Back when we shared how we organized much of our home, readers asked to see how we keep our clothing and closets under control. So here’s a clear, practical tour of both of our wardrobes and the strategies we use to keep everything tidy and easy to access.
My side of the bed features a tall Ikea wardrobe with two top shelves, a hanging bar, a shelf beneath the hanging bar that holds fabric storage boxes, and four lower shelves. The fabric boxes are perfect for corralling socks, underwear, swimsuits and other small items into their own cubbies. Below those boxes, one shelf is dedicated to jeans, one to pajamas, and two are used for shoe storage.
One small space-saving trick I use for shoes is alternating the direction of each pair on a shelf. Because the front of many shoes is wider than the heel, turning every other pair the opposite way creates a little extra room and often frees up space for an additional pair per shelf.
On the top two shelves above the hanging bar I have folded fabric storage on one side and purses on the other. To help purses keep their shape, I stuff them with balled-up paper and let them sit on the shelf. I also roll lightweight scarves and store them alongside. Matching hangers are another simple upgrade I recommend: they give a coordinated, boutique feel and protect clothing from stretching the way thin wire or plastic hangers can.
My wardrobe content is fairly minimal and focused—mostly blacks with the occasional coral or turquoise accent—so I tend to let statement shoes and jewelry do the work of keeping outfits interesting. I also keep a smaller, original closet from the room for overflow: suits, dresses, out-of-season sweaters and extra shoes that don’t fit in the wardrobes.
John’s side of the wardrobe mirrors mine in structure but is configured differently. He has a hanging bar with two shelves above and a layout below that includes one shelf, three pull-out drawers, and a bottom shelf for shoes. His hanging bar sits approximately a foot higher than mine, which is a customized detail we appreciated when installing the Ikea units since our heights and clothing needs differ.
John uses the shelf beneath his hanging bar to store jeans, while one of the pull-out drawers holds his socks, undershirts, and boxers. He keeps most of his collared work shirts on hangers and reserves a drawer for t-shirts and more casual weekend pieces. The pull-out drawers are a convenient touch that helps him separate items and keep everything visible without rifling through stacks of folded clothes.
One charming and useful feature we discovered in the original closet was some old nails left in the side wall. Rather than remove them, we repurposed them to hang necklaces that don’t fit in my jewelry organizer. They’re functional, and if we wanted a more polished look we could swap them for decorative hooks or knobs.
The original closet also includes stacked wire shoe racks that make excellent use of vertical space, allowing us to store several extra pairs without crowding the wardrobes. In that closet I generally don’t need to use the alternating-shoes trick because there’s usually leftover room, which feels like restraint—and gives me an excuse to ignore the cute sandals I spotted the other day.
We even keep the guest bedroom closet in mind when organizing: it doubles as a small room for our dog, Burger, when needed. The crate is removed for visitors, and a bank of wooden hangers left in the empty closet adds a tidy, slightly elevated touch. Little details like that help the spare room feel welcoming.
Overall, the best lessons from our closet setup are these: customize storage to the people using it, use boxes and drawers to keep small items organized, match hangers for a cohesive look, and take advantage of vertical space for shoes or folded items. These small choices make daily dressing simpler and keep the bedroom feeling calm and uncluttered.
Curious how the Ikea built-ins flanking our bed became a reality? Here’s the full story.