or vertical storage systems. Modular closet storage systems are excellent options to take full advantage of the vertical wall space in your closet.

Use the backs of doors in closets to maximize storage potential where there isn't much to use. Over the door organizers work great for closet doors and can contain everything from shoes to kids toys. They are also perfect for kitchen pantries to hold smaller item like spices and condiments.

All Types of Closet Lighting Systems For Your Closet Organizer

What could be more frustrating than trying to find a blouse or skirt in a dimly lit closet when your half awake at 5:30 in the morning. It can be a very stressful situation and even though many closets are adequately lit most are not. If it is time for you to make some much needed changes to your closet lighting situation then here are a few closet lighting ideas to help you see your outfits properly.

Systems Types

Task - There are two types of lighting in most closets, accent and task. Task lighting is used to brighten a certain area in the closet. It is designed to let you see things clearly and usually represents one or multiple lights in the center of the closet to give off light in all directions.

Accent lights are solely used for a specific item or section of the closet. It is a decor oriented lighting and can be used to highlight certain parts of the closet such as shoes. They could be one or two small track lights in the corner or back wall of a closet.

LED
This stands for light emitting diode and is probably the safest and longest lasting lights available. They give off very little heat which makes them ideal for small spaces. They can also be battery powered so an electrician would not need to be involved in the installation process.

Xenon
This type of lighting is excellent for seeing true colors in the closet. They give off a truer bright light which makes seeing the true color in your clothing phenomenal. The only downside to Xenon is they do give off heat so they are not recommended for smaller closets. They are also not a UV light so they won't fade clothing color.

Halogen
Halogen lights are not a great light source for the closet. They get very hot and are not recommended for small closets. If you do go with halogen lighting be sure they are six to eight inches apart and flush mounted not surface mounted.

Flourescent
A very common choice among many homeowners because they last longer and are very energy efficient which means they are cost effective. Although they give off a hard light it is very bright and makes finding things in the closet very easy. The fluorescent light is the most common type of lighting in the closet of most homes.

How To Declutter Your Closet In 3 Easy Steps

The closet is often are biggest nightmare. We all think our closets are too small and for many of us they are. But the truth is if you had a bigger closet you would just have an excuse to keep more junk. It is a known fact that we use 20% of our closets 80% of the time. So folks this means we keep too much clutter and unused clothing in our closets because we are too lazy or sentimental to let go of them. Here are 5 steps to getting your closet cleaned out and clutter free.

Step 1:
Remove everything from your closet including clothing and accessories. It is easier to see what you need to do when your starting fresh. An empty closet not only clears your mind but your attitude on how to set it up. If you try to start in total chaos you are defeated before you start.

Step:2
Donate and get rid of unused or worn out clothing. If you have items that have not been worn in over a year get rid of them. Donate to Goodwill or sell items on Craigslist or Ebay. Have a yard sale and get rid of items and make a little money at the same time.

Step 3:
Invest in cheap closet organizers. This can be a wire closet system from Rubbermaid or ClosetMaid or perhaps storage and organization bins (under $20). This will allow you to designate what items you want to keep and where. If you have a reach in closet then storage cubes are great for storing out of season items. Portable wardrobe closets are also good for this and can be kept in a garage or spare bedroom. Under the bed storage is also great for storing smaller items like bathing suits and accessories.

Now you can start putting items back into your closet. Make sure you arrange them so like items are grouped together. Try putting slacks together and also try keeping accessories in a bin or storage cube. Utilize hanging shoe organizers or over the door organizers so you can get things off the floor but also have room for bigger items that hang.