Category Archives: Reach-in Closets

If you live in an older home or are considering buying one, their lack of closet storage space can be a problem.

Most homes built many years ago simply don’t have the same-sized closets you’ll find in modern homes for a few reasons, as you’ll discover below.

There are ways around this problem if you use some of the following older home closet ideas. These storage solutions can also be applied to other areas in your house, as well as apartments and condos.

Why is there less closet space in older homes?

Houses built during the first 60-70 years of the 1900s typically have smaller closet spaces for these reasons:

• People simply had fewer clothes and belongings, largely because they were more expensive to buy. Improvements in manufacturing technology and increased use of cheaper overseas labour eventually contributed to lower prices for consumer goods.
• Shifts in society’s consumerism habits.
• Dressers, chests, and wardrobes accounted for much of where clothing was stored.

Maximize your storage space with a closet organizer

Most closets in older homes are outfitted with little more than just a hanging rod and shelf. Having such limited flexibility in an already confined space will result in nothing but headaches when it comes to finding a home for many of your belongings.

One of the various custom closet solutions you can use to address your limited amount of storage space is a closet organizer.

Use your closet space more efficiently

Organized Interiors carries the most comprehensive array of closet organizer solutions in Canada.

Our SmartLine or Classic closet organizer systems can be tailored to your home’s closet space to maximize your storage potential.

Our design experts know how to make the best use of pull-outs, shelving, drawers, cubbies, shoe racks, and many other useful storage and organization solutions in your closets. Even adding the right kind of lighting to your closet can help make your life easier.

Additional older home closet ideas worth considering

Along with closet organizers, there are other older home closet ideas worth considering. Our vast selection of closet accessories will take full advantage of your small closet space to greatly enhance their functionality and lessen your storage space woes. Here are some examples:

• Additional hanging rods: If your closet has a lot of underutilized vertical space, installing high and low-hanging rods will help to accommodate more clothes. Organized Interiors uses high quality chrome hanging rods that can hold plenty of weight and also look great.
• Sliding belt rack: This low profile and helpful accessory can be installed almost anywhere in the closet. The sliding belt rack also helps maintain the shape of your belts.
• Valet rods: A retractable valet rod in your closet can help you to enjoy a more efficient morning routine. You can use the valet rod to prepare your outfit for the next day. The valet rod retracts when you’re finished using it, thereby saving you space.

Let us create a dressing room if you have a spare room

If your older home’s closet storage space is all but non-existent, there is another storage option.

If you have a spare room that gets little or no use, turn it into a dressing room (also known as a large walk-in closet). Dressing rooms are rapidly growing in popularity for homeowners.

The extra storage space they provide is enhanced even further by the space-saving storage solutions used by our design experts. Not only will you love having more space to keep your wardrobe organized, you’ll also appreciate the stylish touch that a dressing room adds to any home.

You can also add a dressing room space to a large master bedroom by having a simple partition wall built.

Visit our huge showroom for older home closet ideas

Our 10,000 square foot showroom in Vaughan has all of these older home closet ideas and much more. Prepare to be wowed by the extensive range of home organization and storage solutions that you can touch and feel for yourself.

For storage solutions outside the closet in your older home, visit the showroom to see the types of finely crafted custom bedroom cabinetry available, including wardrobes and bed surrounds.

Browse the largest selection of Richelieu decorative hardware (including pulls, hooks, and knobs) in the Toronto area.

When your older home’s lack of closet space forces you to get creative with storage, Organized Interiors can help. Our experienced professionals know the best storage and organization solutions to use in your unique space.

Schedule your complimentary in-home design consultation with one of them today.

See also:

• How to Organize Your Bedroom Closet and Save Time
• Top 5 Advantages of Custom Closets Over DIY Solutions
• Essential Closet Accessories for His and Hers Closets

It wasn’t until the 1800s that kids bedrooms are known to have begun to be used. Even then, they weren’t very common until the onset of the Industrial Revolution in the 1900s.

There is one thing you can count on – for as long as kids bedrooms have existed, there have been constant squabbles between parents and their offspring over the messiness of these rooms.

Instilling good organization habits in your kids early on will serve them well for a lifetime. If you’re finding it a challenge to have your children or young teens maintain a clean bedroom, there are some ways to remedy this frustrating situation.

Follow these kids bedroom storage tips to get their private home space looking and functioning much better.

1. The first step in increasing kids bedroom storage space: declutter

A productive way to increase the amount of kids bedroom storage space available is to first declutter. Out-of-season clothing can be moved to a more spacious storage area of the house.

Kids grow quickly and clothes that no longer fit them are likely occupying valuable closet and dresser drawer storage space. Assess the wearability of their wardrobe and donate their outgrown clothing to charity or pass them on to friends and family.

No-longer-used toys are another item that tends to accumulate and contribute to household clutter when kids outgrow them. Decide on which toys are still valued by your kids and add the rest to your donation pile.

Bring your kids with you when you drop the donations off at the charity. They’ll get firsthand experience of how donating their old items will end up helping the less fortunate.

2. Closet organizers aren’t just for adults

Good storage solutions shouldn’t be restricted to just the bedrooms of adults. One of the best ways to help with kids bedroom storage and organization is a closet organizer.

Our modular SmartLine closet organizer system is ideal for children and older kids. Designed to allow for excellent flexibility, you can adjust the heights of shelving and the closet’s hanging bar as your kids grow. The organizer’s layout can also be easily reconfigured, depending on the wardrobe storage needs of your kids.

Keeping your children’s bedrooms clean and well-maintained becomes much easier when they have an efficient storage and organization system in place. A closet organizer with kid-friendly heights provides such a solution. Add child-sized hangers and accessories like hooks to make organizing even easier for them.

3. Open shelving for easy access

If your kids are new to organization, open shelving is a great way to keep their belongings easily accessible. Closets with open shelves can be used for shoes, books, backpacks, clothes, and other items.

Stress the importance of putting items back where they’re taken from and not just tossing them anywhere. This will make it a lot easier for your kids to maintain their space’s cleanliness.

4. Use storage bins for toys and other belongings

Even with some proper kids bedroom and storage solutions, you might still be looking for additional storage options for what your kids’ closets and shelves can’t hold, such as toys.

Organized Interiors has storage bins that can be used for these items. It’s a good idea to use labels on them to easily find things.

5. Maximize storage space in small or shared bedrooms

The importance of having good kids bedroom storage solutions is highlighted when your children have a small bedroom and have less storage space to work with.

Siblings sharing a bedroom can also make storage and organization a challenge, both in terms of available space and issues with boundaries. Maximizing your storage space helps.

6. Reward the cleanup efforts of your kids

While a clean bedroom is its own reward, it certainly doesn’t hurt to reward your kids once in a while for a job well done with their cleanup efforts.

Along with verbal praise, occasionally reward them with treats after a well-done bedroom cleanup or if they’ve maintained a clean bedroom for a few weeks.

7. Set a good example

Kids emulate the behaviours and tendencies of their parents, so lead by example. If your bedroom is a catastrophe, how can you reasonably expect high cleanliness standards from your kids?

Keeping your bedroom organized and clutter-free sets a good example for your kids. It also makes your day-to-day routine run smoother.

Whether it’s your messy bedroom or your kids’ bedroom that’s sorely in need of some storage and organization solutions, Organized Interiors can help. We provide complimentary in-home design consultations, so book yours today.

See also:

• Relieve Back-To-School Anxiety With These Helpful Tips
• A Quick Guide to Donating Clothes and Organizing Closets

As the saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”.

That expression can be applied to your home and how it’s perceived by others. When you invite someone into your house, apartment, or condo and are in your front entryway, what’s their initial impression of your home and how you maintain it?

Is it clean and organized or dirty, cluttered, and not very welcoming to guests?

While making a good impression to others is important, that shouldn’t be your most important reason for having a well-maintained front entryway.

Getting this frequently used area of your home organized pays dividends on a daily basis to you and your entire family. Make your daily routine easier with these nine front entryway organization tips for reducing clutter.

1. Use a handy table for front entryway organization

A small table for the front entryway becomes a handy place to temporarily place items you’re carrying after entering your home (just remember to move them once you’re settled so you’re not accumulating clutter).

A table here will be the centrepiece of your front entryway area, so don’t compromise on quality.

2. Organize your mail with a letter holder

Leaving your mail scattered on your front entryway table isn’t practical. A letter holder can be both a stylish accessory in the entryway and a smart storage solution.

If space allows, you might also consider placing a recycling bin in this area for your junk mail.

3. Transform your entryway closet space with a custom closet solution

Closets near the front door are considered “high clutter areas” in most homes. One of our custom closet solutions can help you get the most out of your entryway closet space and be tailored to your exact needs.

Maximize your closet space with accessories like an extra hanging rod, shoe racks, and decorative hooks for hanging bags and hats. It’s a good idea to free up closet space by moving off-season clothing items elsewhere.

Winter clothing, especially, takes up lots of space because there’s more of it (with all those scarves, gloves, earmuffs, toques, etc.) and it’s bulkier. Ask us about out garment racks, which are great for storing off-season clothing.

4. Keep your floors dry with an umbrella holder

Add a convenient umbrella holder to your front entryway corner. Umbrella holders provide another dedicated home that makes finding this item easy when you really need it.

They also don’t take up much space and will keep your floors dry after coming in from soggy weather.

5. Consider a multi-purpose storage bench

Storage benches provide a helpful sitting area for putting on or removing shoes and boots. You can also store items inside the bench, making this a multi-purpose asset to your front entryway area.

6. Front entryway shoe storage solutions

Shoes and boots are one of the main sources for clutter at entryways. Whether you add a shoe storage organizer to your entryway closet or just inside your front door, you’ll be adding a smart solution for managing your footwear.

Shoe racks, hanging shoe organizers, cubbies, and boot trays will keep your front entryway area organized and clean.

7. Storage boxes and baskets for minimizing clutter

Another useful front entryway organization idea is to use storage boxes and baskets. For smaller items that get mixed up easily and are hard to find, storage boxes and baskets in your closet or entryway help to keep them organized.

8. Have a home for your keys

Keys are small and easy to misplace. That’s why a home for them on the wall in your front entryway makes so much sense. Some of the advantages of key racks (also known as key holders) include:

• keeps keys in one place, making them harder to lose
• they take up little space
• are inexpensive
• makes all household keys accessible in case vehicles have to be moved
• keeps your front entryway table surface clear

A key rack is a front entry organization solution that will save you from future panicked hunts throughout your entire home searching for your lost car keys. You’ll quickly get in the habit of hanging your keys on your key rack when you enter your home.

Now when you’re ready to leave, you can do so without even giving a second thought to where your keys might be.

9. Change your household’s “dump and forget” mindset

Now that you have some practical front entryway organization and storage systems in place, try to change the rest of your family’s mindset of just “dumping and forgetting” their belongings in the front entryway area when they come home.

Stress the importance of taking advantage of these organization solutions. Remember, having the means and tools to accomplish something isn’t all that’s required. Motivation and effort is even more important to get any job done properly. Regularly maintaining the front entryway area is additionally critical.

Apply these tips to your front entryway organization problems and this area will be clutter-free, more functional, and more inviting in no time.

Request a free in-home consultation with an Organized Interiors expert now to get your front entryway transformation started.

See also:

• An Organized Home Can Help Reduce Stress
• How To Reduce Clutter With Better Storage Solutions