Stage Your Closets

In the South, we say that we are "fixin" to do the next thing.  Everyone I know is fixin to get organized.  So, show them how organized your house is.  That is what staging is all about. Show them the lifestyle they can have in your home.  The order will feel as though is is a part of the property, just like the space & light. 

People are going to open your closet doors. They are going to look in your kitchen drawers. Use some simple and inexpensive techniques to show them just how much space and storage your closets can offer. 

• use coordinated, well placed baskets or bins
• leave only in-season clothing hanging (about half the volume of your normal wardrobe)
• use matching hangers
• clear out all extra non-clothing/shoe storage to attic or storage spaces away from the master closet
• purge & organize in every linen/storage closets.  These are assets for your property.  Any avalanche would ruin a showing.

You may not need a major organization intervention, but I did, in my spare bedroom closet. I've set up a craft & Christmas storage system. It needed it, pretty badly. These are the tragic befores:

I had lots of treasures packed in there and lots of wasted space.  Years ago on Oprah, I learned the SPACE method of organizing and I've used it ever since.  Too many times before, I would buy cute storage solutions that didn't really solve anything.  This system helps assess what containers you really need for the items that really belong in the space.

• SORT: covered the bed with little post-its and piles of candles, gifts, lights, etc.
• PURGE: 2 giant bags of trash, one trip to the garage, one armload for the playroom and 2 boxes to donate to Goodwill
• ASSIGN: my retail past  haunts helps me here.  "like with like"  and "most used items at eye level"
• CONTAINERIZE: I spent a little on clearance storage bins from  Wal-mart that I talked about in this post.  I found some perfect little magazine storage boxes at the dollar section in the front of Target -- love that place. 
• EVALUATE:  make sure the system works for your space/ your family. 

This  ribbon crate was one of the first things I ever pinned on Pinterest. So, I was thrilled to finally get rid of all those old ribbon boxes that I had out grown.  They were not cute and did not match, but worse, they had lots of wasted space. I had already bought these bins from Target for the pantry in my last house.  Good news, they also stack.  BO-NUS.

via Simple Details

I'm a sucker for color coordination in all cases.  Miss Pam at Simple Details flung a craving on me with her orange organization system.  She used Nike boxes and I just adore this look.

I was also inspired by my latest trip to Goodwill.  Sorry I got it upside down in the first picture, but that tag says $2.99.  This tissue holder has a brushed nickel finish and it is very heavy, which usually means pricey.  Flipping it over I was shocked to find the original Bed Bath & Beyond tag still inside.  Somebody was way more worried about their Puff's plus than I am. I sure am glad they redecorated that fancy bathroom and sent this donate item on to me.  After Christmas, I found tons of these little keg 'o ribbons marked down 75% - 90% off.  Now they are all housed in here and fit nicely on my ribbon shelf.











I used Picnik (moment of silence please) to make these little printable labels on Avery name tag stickers.  My blog hero, Thrifty Decor Chick has a great tutorial on making printables there. I could use simple sticker labels for these bins, because I'm really the only one who uses them. Labels in the playroom or kitchen, that get a lot of girlie wear and tear, are made of much more sturdy stuff. 

The last hurdle was that "evaluate" piece at the end. I realized that if I positioned this shelf in the middle, I would have to move the whole shelf out at Christmas time to access the large bins of decorations.  So, Hunky Husband came to the rescue with furniture movers. I wish I had one of those fancy  animation tricks to show you the magic, but you get the idea.

Now, I can slide the shelf to the middle and everything is in reach.  By sliding it over, I made room for  my wrapping paper duffle bag and over-sized bags to hang - so they don't wrinkle. On the top shelf I have clear tubs and my gift bag collection (in the Target magazine sorters).

I also reuse shopping bags that are marked up with store logos.  They hold all the supplies for my on-deck projects. They are the ones with the purple tags on them.You'll be seeing them soon.  Whether you are getting ready to move or just getting tired of the clutter, use SPACE to help you make your closets more visit ready.

Linked up:

• small house solutions @ the inspired room
• homemade projects @ tip junkie
• take a look tuesday @ sugar bee crafts
• one project at a time @ a bowl full of lemons

I'll also be linking this up at Thrifty Decor Chic's -- Show us Your House Link Party.  This month is focused on Closets.  Check her out every third Monday.

just bec

here's the rest of the show us your house schedule. i'll link to them as they happen so you can check them out. what can i say? i'm a chick groupie from way back. squeezie love!

January: Office/craft spaces

February: Closets

March: Kitchens

April: Dining rooms

May: Nursery/Kids rooms

June: Outdoor spaces

July: Bathrooms

August: Family rooms

September: Basements/rec rooms

October: Bedrooms (guest or master)

November: Foyers

December: We’ll play it by ear ;)