How to Organize a Walk In Closet Like a Pro

Last Updated on September 28, 2024

Learn how to organize a walk-in closet like a pro in 7 insanely easy steps. 

If you’re lucky enough to have a walk-in closet, then you’re already a head of the game because you have storage on your side! I love historic homes, and I’ve lived in 2 homes that were built in the early 1900’s. You get all the charm and none of the closet space.

Luckily, the home we live in now isn’t quite that old (built in the 70’s), and we have a walk-in closet in the primary bedroom. It came with wire shelves, a wood shoe storage organizer, and an Ikea dresser. This is definitely far from my dream closet but I’ve found tips and tricks to make it work really well. It’s also 100% my closet, and my husband is using the closet in my office. What can I say? I have more stuff! 

When we first moved in, I admittedly just kind of threw stuff in there. My clothes were in no particular order. The shelves became a catch all for the most random things – from electrical cords and chargers to handbags and hats. It’s really easy to let things get chaotic! 

Fortunately, I was able to reign it in and create a system that completely transformed my closet into something that not only looks great but also functions a lot better. Read below for my top 7 steps on how to organize a walk-in closet to maximize space, function, and style. 

Discover more organization posts:
→The Best Skin Care Storage Solution
→Easy Bathroom Organization Ideas
→Simple Kitchen Drawer Organization

Walk-in Closet Organization Ideas

1. Organize Clothes by Color

Organizing clothes by color is by far my number one tip for getting the most function out of your closet. I saw this on Instagram years ago, and it’s a GAME CHANGER! I used to try and organize by style (tanks together, short sleeve tees together, etc.).

But I realized that every morning, I am “shopping in my closet” for colors! Some days I’m feeling creams, some days call for black, and most days I’m reaching for stripes. Organizing my clothes by color helps me quickly find the perfect shade of the day. 

How to Organize Clothes by Color

1. Pull all of your clothes out of your closet and lay them on the bed or somewhere clean.

2. Separate the solids from the prints.
You could try to integrate your prints and solids together by color but keeping them separate has worked better for me!

3. Begin grouping clothing items by color.
Group all of your solid colored items by color and do the same for your prints. I don’t have a ton of color variety in my prints, so this was pretty easy for me. I have an entire section of my closet dedicated to just blue stripes! 
Here’s an example of how I bucketed my clothes:
– White solid clothing
-Cream solid clothing
-Camel solid clothing
-Gray solid clothing
-Black solid clothing
-Red solid clothing
-Green solid clothing
-Blue solid clothing
-Blue printed clothing
-Black solid clothing

4. Organize clothes by sleeve length.
Once I have everything bucketed into color groupings, I then organized them by sleeve length. Tanks in front, followed by vests and short sleeves, long sleeve tees, long sleeve sweaters, etc. The only sweaters I hang are cardigans, and they’re generally folded over the hanger. 

2. Invest in Wood Hangers

Have you ever walked into a Banana Republic store and just felt the perfection of the ambiance that surrounded you? Truthfully, I do 99% of my clothes shopping online now, but every now and then it’s nice to see things in person. I can tell you, my closet NEVER looked like a Banana Republic store, even though half of what I own is from there. 

My hangers used to be a collection of multi-colored, multi-material, multi-you name it collected over the last 20+ years. I literally still had original Express store black hangers from the late 90’s hanging in my closet. It looked like the hot mess express!

I cannot tell you what a game changer it was finally investing in nice wood hangers. It will completely transform the look of your closet! I personally like the look of wood hangers over anything else. I found some very high-quality wood hangers on Amazon and bought 4 sets of 30. If wood hangers aren’t your thing, then choose something nice like velvet. The key is consistency! It will make a night and day difference in the look of your closet.

3. Use Pants Hangers

You will save so much space using pants hangers versus hanging one pair of jeans or pants on one hanger. I bought four 5-layer pants hangers with arms that swing out, making it super easy to grab the ones you want. You can hang 5 pairs of jeans or pants on one hanger and take up a lot less room than hanging them individually. 

I have these pants hangers in every closet in the house. My husband uses them in his closet. We also use it to hang all of our ski and snowboard pants (which are stored in the guest room closet).

4. Fold Your Sweaters

Ahh, the sweater dilemma – to fold or hang, that is the question. Maybe it’s because I worked at the Gap in high school and am a pro at folding sweaters, but I am definitely in the folded sweater camp. I think folding sweaters just keeps them in nicer shape. Also, sweaters tend to be bulkier and just take up a lot of space when you hang them. 

Group your sweaters by color and stack them neatly on top of one another. There’s no limit to how many you can stack, but a good rule of thumb is 4-6. That way, they’re not tempted to topple over.

The only sweaters I hang are cardigans because they are a bit more challenging to fold nicely. Also, you are layering them over tanks and tees, so it just makes sense to keep those things together. 

5. Get Storage Bins

Rather than having bags and hats thrown across your shelves, get storage bins to neatly tuck everything away. I found these cute fabric storage bins at Amazon. They have clear plastic fronts so you can see what’s inside. The front and top zips allow you to easily access things.

I bought two sets of 2 and store travel bags, handbags, hats, scarves, and swimsuits in them. They’re perfect for seasonal items that you can store away for the months you don’t use them. 

6. Buy a Shoe Rack

Our closet came with a shoe organizer, which is really nice. I mainly store sneakers and athletic shoes there. I store most of my boots on the lower wire shelves and taller ones on the floor underneath. For loafers, sandals, and flip flops, I bought an over the door shoe organizer. This hangs on the inside of the closet door.

7. Clean Your Closet Regularly

This might seem like a no brainer, but once you get your closet organized, you want to keep it that way! Follow the system by keeping your colored items and like items together. Don’t ever just toss things in the closet. Be really thoughtful about where things go. 

Also, do regular clean-outs. I have seriously whittled my closet down to less than half of what it was a year ago. Donate clothes you don’t wear anymore (if they’re in good condition). We have a Goodwill down the street that is stocked with my clothes. I am really focusing on quality over quantity these days! Be really intentional with what you buy and hold onto, and your closet will stay more simplified and organized. 

How to Organize a Closet with Wire Shelves

My closet has multiple wire shelves that go around the perimeter of the space. If you have the same set up as me, my recommendation is to create specific zones. You’ll have your hanging zones and your folded zones. Once you do that, it’s a lot easier to maximize the space and create more efficiency in your closet (and find what you’re looking for faster!).

Just be sure to use closet organizers like bins and baskets, so your closet stays orderly in addition to looking good. 

I hope these closet organization tips were helpful. Nothing makes me happier than an organized home! For more organization ideas, click HERE.

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