Date:  January 8, 2013  |   Story: Rosemary Hallmark  |   Producer: Rosemary Hallmark  |  

Take everything out. Begin by emptying your closet completely. Things tend to migrate there that don’t belong—don’t let those things go back inside. Donate or toss anything you haven’t worn in two years. Hang items from the back of the rack as you replace everything. When you wear that item, turn the hanger back around to face the front. This makes it easy to keep up with what you do and don’t wear.

Go vertical. Look at the space in your closet with a new eye and see what isn’t being utilized. Store out-of-season clothing in containers on very high shelves or move them to another storage space, while keeping the items you wear the most in accessible spots. 

Use like hangers. The quickest way to make a closet seem organized is to toss out all those mismatched hangers and replace them with one type of hanger. Suit jackets need wider hangers to support the shoulders, but a hanger with a slim profile is great for blouses, shirts and pants, and will save you lots of space.

Store your shoes. Toss any old, cardboard shoeboxes. Keep everyday shoes in baskets off the floor, but special occasion or seasonal shoes can be stored on high shelves in clear containers or boxes with windows—as long as you can see what’s in each box.

The Container Store, Little Rock, (501) 660-7828, containerstore.com