Help with wardrobe organization [Archive]

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rodeosweetheart

9-9-13, 6:09am

Hi--we are moving to a house that apparently has zero closets. I mean zero.
This is tough, because one of our goals was to have separate closets for each of us and enough room for our clothing.
We will have to come up with good closet solutions, though the house is very small and I hate to lose more square footage for clothes.
Can those of you who have minimalist wardrobes chime in with some ideas on exactly what you have, how many, how it fits together, and/or recommend one of those sites where someone lists the number of everything they have and how it works together?
As I pack I am jettisoning things but I know it's not enough. I garden and muck about with animals a lot so I tend to abuse and ruin clothes, thus I get most of my stuff at GW and treat them as recyclables. But I will be working some outside the home now when we move and need a new flexible work wardrobe to boot, as my current blue jeans sleeveless button down shirt uniform will not translate to Northern Michigan in winter.
That is another problem--cold weather clothes are bulkier, and take up more closet room! And coats--I've been basically coat free for 3 years, bought my only coats for weddings and funerals up north.
Any ideas? And any great closet ideas, send them on--currently, I do nto think the clothes will be where we sleep, although maybe we can d something under eaves. Thanks!

catherine

9-9-13, 6:53am

Can you get one of those beds with drawer space underneath? Also, for closets obviously you've thought about stand-alone armoires, which you can get pretty cheaply from IKEA.

As for clothes, I consider myself pretty minimalist when it comes to clothes (maybe not as much as others). But in the summer I wear one of three polo dresses every day (the kind that look like long golf shirts.. they're easy to wear, can go anywhere and comfortable). In the winter I wear one of three pairs of yoga pants with one of three turtlenecks and one of three hoodies/cardigan sweaters. I wear ballet flats or sneakers (or flip flops in the summer).

As for my work wardrobe, I'm a "Guiness girl"--my whole wardrobe is black or tan, so everything goes together. I have black pants, a tan skirt, and a black skirt. I have a black jacket, a black sweater, a tan sweater and a tan jacket. Same for shirts--and my work shirts under jackets and sweaters are nice short or long sleeve Ts from Ann Taylor--no ironing, easy to pack.

My variety comes from scarves and bold costume jewelry. Metal is all silver (belt buckles, earrnings, necklaces).

That works for me. I HATE having to decide what to wear. Of course the color combination could vary--you could do grey and white or blue and white. But keep it neutral as possible.

Also, as far as storage, I love the Shaker idea of a board of wooden pegs circumventing the room, from which you can hang robes, sweaters, anything hangable.

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rodeosweetheart

9-9-13, 8:11am

What a helpful response, and THANK YOU--also loved the photograph.
I am very impressed with your wardrobe plan--this is what I need, so will ponder how to adapt a more unified wardrobe. I like unstructured clothes like Flax and Eileen Fisher, so I could do a work wardrobe around a few of those pieces.
All the blue jeans/tee shirts/workshirts for farm are foldable, although I love hanging everything, easier to see.

Miss Cellane

9-9-13, 8:12am

For wardrobes, check out the Pax system from Ikea. Or haunt secondhand stores for old armoires.

For the clothing, a lot depends on how often you want to do laundry. I like to have 5 pairs of pants for work, with 7-8 tops work tops. Each top goes with 3-4 pairs of pants at least. Then I have 4 "over tops"--jackets and cardigans. They dress up the basic top plus pair of pants, and add warmth in the winter. But I only do laundry one day a week. If you are washing clothes more often, you could have fewer of each item.

For winter, think many thin layers instead of one or two bulky layers. Most of my tops are year-round wear. It's what I put under and over them that adjusts my wardrobe to the season.

Look for silk longjohns. Thin, clothing slides easily over them, adds warmth. Best for mild activity and lounging around. For strenuous activity outside, look for SmartWool products that can be washed easily. Or the new artificial fibers that keep you warm while wicking sweat away.

But on a typical in-doors winter day, with the heat set to 60 degrees, I'll be wearing shoes and socks (either cotton or thin wool), jeans, a silk long-sleeved undershirt, a cotton flannel button down shirt, and a wool cardigan or pullover. If I'm doing chores like vacumming, I'll get hot and whip the sweater off for a bit.

For work, which can be very chilly in the winter, but I have to dress professionally, shoes and trouser socks, nice black slacks, silk camisole (which is completely hidden under the rest of my clothes), a cotton button down shirt, a thin merino wool pullover, and a wool suit jacket. Easily adjustable if the temperature rises by removing the jacket.

shadowmoss

9-9-13, 9:10am

For my bed I'm going to get 3 sets of IKEA Expedit 72" units. The middle one will be kind of lost storage except for things I don't use much, but I'll have 16 cubbies, 8 on each side of the bed, to put cubes and store clothes. I'll just put my air mattress on top of this. I'm sleeping on the air mattress on the floor anyway. This will make a platform approximately 48" x 72" x 30(?)" high for a bit over $200, which seems in line with commercial bed platforms that don't have as much storage. I could use 2 of the Expedit's and put a 1/2" 8'x4' plywood sheet over the top to fill in the middle, but I drive a Jeep Wrangler and can't really transport that large a piece of plywood.

Float On

9-9-13, 9:26am

Do you have a 2nd bedroom you could turn into a closet/dressing room? You'd be able to have separate sections for farm clothes and work/town clothes.

pinkytoe

9-9-13, 10:05am

stand-alone armoires
Entertainment armoires of different configurations are VERY reasonable and numerous on craigslist these days. You could probably find a solid wood one for under $100 and the web is full of ideas on how to retrofit for clothing storage.

rodeosweetheart

9-9-13, 10:39am

Ooh, great ideas, keep them coming, please.
Thank you, Miss Cellane, for the layering advice. You are right, that provides the most flexiblity and the least bulkiness for the closet problem.
When I went to college in New England, I did not have hot flashes, which made wool more of a possibility. In those days, I'd wear a tee shirt and a long sleeve shirt and a wool sweater. I will have to consider the artificial fibers. I like your system with the over tops-- the pants and work tops. I think I could do that. We do laundry more often, so I could get away with 3-4, like Catherine has.

Wardobes and armoires--a great suggestion! I used to have an IKEA wardrobe, and I think I will look into this again. I overstressed and overstuffed it, though. Lesson learned.

The expedit air bed--what an interesting idea. My son has a wall of expedit shelving and it looks great, and you can get the baskets, too.

Float, I wish I did have a second bedroom--that is the problem, too, the house is just bizarre, worst floor plan I have ever seen. Rooms are tiny farm house rooms, chopped up, only bathroom off the dining room. We both work at home and desperately need two studies. I am hoping that when we move in something will occur to us. Currently, there are two tiny attic rooms they counted as bedrooms in the listing sheet and one "bedroom" off the living room on first floor. We are trying to get the study space first because we need to be able to work efficiently or will lose our minds/our jobs.

The kitchen is enormous, however!

redfox

9-9-13, 11:22am

Keep all work clothes in an armoire in kitchen.

shadowmoss

9-9-13, 11:22am

I should I mentioned I'll be laying the Expedits on their sides so the 72" side is the length of the bed... I'm too afraid of heights to sleep 72" in the air. :)

mtnlaurel

9-9-13, 11:39am

Have you seen the movie Blue Jasmine yet? It's out at theaters now, so will be to DVD I guess in a month or so and however long after that at the library.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2334873/
She operates out of 2 suitcases & one weekend bag - one very large, the other standard size & one weekender.
It's like maybe 15 pieces of clothing.... but throughout the movie they are ensembled beautifully over & over & over again.

I just saw the movie last night, but that detail of her 'couture' really fascinated me & spoke volumes of a story where someone had a BIG,BIG life then pared it down, pared it down, pared it down and finally her life fit in those 3 bags at the beginning of the movie (not due necessarily to her own choosing). Her luggage/hand bags were a little detail that figured into scenes throughout the movie and actually played a huge role in the last 2 scenes.

Anyway - the pieces she had were like 16 classics that fit her beautifully and could be layered a million different ways.
Here's my memory of them:
-White crisp shirt
-1 jean
-1 khaki
-1 structured sheath dress
-structured jacket on top of sheath dress, & also with jean or khakis
- 1 floral a-line dress
- 1 soft green cashmere sweater
- 1 cardigan
- maybe a casual/polo type shirt
- 1 high heel, 1 slight heel, 1 ballet flat
And I think that was about it and she just wore those few things over & over in different combinations - in a khaki/neutral/white/soft green/soft yellow pallet.
Now granted this was a lady 'that lunched' and the clothes fit her like a glove -- but her look could totally be recreated at a lower price.
Not to mention Cate Blanchett is gorgeous, so would probably do a potato sack justice.

If you are looking to get your mind off your move, go see it. It was wonderful.

I totally agree with the entertainment centers as armoirs - they are really cheap on craigslist.
Pinterest.com has lots of ideas too.

ToomuchStuff

9-9-13, 12:12pm

Wardrobes were used for years, before closets came into being. If the rooms are larger, then you could enclose a section for a closet. Look at site's such as Anna White's. (she has changed the name a couple of times, used to be knock off furniture, I think when I sent my sister the link (brother in law, lazy)), where you can get some plans for things like storage beds.
Those shaker hooks are in my hallway, by the bathroom. Grandparents (I think) put them in years ago.

Look at some of the small home/apartment posts, for more idea's that have been here. Does the house have stairs? Enclosed or not (convert to a closet for coats and such).

mtnlaurel

9-9-13, 12:46pm

Here's what came up when I typed "Small House Storage" into pinterest.com

http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=small%20house%20storage

rosarugosa

9-9-13, 8:30pm

I live in a funky little house like you describe. We turned the two little attic rooms into one bedroom and carved out a decent-sized closet, and it is the only closet in the house. We built it in one of the eaves, and it has double poles, one in back of the other, and the back one is of course lower, due to the slope. But even the higher pole is only about 4.5' off the ground. I have quite a lot of clothes (and my DH has a few as well), but the closet holds them all. I rotate current season clothes in the front and out of season to the back. It is 13' feet long. It was one of the best modifications we did in terms of making the house livable.
We don't even have a dining room. I wouldn't want to store clothes in the kitchen because they would absorb food/cooking smells.
The minimalist wardrobe is a great way to go if you can manage it. This is just one option of how to fit a maxi wardrobe in a mini space. :)

rodeosweetheart

9-9-13, 8:47pm

Rosarugosa, that is what we were thinking about the upstairs, under eaves poles. I had not thought to put one behind the other.
Was also thinking adding wardrobes int he mud room--lots of room out there, too. It is off the large kitchen, so kind of what you said, Redfox. I thought we could rotate off season clothes--we did this when we lived in a wonderful 1925 bungalow that did not have much closets.
Thanks, Shadowmoss, for setting me straight--I thougt you were going to be 6 feet in the air, and I thought, well, that's out for us!

rodeosweetheart

9-9-13, 8:53pm

Mtnlaurel, I am off to look at the pinterest site, thank you, and thank you, Toomuchstuff, for the suggestion about Anna White's site, with which I am unfamiliar. The understairs are already taken up though we might take out what he has in there--he built in a big box for the tv but we don;'t need that, and we do need more closet space. I was thinking about looking at apartment sites, like apartment therapy?

We actually did see Blue Jasmine and I was so creeped out by the character and her deterioration that I did not notice the wardrobe--okay, I did notice the Chanel jacket, I admit. She looked great, you are right. But that character--I think it is my worst fear, that I will become that person who has to pare down and pare down and is grieving all the losses--so maybe I am fighting my inner packrat a little here. On the other hand, the way Catherine describes her wardrobe is very freeing, and i could do the accessories with Old Pawn jewelry--much easier to store jewelry than clothes, right?

rodeosweetheart

9-9-13, 9:01pm

Here is why we bought the house, though:

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catherine

9-9-13, 9:06pm

Here is why we bought the house, though:

1312

That is awesome!! Congratulations! Worth paring down a wardrobe.

rodeosweetheart

9-9-13, 9:08pm

Thanks, Catherine, you are quite right, worth paring down a wardrobe. We are thrilled--it is so beautiful there.

rosarugosa

9-10-13, 4:54am

I agree with Catherine. I could give up a lot of sweaters for that!

Rosemary

9-10-13, 8:56am

When I went to college in New England, I did not have hot flashes, which made wool more of a possibility. In those days, I'd wear a tee shirt and a long sleeve shirt and a wool sweater. I will have to consider the artificial fibers.

Actually, wool is better than synthetics for this, I think. Silk longjohns, as mentioned above, a cotton shirt, and a lightweight wool or cotton sweater or jacket will be easily adjustable. Synthetics make me feel as though I am being steamed. (Sometimes in the Minnesota winter, that might be desirable.)

rodeosweetheart

9-10-13, 9:43am

Thanks, Rosarugosa, we looked for a year and a half and pounced on this one, sight unseen, just form the picture and knowing the area a little. It meant we had not been in the house, which might be a good thing, as I think I would have freaked out at the inside of the house!

Rosemary, you are right about silk being lighter but very insulating, mabye that would be a good thing--they make silk long johns, I know.

pinkytoe

9-10-13, 10:33am

Rodeo-
That is a beautiful place! Who needs clothes anyway?If I might ask, what part of the country are you in?

rodeosweetheart

9-10-13, 7:31pm

Rodeo-
That is a beautiful place! Who needs clothes anyway?If I might ask, what part of the country are you in?

Haha, Pinkytoe! It is up near Traverse City, MI, and we have not quite moved yet, but we did spend a week there, and plan to be up there by the first of the month.

Mrs. Hermit

9-10-13, 9:11pm

rodeosweetheart

9-10-13, 10:25pm

We lived in Kaleva, MI. About an hour South of Traverse, near Manistee. You will definitely need warm clothing in that area! And don't forget warm jammies--a cold day is bearable, but a cold night is miserable.

Yes,I am thinking about flannel sheets to go under the down comforter, and flannel pyjamas.

razz

9-11-13, 8:00am

Yes,I am thinking about flannel sheets to go under the down comforter, and flannel pyjamas.
I got fleece sheets for last winter and just loved snuggling into them. They wash well and are so warm

SiouzQ.

9-11-13, 9:45am

Beautiful house in a beautiful area! I live downstate in the urbanized area....

shadowmoss

9-12-13, 6:26am

rodeosweetheart

9-12-13, 9:13am

Another IKEA furniture hack for a bedframe with storage is to get some dressers of desired height (or modify...) and build a base from that. http://www.ikeahackers.net/2013/08/rast-storage-bed-hack.html is the latest. Danger: the ikeahackers site can be a time sink :) as well as a place to find inspiration to hack furniture to make it work for you.

What I plan on doing:
http://www.ikeahackers.net/2013/08/bed-hack-expedit-vika-and-ribbas-perfect-union.html

Thanks, Shadowmoss, just showed DH the bed hack and the wheels are spinning. We should send in the garden dining table we made from our old IKEA futon. I worked at IKEA for 5 years, so we have had a lot of IKEA furniture/kitchens over the years!

Sioux, maybe you can come say hi if you are up this way sometime!

larknm

9-12-13, 6:57pm

When we moved into our current small house, the previous tenants left for us two things I think from Gaia, they were canvas, like wardrobes with no doors but space for shoes. They would hold Catherine's wardrobe. Later we got a chifferobe at an estate sale, but it was taking up too much space. Now we hang clothes on a bar, with my winter clothes on hooks behind that and nails in the living room. I LOVE the Shaker pegs for hanging anything--I have a 3-shelf thing hanging on shaker pegs by my bed--I love it (intead of a bedside table, which would require attention when cleaning the floor.

rodeosweetheart

9-12-13, 7:57pm

I think the Shaker pegs are really beautiful. I also like the wardrobe idea a lot, because it will containerize the clothes, and limit them.

SiouzQ.

9-13-13, 6:29pm

I'd love to! I really need to get away sometime soon!

rodeosweetheart

9-14-13, 6:49am

I'd love to! I really need to get away sometime soon!

Great--I will pm you when we get moved in, and that would be a good place to check out marketing your jewelry!