7 Home Air Quality Tips to Freshen up Your Living Space

home air quality bed

With your spring cleaning efforts currently in full swing, it’s worth taking a little time to consider your home air quality.

Most of us take it for granted that our indoor air quality is fine. Scientific research, however, has found it to be an area we should be paying a lot more attention to.

Studies by the Environmental Protection Agency and other environmental health organizations show that the quality of most indoor air is actually worse than the air outdoors.

Air pollution levels in indoor spaces are typically 2-5 times higher than pollution levels outside. So how can that be?

What causes poor home air quality?

A big contributor to poor air quality in homes and other indoor spaces is, quite simply, that not enough time is spent cleaning them, especially when it comes to vacuuming and dusting.

The products we buy and the chemicals they contain are another major reason our home air quality suffers. Unless you’re ultra-vigilant about what’s being brought into your home and used there, it can be difficult to maintain a healthy level of indoor air quality.

Indoor airborne pollutants also come from things like cooking residue, pollen, mould, and pet dander.

The fact that we inhabit tightly sealed environments that don’t get much air flow exchange with the outdoors doesn’t help matters, either.

How to improve your home air quality

Because the average person spends about 80-90% of their time indoors, it’s important to do what you can in your living space to improve its air quality.

The spring time is typically when a home is most in need of a refresh. Those long Canadian winters keep us indoors a lot more and don’t give homeowners many opportunities to open some windows. That keeps stale air, allergens, and other pollutants trapped inside.

Of course, leaving screen doors and windows open can also bring in outdoor pollutants, particularly in high traffic areas, downtown areas, and during hot weather. It’s a tricky balance, to be sure.

Here are some tips to help you improve your home air quality by reducing the number of pollutants in your living space.

1. Clean your home regularly (and properly)

Finding the time to clean your home as much as it really needs it is always a challenge. But as you would expect, regular cleaning is one of the single-most impactful ways to reduce the number of toxins indoors.

It’s generally recommended that regularly used areas of your home should be vacuumed a minimum of once per week. Higher traffic areas should get a little more attention, perhaps two or three weekly vacuumings. Carpeted areas in your home will also need more vacuum maintenance than hard floor surfaces.

Cleaning properly is another key to make your cleaning efforts more effective. Avoid using dusters, for starters. They don’t actually remove dust, they merely disperse dust from one surface to another. Wipe shelves and other surfaces with a damp soft cloth or microfibre cloth.

Thorough cleaning is also important. You can’t realistically get to every single nook and cranny in your home every time you vacuum, dust, and mop. It is important, however, to occasionally attend to those areas of your home that aren’t the main floor surfaces, such as curtains, ceiling fans, baseboards, walls, and behind large appliances.

To eliminate the headache of vacuuming underneath beds and sucking up all those elusive dust bunnies, consider getting a bed surround. They replace all of that wasted empty space underneath beds with useful drawer storage and incorporate additional storage space around the bed.

home air quality woman mopping in kitchen

Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

2. Control home clutter

Let’s expand upon that “clean your home regularly” point and specifically address home clutter. You might not see a direct connection between excess clutter and poor home air quality, but it’s there.

To illustrate how clutter affects the air quality in your home, picture several stacks of boxes in the corner of a spare room that haven’t been touched in months.

Those stacks (and floor clutter in general) make it harder to vacuum the room, which gives you an excuse to not to do it.

Extra clutter also impedes the airflow in a room and gives dust more surface areas to rest on and accumulate.

Take advantage of the wealth of effective storage and organization products available to keep your home tidy with less effort.

3. Look closer at the products you buy

The most popular laundry and cleaning products boast about how fresh they’ll make your clothes smell and how immaculate and spotless they’ll leave the surfaces in your home.

The irony is that while these products may be effective at cleaning and eliminating germs and bacteria, most of them also add pollutants to your home’s air when used.

Even getting your dry cleaning done can bring pollutants into your home (from the chemicals used in the cleaning process).

Here are just a few more of the common household products that release chemicals into your home’s air:

  • beauty and grooming products
  • spray and plug-in air fresheners
  • certain types of clothing (including water-repellent apparel and some polyester and fleece fabrics)
  • many plastic products
  • building materials
  • home furnishings

It can take a big effort to make major changes to what you buy and to check on the environmental impact of every product you purchase. But controlling the source of indoor pollutants will help to improve your home air quality.

4. Get an air purifier

Adding a standalone air purifier (or two) to the areas of your home that are most frequently used is another solution for improving your home air quality.

Bedrooms, the kitchen, and the living room are ideal locations. If you don’t want to deal with moving a standalone air purifier from room to room, whole-house air cleaning systems are available which are integrated into your HVAC system.

Air purifiers remove contaminants from the air and can help improve the comfort level of those with allergy and asthma issues. Air purifiers are also recommended for homes with smokers.

Ionic and HEPA air purifiers are the two most popular types of standalone unit choices. Do your homework before buying, as features (such as whether the unit can remove odours, square footage covered, and operating volume levels) vary widely from model to model.

5. Change HVAC and kitchen air filters regularly

Dirty air filters that trap pollutants and allergens recirculate poor quality air indoors, so they need to be maintained to keep your home’s air quality healthy.

Timely air filter replacement on HVAC systems, range hoods, kitchen and bathroom air vents, and vacuums tends to get overlooked. Staying on top of this task is a cost-effective way to maintain healthy home air quality.

Energy Star recommends changing your HVAC filters monthly during the winter and summer seasons, when your furnace and air conditioner are being used most. Change them every three months at the very minimum, regardless of the time of year.

Unclogged air filters improve the efficiency of your home’s heating and cooling systems and can reduce your utility bill.

Energy Star also recommends a yearly tune-up for your HVAC equipment to keep them operating at peak efficiency and to prolong the life of your heating and cooling units.

You should also have your air ducts inspected and cleaned periodically. Whichever air duct cleaning company you use, ask them about their maintenance process. Some professionals use sealants and chemical products that kill and inhibit bacteria and mould growth, which you may wish to avoid.

6. Get home air quality-friendly plants

Adding several air purifying plants to your living space won’t just improve your home air quality, they also enhance a room with character and colour.

House plants convert carbon dioxide into fresh oxygen and certain plants are very efficient at eliminating or reducing household toxins like benzene and formaldehyde.

Here are some of the most effective plants for reducing toxins in the home:

  • Philodendron
  • Spider plant
  • Rubber plant
  • Dracaena
  • Snake plant
  • Ficus
  • Bamboo palm

Be mindful that even plants which are known for their air purifying benefits aren’t practical for every home. If one or more house occupants have sensitive allergies, some of these plants may not agree with them.

home air quality potted aloe plant

7. Prioritize the air quality in your bedrooms

Taking steps to improve the indoor air quality throughout your home is important, but it only makes sense to prioritize the quality of air in the room your family spends most of their time in – the bedroom.

A Statistics Canada study of the sleep habits of 10,000 Canadians between the ages of 18-79 found that they averaged 7.12 hours of sleep every night.

With approximately a third of our lives spent sleeping, your bedrooms should undoubtedly be one of the cleanest, most organized rooms in your house.

In addition to managing your bedroom clutter, using an air purifier, and adding some plants to the bedroom, consider changing your mattress.

Switiching to an eco-friendly mattress that’s chemical-free will be beneficial for your bedroom’s air quality. At the very least, vacuum your existing mattress regularly to get rid of dust mites and get anti-dust mite mattress and pillow covers.

Get organized to help improve your home air quality

Our lifestyles make eliminating 100% of indoor pollutants at home virtually impossible.

However, with simple regular maintenance, making changes to the products you buy, and investing in appliances to monitor and improve your home air quality, you’ll reduce your family’s exposure to indoor air contaminants.

Consider having your home air quality tested. An expert can help you gauge what areas of your home might benefit from some measures to reduce indoor toxins.

Organized Interiors can also help you to get your home organized so it’s easier to clean on a regular basis.

Schedule a complimentary in-home design consultation with us today.

Please share this post if you found it useful.

See also:

7 Home Organization Projects for Spring

Longer days and warmer weather mean spring is here. Finally!

It’s time to get out of your winter funk, get motivated, and tackle some of those clutter areas in your home.

Here are seven spaces that can benefit from home organization projects this spring.

home organization projects, walk-in closet

Walk-in closet

By this time of year, your closets are overworked and overflowing with stuff you seldom wear. Bulkier winter clothing also tends to eat up more of your precious closet real estate.

If your closet space is bursting at the seams and failing to meet your storage needs, make use of that underutilized spare room in your home to significantly expand your wardrobe storage options.

Transform the spare room into a large walk-in closet (also known as a dressing room). Create a home for all of your clothing and accessories with wall-to-wall cabinetry. You can also add a makeup table and lounging area that’s personalized for your needs.

home organization projects, bed surround

Bed surround storage

If you’re constantly cleaning up clutter on your bedside table and around your bedroom, bed surround storage is a solution you may not have considered.

Get your bedroom organized with a bed surround that maximizes storage space. Underbed, overhead, nightstand, and wardrobe storage space can all be incorporated into the bed surround’s custom design.

A bed surround also nicely enhances your bedroom’s décor with its stylish, bespoke design.

home organization projects, laundry room

Laundry room

Laundry rooms can be dark, dreary rooms that lack nobody wants to spend time in. Why not improve the space with a laundry room makeover this spring?

Our designers can transform your laundry room into a modern-looking space that’s more comfortable and enjoyable to spend time in.

And as one of your home’s hardest working rooms, we can also increase the functionality and usability of your laundry room with improved storage that includes new cabinetry, pullouts, and accessories.

home organization projects, mudroom

Mudroom

Warmer weather means you and your kids will be spending more time doing outdoor activities. One effective way to stay organized with an increased level of traffic coming and going from your home during the spring and summer is to add a mudroom.

A mudroom is practical for any home and can be combined with a laundry room, be a small room near an entrance, or simply a dedicated space in the hall of a front entryway.

Add extra storage space for all of your family’s outdoor apparel and accessories to minimize clutter and keep muddy footwear in a contained, transitional area.

home organization projects, reach-in closet

Reach-in closet

Is getting dressed every day an exhausting, frustrating process due to the sad state of your closet? If budget or space limitations make a walk-in closet impractical, improving your reach-in closet with a closet organizer might be the solution for you.

Depending on your needs, the design of a reach-in closet can be really simple or quite extravagant. Either way, you will maximize the storage space in your closet and greatly reduce the clutter in your room.

home organization projects, home office

Home office

If you’ve been thinking about adding a workspace to your house, why not make it the home organization project you tackle this spring?

A home office creates a functional, private space that mom or dad can use for working and the kids can also use as a study space.

Organized Interiors’ bespoke home office designs can utilize a guest room or even use a corner carved out under a staircase.

home organization projects, wall bed

Wall bed

Another great spare room idea is to create a guest room that includes a space-saving wall bed (also known as a Murphy bed).

A pullout wall bed is much more comfortable for your guests than a futon, sofa bed, or inflatable mattress. The wall bed unit’s integrated storage systems and stylish design also create a more hospitable, welcoming space for overnight guests.

Make space for living this spring

These are just a few of the practical home organization projects worth taking on this spring.

Regardless of what area of your home needs help, Organized Interiors has a storage and organization solution that can be customized just for you.

Schedule a free design consultation to have an Organized Interiors designer come to your home and provide you with a detailed quote.

Please share this post if you found it useful.

See also:

3 Simple Tips to Ensure Success With Your Closet Purge

How many times have you been befuddled by how difficult it is to find something to wear when your closet space is so full?

It’s a very common problem and something that’s bound to happen if it’s been awhile since you last set aside some time for a closet purge.

But enough is enough. You’re tired of dealing with your untidy closets every day, so it’s time to simplify things by streamlining your wardrobe and making a few tough choices about what’s worthy of your closet space.

closet purge, person looking through closet

Why an occasional closet purge is a good thing

Think of a closet purge as hitting the reset button on your closet space. Closets are a busy, ever-changing space that need some occasional maintenance in order for you to get the most out of them.

A “less is more” approach to how much you’re keeping in the closet tends to be more effective when it comes to making efficient use of the time you spend choosing what to wear every day.

Having too many things to choose from taxes your brain and, naturally, slows down your decision-making process. This is known as “choice paralysis”, “decision paralysis”, or “analysis paralysis”.

It’s not unique to closets, either. Just think of how many times you’ve struggled to make a decision when choosing from a lengthy restaurant menu, when shopping online or in a grocery store, or even when trying to find something to watch from the thousands of choices on Netflix.

With a little time and care, you can get your wardrobe down to a more manageable size and remove one element of stress from your day, so getting dressed can be a pleasure and not a chore.

Here are three tips that can help when you take on your closet purge.

1. Take an approach that works for you

A closet purge can be time-consuming and daunting. The simple act of fully committing to your closet purge project is a great first step on your path to success with this endeavour.

Make sure to schedule a sufficient amount of time to devote to your closet purge, preferably with as few interruptions or distractions as possible.

Work, parental, or household responsibilities (or all three) may severely limit your free time, necessitating a slower “chipping away” at your closet decluttering process.

Devoting a full day to the project in order to get the task over with quickly may be an approach that works better for you.

This method tends to be more effective because you can sharpen your focus on the task at hand and be little more thorough with your closet purge. For example, you can empty out everything from your closet, give the closet a good cleaning, and let it air out.

It’s always a good idea to enlist a little help in order to lighten the workload and speed up the purging process.

Be prepared with boxes or bins for the purged clothing that you wish to donate.

Remember to pace yourself and take some breaks. Let’s face it, a closet purge can be a rather mundane and laborious task, but it is a necessary one.

2. Make some tough choices

You’ll undoubtedly be faced with numerous tough choices when carrying out your closet purge. What stays and what goes? A common worry is that you’ll get rid of too many things, but that’s better than getting rid of too little.

Those choices can get even more difficult when strong emotions like sentimentality and pride are factored in.

Inevitably, a closet will find itself occupied by:

  • clothing that no longer fits
  • items that are barely worn (or have never been worn)
  • clothing that no longer aligns with your style
  • things that don’t “spark joy” like they once did
  • duplicate items
  • damaged clothing that’s not worth repairing

It’s particularly difficult to get rid of those never-worn clothing items that were too-good-a-deal to pass up. Doing so feels wasteful, but try to look at it from a different perspective.

Is something you have no personal connection to, that couldn’t even make its way into your wardrobe rotation, really worth feeling that guilty over?

Chalk up the purchase as a mistake and sunk cost and add it to your “donate” pile. A charity will benefit from your donation and a stranger can hopefully get more out of it than you did. And your closet space will have one less piece of clutter in it.

Your closet purge can also involve simply making smarter use of the storage space. Are items taking up hanging space that could be stored in drawers, such as t-shirts or jeans?

Unless you have a comfortable amount of storage space for them, out-of-season clothing should also be stored somewhere besides your bedroom closet in order to allow for more room for your seasonally appropriate wardrobe items.

closet purge, woman taking clothes out of drawer

3. Reorganize and live with your curated closet for awhile

Once your closet purge is completed, hopefully you’ll have a lot more closet space and have whittled down your wardrobe to a size that’s more practical and balanced for your needs.

With the luxury of more room, you can reorganize your closet with whatever method you prefer, whether it’s colour coordinating or grouping like items together. A closet organizer system that maximizes your wardrobe storage space is well worth the investment.

It may be tempting to take advantage of the opened-up space by adding a few new pieces, but try to live with your curated closet for a little while before going on a clothes shopping spree.

Identify and make note of some possible future clothing needs and you may even find that you can shed a few more items from your collection over the weeks following your closet purge.

It’s okay (and quite likely) to have some items that you’re “on the fence” about getting rid of. For those items, put them through the “turned clothes hanger” test.

This simple, yet clever idea involves hanging any clothing you’re unsure about parting with the opposite way you’d normally hang them. If you wear any of these items, hang them up the proper way.

Revisit your wardrobe after a set amount of time (about 4-6 months) and look at which of the clothing items never got worn. If there was no need or urgency to wear something after all that time, you shouldn’t be as conflicted getting rid of it.

Consider closet upgrades after your closet purge

A closet purge once a year helps to maintain the functionality and efficiency of this vital home storage space.

To make your now-decluttered closet even more functional and easy to maintain, schedule a free design consultation with Organized Interiors today.

Please share this post if you found it useful.

See also:

17 Ways to Get Your Home Organized in 2023

You’ve decided that it is time to tackle some organization and storage problems in your home. But when you look around, all you feel is overwhelmed and it all needs work.

Take a deep breath

Relax. Just pick one room, one space in your home. Now commit to organizing that space.

By focusing on just one project, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment and that may be enough. After all, the worst thing that could happen is you get the energy and initiative to do more organizing in your home!

Which space will you organize this year?

There are dozens of spaces in your home that might have organization or storage problems. We have design solutions for each of them, but you have to decide where to start.

Walk-in closet, man in blue shirt.

Walk-in Closet

You’ve been eyeing that spare room, contemplating its next incarnation, plotting the takeover, and this is the year. Transform a whole room into a walk-in closet.

Imagine wall-to-wall cabinetry for clothing and accessories, a makeup area complete with vanity and even a lounging space because dressing can be so exhausting. Prepare to drool.

Bedroom Cabinetry

If the last thing you look at before closing your eyes each night is a tabletop of clutter, you might want to think beyond replacing your nightstand. Bedroom cabinetry is custom-designed for your space and offer a stylish solution to a good night’s sleep.

laundry room storage

Laundry Room

Do you dread doing laundry? It may feel like it’s a chore because it’s buried in a dark and dingy spot in your home, or it’s just a dreary process. It doesn’t have to be.

Treat your laundry room like any decorated room that can use a designer’s flare. From simple solutions to high-quality custom solutions, just look at what’s available to transform that space.

Mudroom

The mudroom is another overlooked area of the home that can make a big contribution towards keeping your living space organized.

Whether your mudroom is a small room near an entrance, is combined with your laundry room, or is a dedicated space in the hall of your home’s entryway, there are many ways to enhance its functionality.

Home Office

Paper isn’t going away anytime soon and home offices still need filing space to store your hard copies. Whether it’s a corner carved out under a staircase or a full-sized room in your home, treat yourself to a home office with function and style.

Entertainment Unit

As our TV screens become bigger, we seem to be plugging more and more devices into them – Apple TV, Chromecast, gaming consoles, soundbars, and more.

Keeping all of these devices and cables organized requires more than a sturdy shelf. Choosing a custom solution over a prefab unit has many advantages. Find out why custom entertainment units are better than prefab units from big box retail stores.

Reach-in closet

Reach-in Closets

Do you have to slowly open your closet door just in case something is about to fall out on you? Is there a knee-deep pile of clothing on your floor? It’s time to look at some solutions to keeping your closet organized.

From simple to extravagant, discover how closet organizers can maximize your storage space.

Bathroom Cabinetry

The layout works, the fixtures are fine, but your bathroom cabinets are showing their age. Changing moisture levels and wear from dampness can make cabinets look dingy and worn.

If it’s time for an upgrade, replace them with long-lasting, beautiful cabinets. Learn more about our custom bathroom cabinetry.

Wall bed in a condo.

Wall Bed

If your holiday guests looked tired when they woke up, maybe it’s time to get rid of that lumpy, bulky futon. But where can you put a mattress that’s not used every day without taking up precious space?

You won’t believe how a small condo added a whole guest room without adding square footage!

Kitchen Cabinetry

Your kitchen is the hardest working room in your home. It also demands the most organization to function properly. You can achieve the most efficient space when you are part of planning the solution.

wine storage

Wine Room

Collecting wine is more popular and we now see the value of devoting more space in our home to fit it into our lifestyle. Wine requires ideal conditions – a space that is dry, dark, and where things won’t be moved around.

A rack wedged under a staircase just won’t do. Here are some wine room ideas for keeping your collection organized.

Wardrobe Closet

Are all your closets bulging with too much stuff? If you’re not ready to reduce clutter, redistribute it.

Instead of buying a pre-finished, assemble-it-yourself wardrobe unit from a big box store, take a look at a custom solution. You choose the finish, the interior layout, and the size to suit you, not the other way around. Here are some wardrobe examples.

bar cabinetry

Wet Bar

Aside from a wet bar requiring running water, you can set up a bar in almost any room in your home. All you need is a little imagination, inspiration, and customization. Have a look at some of these wet bar ideas from Organized Interiors.

craft room 1

Craft Room

Take a spare room in your home and convert it into a multi-purpose craft room. From sewing, to scrapbooking, to creating art, make a unique space that is bright, fun, and allows you to spend time doing what you love.

Upgrade your closet with accessories

Sometimes it’s the smallest projects that give us the greatest sense of satisfaction. Keeping everything in your closet organized both starts and ends your day on a good note.

From shoe racks to jewelry drawers, there are many options to get you organized. A valet rod is one of our most popular closet accessories.

Decorative Hardware

Quality decorative hardware that’s added to the custom cabinetry that will help keep your home more organized has several benefits:

  • the hundreds of types of pulls, knobs, and hooks we offer will better complement the cabinetry and your décor
  • high-quality decorative hardware is more durable and long-lasting
  • decorative hardware of a higher quality provides a better tactile experience when using your custom cabinetry

Garage Storage

Do you see your garage as one big storage container? When it comes to attention to detail for organizing solutions, the garage is the new laundry room. This could be your one big project this year.

From flooring to overhead storage, Garage Living has everything to keep your garage looking pristine and organized.

Get organized this year

Whether you decide to organize your entire home or just one space this year, Organized Interiors has a storage solution that can be customized just for you. No more excuses!

Request a free design consultation to have an Organized Interiors designer come to your home and provide you with a detailed quote.

Please share this post if you found it useful.

7 Shared Closet Tips and Ideas to Create a More Harmonious Space

For some couples, sharing a closet space can be quite the challenge.

A shared closet space unquestionably has a different dynamic than a one-person closet space.

Adapting to using a shared closet as the result of a new living arrangement can be one of a couple’s biggest challenges once they start living under the same roof.

Even if you’ve been with your spouse for a long time, maybe you’ve never quite seen eye-to-eye on your shared closet arrangement.

And if one partner’s organizational skills aren’t exactly their finest attribute (to put it diplomatically), that only makes things more of an uphill battle.

shared closey

Couples commonly clash over closet clutter

A survey by self-storage company SpareFoot found that clutter was the cause of arguments for 48% of the cohabitating couples they polled.

Not surprisingly, messy closets were the main reason for couples arguing about clutter.

Another study of 3,000 adults in the UK for Esure Home Insurance found that 40% of respondents argued regularly with their partner over lost items.

Stop having the same arguments over and over with your partner about your shared closet.

Use these seven tips to make the closet you share a harmonious space, instead of a space that causes tension and conflicts.

1. Declutter first and organization becomes easier

51% of the couples arguing about closet clutter from that SpareFoot survey ended up getting rid of some clothing to appease their partner.

When you’re working your way towards creating a harmonious shared closet space, it’s essential to ensure the closet isn’t being occupied by non-essential items.

One group of organization experts (the National Association of Professional Organizers) estimates that 80% of your clothes are only worn 20% of the time.

That sobering statistic explains why it’s such a challenge keeping any closet space tidy.

Simplify things by decluttering your closet and getting rid of things you and your partner never (or rarely) wear. Start by moving your out-of-season clothing somewhere else, which will make the closet space easier to manage.

2. Divide and conquer

Another reason to declutter before making over your closet is you’ll get a much better idea of how much space you both actually need.

Once that’s been established, start divvying up the space. A 50/50 split probably won’t be practical, as one of you will likely have more to store.

For this process to truly work, some give and take needs to happen, which hopefully results in a space-sharing arrangement that works for everybody.

Be open-minded about the fact that some flexibility may be needed with your setup once it’s in place.

3. Leverage a closet designer’s expertise

Leaving your shared closet redesign to a professional will be beneficial because of the expertise they can bring to the project.

Most importantly, a professional closet designer will know how to plan smartly in order to maximize the storage space your closet can provide.

They’ll also have ideas and suggestions you may not have considered that can improve and enhance your closet design.

One major factor that impacts the effectiveness of a shared closet space is how carefully each individual’s needs were taken into consideration when the closet was designed.

Does your closet design give each of you enough hanging space? Were the right closet accessories incorporated into the closet design?

Is the closet laid out perfectly to accommodate the users’ heights in order to make things easy to access? This one is an important detail that can get overlooked if you buy a one-size-fits-all closet organizer from a store, instead of investing in a custom closet system.

4. Utilize effective closet storage systems

Squeezing the wardrobe of two people into a confined space and making that space function efficiently requires both creativity and well-chosen closet storage systems.

A reach-in closet makeover will be the “foundation” of the space. This organization system makes it easier to group like items together and will enable you to keep your closet tidy with less effort.

You’ll enhance the reach-in closet’s functionality by adding useful accessories like tie and belt racks, shoe racks, and pullout valet rods.

If one partner has a large watch collection, keep the timepieces properly wound and displayed with some watch winders. To keep a jewellery collection organized, jewellery drawers can be incorporated into a closet’s custom cabinetry design.

For drawers that are being shared, use drawer dividers to ensure easy organization. And no one likes to look at or smell their partner’s dirty laundry. Solve that problem with some hidden laundry hampers.

drawer with dividers in shared closet

Add drawer dividers to shared drawers to keep things organized.

5. When small won’t cut it, go big

While a closet makeover will make wardrobe management easier for a couple, it may be a simple fact that your main bedroom closet is just too small. That’s a common problem in old houses.

If you have a spare room that’s rarely used, converting it into a large walk-in closet (also known as a dressing room) is one effective way to keep a shared closet organized.

You’ll both have much an ample amount of storage space to work with. That minimizes the likelihood of arguments that result when one partner’s belongings start migrating too far into the other partner’s space.

Here’s another bold idea to consider if your home’s space allows for it – just avoid sharing a closet altogether.

If you have a much bigger wardrobe than your significant other, take the entire dressing room while leaving your partner with all of the space in your bedroom’s existing closet.

6. Use supplemental bedroom storage solutions

If you lack the space in your home to create a large walk-in closet/dressing room, there are other practical storage options available.

Use other bedroom storage products to add storage space that supplements what your closet can provide. Here are some suggestions:

  • wardrobe
  • bed surround
  • add another closet with a quick and easy solution like create-a-closet
shared closet, create-a-closet

Expand your storage options with added bedroom storage solutions. create-a-closet adds closet space anywhere.

7. Maintain your shared closet

Making your shared closet space function without any issues requires work, even when the best storage and organization systems are being used.

To be sure, they’ll make it much easier to keep your closet organized, but a consistent, ongoing effort from both parties will result in fewer arguments over the tidiness of your closet.

It doesn’t hurt to have some checks and balances in place. Perhaps once or twice a year, you can each take a little time to take care of decluttering your part of the closet.

Respect each others’s closet space boundaries. And keep the lines of communication open (in a civil manner) about closet-related matters.

Doing so will result in keeping this part of your relationship healthy and headache-free.

Transform your shared closet space

If a makeover of your shared closet space sounds like a smart way to restore harmony in your relationship when it comes to how your bedroom closet is used, we can help.

Schedule a free in-home consultation with Organized Interiors. One of our talented design consultants will show you and your partner how we can turn your closet into a stylish, highly efficient space.

Please share this post if you found it useful.

See also: