Recently I had the pleasure of working with a couple who were seeking help setting up systems in their shared closet.  To top the list of issues that needed resolving were limited space for clothing, arranging the items to make getting ready in the morning more simple, gaining inventory of what items were buried within the closet clutter.  Here is a peak of what the space looked like prior to beginning:

Neither side was designated 'his' or 'hers', shoes weren't finding an appropriate home off of the floor, and the back shelf was piled high with folded clothing, making morning selections difficult.

From speaking with the homeowner's I devised a plan to get this closet into pristine condition.  Tackling issue number one: no particular side for 'his' or 'hers' clothing.  Per the homeowner, the reasoning behind this: the men's suits would not fit on 'his' side of the closet due to them touching the floor.  From this, I decided to flip flop their sides to ensure the suits would not touch the floor, and to give them each their own side of the closet.  I also separated the suit jackets and pants, as they are often worn as separates, and also to keep all slacks together to add cohesiveness to the closet.  A combination of slim profile black velvet and wooden hangers were used based on which allowed the item to hang and keep its form best.

All pieces were first sorted by type, then color coded within that category.  Above the jackets were divided into sports coats and suit jackets, then colored coded accordingly.

Once 'his' side was organized to perfection, I then moved on to the infamous shoes, giving each and every pair a home up off of the floor.

By pairing down to items that were not broken, duplicates, or not loved anymore, the built in shoe rack was able to house all pairs of his and her shoes, without resorting to using floor space.  Having a specified location for shoes restricts the number of pair allowed, helping to promote the 'one in, one out' rule, controlling the quantity and forcing to pick quality as space is limited.

Once the shoes were tackled, it was time to put together 'her' side of the closet.  Using the same methods, I sorted pieces by type, then by color.  As you can see, this side of the closet is super colorful, adding to the aesthetic of being organized.  We again used the slim line hangers, but with two different colors to differentiate between winter and summer, helping to further ease finding pieces.

The back shelf in the closet was used mainly for items that needed to be folded, i.e. shorts, and heavier items that required folding.  The shelves were divided equally between 'his' and 'hers' items, leaving space for future pieces that needed space.  One piece of advise that I did give my clients in regards to the shelving, was to resist the urge to fill the empty space.  Not all areas have to be overflowing with items.  Be at peace with empty space.

The results of the before and after is quite dramatic, leaving the homeowners speechless and thrilled about their new closet.

Stay tuned, more fantastic before/after client spaces to come!