7 tried and true elements for an efficient closet

Everyone's wardrobe changes over time. The design of your closet needs to reflect those changes whether it be taste, style, or just in the amount of clothes you own. Don't be afraid to redesign the closet to suit your lifestyle with these key elements required for an efficient closet space.

Build yourself enough space to store a season's wardrobe without compacting and wrinkling any of its pieces. You don't want to be stuffing that beautiful sweater into a tiny square hole built for a t-shirt.

Having complete visibility of all the elements in your wardrobe at once lets you make fast, good choices.  Avoid the experience of having that long lost favourite shirt ending up trapped under a pile of old ones only to be discovered after the season is over.

Make sure you can get at all your clothes.  There isn't much point in putting away something you need if you have to remove four stacks of clothes to get at it.

Design your closet so you can put like items together.  It's handy to be able to pick the right blouse when they are all hanging in one place. If your belts go in a drawer, be sure when you open the drawer you can see them all.

Arrange clothes by colour within groups (blouses or pants, for example). This organization — navy blues and blacks on the right and beiges and whites on the left with brighter colours in the middle — speeds up your picking an outfit.

Hanging items should all face in the same direction. This may seem a little nitpicky, but it saves space, prevents wrinkling and keeps hangers from tangling.

Fine tune your organizational wizardry with a few extras, such as these add-ons.

•  Wire dividers on open shelves for smaller items.
• Special containers for clothes prone to damaging light or dust. Covered containers that have solid lids (to protect from sunlight) and clear sides (to make things easier to see) can serve you well.
• More lighting so you can match colours more accurately. A full spectrum bulb in the light fixture is an excellent upgrade.
• Have a sturdy step stool handy to give you the boost you need to reach those higher shelves.
• A retrieving pole will allow the more vertically challenged to reach new heights. Attach a hook onto any pole for a homemade version, but a simple extendible pole with pincers is available at most houseware stores.

Making your closet easier to use not only saves you time but saves you from the stress of dealing with that nightmare pile of clothes that have no place to call home.