My Organized Closet
Somehow, I can leave dishes in the sink (instead of loading the dishwasher that’s two feet away), and I’ll let random things pile up on the dining room table, but I am not someone that can shove a bunch of stuff behind closed doors and consider it “put away”. Yes, I DO that (I’m nowhere near perfect), but it bothers me and bothers me until I can go through and thoroughly clean and organize everything. So that’s what I did this weekend.
My closet is a freestanding wardrobe from IKEA. It’s nothing special from the outside, but everything fits inside. Clothes, shoes, hats, purses, jewelry… it’s all in there.
Here’s the overall layout:
I think I got rid of about half of my shoes when I cleaned everything out. I decided to only keep the shoes I really loved… the cute heels, the simple flats that go with everything. All the shoes I had been holding onto that hurt my feet or that I never wore just had to go. Now the shoes I have fit nicely in two drawers.
My boots go along the back, tucking behind my dresses.
And speaking of dresses, here they are:
My jewelry and perfume used to be over by the bathroom, but I thought it made more sense to keep everything together with my clothes.
Brandon was a bit shocked at how much I was getting rid of, but I feel so much better. My sister took some of it, and all the rest was donated to charity. And now I’m nicely organized.
193 Responses to “My Organized Closet”
I am so impressed by the number of dresses that you have. I have the Ikea wardrobes too and three rods are filled with tops. Maybe I could replace a few with a wrap dress or two! Thanks for the inspiration!
it must feels so nice to have this done. i LOVE getting an area organized and beautiful, just how i had envisioned. congrats! it looks great.
I always think closets like yours are just stylized unrealistic closets shot for magazines… but no, you really live with your clothes organized so nicely.
I wish I had as much closet space… but my hubby has more clothes then I do and we share one closet the size of yours… :(
P.S. I’m loving your matching wood hangers.
Absolutely lovely! I am sure this makes getting up and around a pleasure. It’s amazing what minimizing and organization can do to brighten your day. I love all of the colors.
very inspiring. i love organized closets! nesting is a wonderful thing! :) before i had my kids, i organized every nook and cranny of our house.
I try to keep my closet organized but it’s hard because it’s small and has to be shared with my husband. My half is separated by a sweater divider and I color-coordinate my items by style. Tank tops, short-sleeved, long-sleeved and dresses. At least my side looks pretty!
This looks amazing! It is like an art installation. Oh, and where did you get that little tree for your necklaces?
I have one pair of black pants, two brown, and two pairs of jeans… and I hardly ever wear any of them.
I want to know where you’re going in all those fabulous high heeled shoes? WOW. Can’t wait to see what your little girly makes of it when she opens that magical wardrobe.
Can I live in your closet please? It sounds creepier than it will actually be.
I absolutely adore your closet. And don’t worry I think that all of us have something in our lives that we are obsessive compulsive about.
It looks fantastic! I especially love your little jewelry tree and all your cute shoes! If only I were so organized. One day, all my clothes will finally find a home, instead of living in the cardboard boxes I moved with… !
I have a wig just like that! I really need to cleanse my closet and narrow it down to the items I might actually wear. That’s always such a difficult process.
um, i think you have my *perfect* boots… i need to know more info about the brown boots next to the wellies. please?
Oh man! I wish I could shop in your closet. You have great taste and display it all so well.
Charmcitygirl, I love those boots! They were from Banana Republic… last year or the year before, I don’t remember.
Amy, I would happily come over and help (it’s been too long anyway)! I like doing that sort of thing. You need to provide pizza though. ;)
When can I move in? Ha – I’m just drooling all over the place here. At the shoes! the jewelry! the organization! the clothes! Truly inspiring!
Wow it is so lovely to look at, and not just for organizational reasons. The way you displayed things and the colors of your items. I love it!
{ Lindsey }
http://www.coveiter.com
I absolutely adore your wardrobe…I really must get busy with mine and my clothes. But the sorting is soooo booooring. ^_^
So lovely! I adore your organizational skills & your shoe collection. It must be great to open this up every day! Oh – love the rain boots.
ok, i’m in love with everything from the clothes to the shoes to the wardrobe to the photos. Your shoes have got to be the cutest selection ever.
wrap dress heaven. Our dress collections seem rather similar. I’m still lusting after the pink honeycomb print, the yellow and white and the small red print. sigh. All probably out of season and unattainable…. right?
Your wardrobe looks fantastic and I love that you’re working the IKEA. Thumbs up girlie.
I love all the colours and patterns, i would love a post of all the fabrics of your clothes, i love them!
I have a huge closet boner..I wish this could be mine..but I have a 3 foot wide closet from the 1800’s(literally)..
Wow! Great work. It looks like a shop. Such lovely dresses. What is funny about your closet is that we have the single version of this wardrobe and my husband and I share it! I kind of went nuts with the paring down the clothing possessions this year. But, it felt good!
Oh, man. I wish I could have come over to cleanse your closet. It’s been a long time since I’ve helped clean out someones closet. It’s tradition that the helper always gets paid in hand-me-downs! If I could wear hats I’d wear the red one with the covered buttons!
Your closet is to die for!!! So inspiring. Wish I could be that organized. I think I need to cut back on purchases and streamline everything. Love the black boots. Where’d you get them?
holy shit. i haven’t been so jealous since i saw carrie’s new closet in the sex and the city movie…but this is real. and i love it.
you put us all to shame! i’m various shades of green right now, haha. not only am i envious of your organization skills, but also envious of the clothes in your wardrobe!
Your closet is absolutely inspiring — visually and organizationally. I have one burning question: where are your jeans and kick-around shoes (e.g. tennis shoes) stored? Surely you don’t wear dresses all the time, do you?!
LOVE that you have so many dresses!!! My husband loves when I wear a skirt/dress… I’m inspired to buy a few and wear them more often. He’ll love it!!
I wear a dress nearly every day. I think they’re far more comfortable than jeans! And I just wear flats. I do have a pair of Chuck Taylors that I’ve had since my high school days, but I can’t remember the last time I’ve worn them. I just keep them so that I have at least one pair of gym shoes.
Danielle, yes all of the dresses are from seasons past. I’ve hardly bought any new clothes since I’m pregnant (except for a handful of maternity dresses).
Which wardrobe from Ikea is this?
I’m searching my room to figure out if I have space for it!
And I agree with everyone else- your closet is so inspiring!
Do you EVER wear pants? I wish I was more comfortable in dresses–you always look so cute, but the old thunder thighs of mine rub together in a really uncomfortable way so I can’t get comfortable. Too much information?? Oh well…
Oops. Read your comments and saw that you do own pants. Now I talked about my thigh-rub for so reason.
Note to self: read other comments before “sharing!”
im drooling. please come and do my closet. or i can just come and steal yours. i LOVE it!! and i love all your clothes and shoes and jewelry. im getting depressed now!!
After reading Tatyanas comment, I felt I had to respond. I am Nicoles sister and I’m at their house once a week, at least, all the pictures she shows everyone on here are REAL! She doesn’t just move things to one side of the room so she can take a picture of the other! I am so impressed and amazed at all the organization. Oh, and it’s not so bad getting all the “hand me downs” either! As I write this I am wearing the blue long sleeved shirt from Old Navy she gave me (THANKS!) I am still waiting for the day you tire of that purse though…
xoxo
Your closet is amazing. Your clothes, accessories and shoes are so nice!
Envious!
I’ve been saying to History Boy that we have to get matching hangers! We use dry cleaning hangers to dry our work shirts on the clothesline. He then puts them straight into our wardrobe. :(
Reorganising our wardrobe will be one of my jobs for summer!
I’m a jeans and T-shirt girl. I’d like to wear more dresses, esp. to work, but I find it hard to find things that are suitable and affordable.
A girl after my own heart – a fellow dress girl! Dontcha love a nice organized closet? I’m the weirdo that will open the door to a freshly cleaned out closet every time I walk past just to admire my work. I love the tree from urban (I have one too as well as the silver jewelry box from PB). Painting it was a great idea!
Thank you so much!!! My husband and I have been needing to redo our closet for 2 years, and this is the perfect inspiration! Great job :)
I’m impressed with how much color there is! My closet is arranged by color, and it is pretty much black, gray, brown, and white, with a teeny little section for actual color. This looks so bright and happy.
Wow. Wow. Wow. I’m terribly impressed by not only the organization of it all but by the discipline it must have taken to pare down what you have. I’m quite certain I fall into the 80%/20% category, but am plagued by the “what if’s” about so many pieces that I can’t get rid of them. I told my super stylish girlfriend that one day while I’m at work, she needs to get rid of whatever doesn’t work. At least that way I’ll probably never miss it! Again, great great work!
I have a crush on your closet.
Thanks for the inspiration. Now I want to purge, organize and beautify my closet space.
(Brilliant idea displaying the wig. I have a couple wigs under my bed, not being appreciated. I think it’s time they resurfaced.)
Drooling over the incredible organization! And your cute shoes!! I am absolutely inspired! And I have the same aqua Mary Janes from Target. :)
Why is it so unbelievable that I have hardly any pants? I’m going to start asking where all of your dresses are. ;)
TOUCHE! I think it is just envy that someone can exist without the enormous pile of sweats and jeans I have!
[...] 17 Diciembre, 2008 at 8:08 pm (Decoración, Páginas personales) (apliques, armario, Decoración, dormitorio, iluminación, john, luz, making it lovely, nicole balch, ropero, sherry, this young house) Ayer, viendo el blog de Nicole Balch (Making it lovely), me dio un ataque de envidia increíble. A Nicole se le ocurrió poner fotos de su armario ropero y por poco me dio un infarto, por lo grande, lo organizado y lo ordenadito. Podéis verlo aquí. [...]
Well not only is your closet lovely, but you’ve filled it with an envious amount of beautiful things. Congrats on making a whole lotta ladies green with envy once again :)
You are so in “nesting” mode. I did the same thing when I was pregnant with my daughter. Now I could care less what my closet looks like….
Ashley S. (hope you read this)– sorry, my comments always come across as smart-ass-y… and I don’t mean them to be. I meant to say that I was impressed with how nice and organized everything looks like, like in magazines. I thought people could not live like that but Nicole is proof that you can if you are organized.
And I guessed she was organized and lived like that, that she didn’t stage anything just for the frame of the picture… I just have a long way to go to be like that.
Amazing! I think you should do a post on home organization for all the slobs (like me) who can’t organize a thing! It seems like you fill your home and closet only with things that you *really* love. I should try that!
How great does this look?! I love the diagram, it really does help you plan out what you are using the space for. My closet is a mess!
How can I get this same look without spending alot? Any suggestions?
This blew me away.
I have a gigantic closet in our new house but I am still totally jealous of this one! I want to buy it and put it IN my closet. Oh to be able to organize so well! I am green with envy.
I had a plan to clean my room tonight, and you have left my very inspired now. I love your shoe and jewelry space especially.
So gorgeous!
OMG! I absolutely LOVE your closet! Seriously! I’m super jealous! =(
Happy HOlidays though!
WOW. I SO NEED this closet. Thanks for sharing. I need to totally revisit mine now.
That much stuff requires organization. It’s well put together, but I’m still baffled by the need for so many things.
Tatyana – i’m sorry, i didn’t at all meant to imply that! i’m sarcastic and it’s not always for the best. i am just so über jealous of her organization! sorry again!
Not being funny (this is a serious and genuine question!)
BUT
do the shoes not smell and make the clothes stinky, too?
or is it just me who has rotten feet?
I’m inspired! I don’t think this question has been asked yet, but where are your hangers from? I’ve been wanting to invest in good hangers, but my hangers would then collectively be the most expensive thing in my closet! If yours are from ikea, do you find that the wood is smooth enough to not snag your clothes? Thanks in advance, Nicole!
Nicole – what’s your strategy for dealing with the cold weather while wearing dresses? Boots, tights, a long jacket?
Thanks so much for the closet inspiration! Any tips on wardrobe purging?
Hubby and I will be going through our closets this weekend to make more room for the baby. Last time we wardrobe purged was when we first got married!
Rachel, I use Ikea hangers and the wood doesn’t snag on my clothes.
have a huge wardrobe, and a pile of clothes and shoes. very orderly, nothing to do with mine
The hangers are from IKEA (most of them) and Target (the clip-kind).
Sarah, yep. A dress over tights with knee-high boots and a knee-length coat keep me plenty warm.
Jo, my shoes aren’t stinky! Maybe because I switch between different shoes so often? I think they only get bad when they’re worn everyday (and if there’s a lot of padding, like in gym shoes).
As far as paring down and wardrobe purging, I think I still have a LOT of stuff. I do try fairly often to go through and get rid of stuff that I haven’t worn in the last year or so. I found myself keeping things now though for my little girl, when she’s old enough to play dress up! Lots of fabric flower pins and silk scarves… :)
I love all your shoes! Fabulous collection. Where are your favorite shoe places to shop?
Nicole – what an amazing way to organize your closet! I pulled my husband over to the computer after I read your post and said “Look! This came from IKEA!” and he was pretty impressed too (he loves organization… and I think he would be quite happy if my side of the closet was that neat and tidy!)…
I’m very inspired… way to have a place for everything, and everything in its place!
I am in awe of all the awesome patterns you have in your clothes! Those must be some beautiful garments! Love you closet.
where did you find the white hand & glass head??
i also have that tree [in silver] and love it!!
ADG – I’m not sure if it’s the same, but Pier 1 sells glass heads similar to the one in Nicole’s wardrobe.
ADG – you can get those heads at Pier One. If you live anywhere near Sacramento I’ll give you one for free.
Nicole – I love your stuff – you must be fun to look at! Like a walking piece of art!
Go girl =)
For me that is just too many clothes. I would be more ok with people having so many clothes if the people who actually make them would see decent compensation. I wish there was a web address of the actual individuals that made the garment so we could send them a 50 cent tip for a job well done.
Cambodia implemented a great workers rights program that was really revolutionary but now the contracts with a lot of companies has expired and now they are free to move to other places such as Vietnam. Could we do human rights a favor and buy clothes from Cambodia so that we can help lift up the underprivileged around the world?
Dale
I love your shoes. Each pair.
And I love your boots.
This has inspired me to buy more things that I love.
awesome…i’m going to copy this idea because i’m so jealous of your tidiness. well done!
you sound just like me! I will pile things up to the ceiling on our dining room table but god forbid my boyfriend hang up a sweater in the button up dress shirt section of our closet. I even color coordinate his t-shirts (thank you years of retail jobs). yeah, I know it’s a bit ’sleeping with the enemy’ but it really is so satisfying to have an organized and beautiful closet. and I feel a bit like an old lady even suggesting this, but should you ever find you need more space, huggable hangers (from HSN) totally changed my life. my mom ordered them for me and I thought she was nuts. they are AMAZING. literally doubled my closet space AND no more sweater nipples.
Which closet from Ikea is this? It’s wonderful! I’ve been searching for a wardrobe like this for a long time.
But your style shows so much through your closet, I bet the rest of your house is amazing too!
:D
thats what i thought. i saw that head at pier1 a little bit ago and thought it looked neat.
julie nope dont live anyway close to there, but thank you gor the gesture!
Wow, what a wonderful treat to yourself…..I would love to have a closet like that. I am really loving your blog. You are darling and talented lady.
Hi Nicole, I’ve just started reading your blog and love what you do. Even your blog colours are so lovely!
Echoing the 124 before me – it looks amazing.
We are moving house and I will have half the closet space (if that)!!! I am going to try and live up to your gorgeous example. =) Not sure how good it will look though. Husband has kindly offered to use our free standing cupboard (which is actually more of a small buffet) so I can have most of the built in closet.
I wish I had such colorful shoes. They’re screaming, “Wear me in Paris!”
And the organization of your closet – it’s basically art.
oh. my. goodness. this is closet heaven. GORGEOUS! please come fix my closet? and make it look like this? please? PLEASE!?
This is wonderful…I wonder if I can do something like this. I live in an apartment with the built in racks to hang clothes on…I wonder if I can get around that.
This puts my closet to shame!! This is definitely the motivation I needed to organize!
Ok, not that you need another comment, but your closet is just freaking amazing!!!!!!
I was wondering how to organize my closet as well and I love your set up! I definitely need to do a winter clean-up… get rid of all of the old stuff and send them to GoodWill.
oh my….oh my! This is just absolutely glorious! So lovely and inspiring!
All of your dresses are so pretty and I just love how everything is so sweetly displayed and organized. It makes everything so much easier and delightful doesn’t it? Wonderful!
xo
Melissa
Your dresses are the most enviable thing about your closet. I’m gaga over all those nice looking fabrics.
I know that wardrobe from Ikea, we had been thinking of getting one for my husband , it really does an excellent job of keeping you organized.
I like when you say “keeping things for your little girl”. That’s so sweet. But seriously, how neat are you? You can have a side business just organizing people’s closet! Great, now I have to go to Ikea again!
LOVE your closet! This is so inspiring! I need to clean out mine a bit more.
I especially love the head for the wig. Must get. =)
Also, I love all of your dresses!
I love your closet! How long ago did you buy this from IKEA? Do you remember the name of it? Thanks
This is so gorgeous – but at the same time depressingly pretty/organized/fun compared to my junky mess of a closet. I’ll be hanging onto this post as inspiration for when I finally get around to the big overhaul my closet needs!
[...] December 23, 2008 Filed under: Interiors — lauravw @ 12:03 pm Nicole’s closet (or wardrobe for us Brits) is an inspiration. I consider myself to be pretty lucky, wardrobe-wise: [...]
It’s all really lovely and organized and you have quite the wardrobe……love those shoes, dresses and boots…..but, please, do tell about the wig!! Must be some special story behind that beauty.
Wow! I am so inspired! Thanks for sharing this. I’ve found the secret to getting organized (in whatever area) is to first eliminate everything that really shouldn’t be there.
It’s challenging to let go of good stuff that for whatever reason has gone unworn. But I find it really helps me ultimately spend less shopping — gotta be ruthless.
My fashion decision rule when in the dressing room: If it’s not a YES!, it’s a no. That leaves no room for “maybe” which is how those wrong purchases end up in the closet in the first place.
I also own 2 pair of jeans and do the tights, dress thing. Confession: have many pair of yoga pants, which I like wearing underneath as much as tights.
Now please spill: You favorite dress shopping and shoe shopping haunts.
thanks!
How on EARTH did I miss this blog post in my google reader last week? I saw it today through Holly’s blog (decor8).
I wouldn’t even know how to approach organizing a closet to the detail you did. I look at what I’m starting with (piles of clothes on the closet floor, non-clothing-related items in boxes on the floor of the walk-in closet… and get overwhelmed. My brain would explode before I could bring some order to the closet in my mind.
I love your organization skills, yes, but even more so, I love the way you always add just the right touches to make even the smallest of cubbies quite homey and downright pretty. I quite admire your talents!!
PS: I’m with you on the “where are the pants?” thing. I own one pair of jeans (capri length) and one pair of black pants. I always wear flats. And I prefer dresses and skirts pretty much daily. My friends have tired of asking me if I own anything more casual than skirts and dresses.
i think its funny so many people are STILL asking. where do your pants go when you have answered it so many times and if they were avid readers [like me] and just look at almost all of your post with pictures you have on a dress/skirt
I’m pretty sure your blog could be just about your closet and you’d never run out of topic ideas.
now if you’ll excuse me, i need to whip up my drool…
This comment will probably get lost in the pile but I just HAD to comment because I thought I was the only one who thought like this: “Somehow, I can leave dishes in the sink (instead of loading the dishwasher that’s two feet away), and I’ll let random things pile up on the dining room table, but I am not someone that can shove a bunch of stuff behind closed doors and consider it “put away”.”
The table and counters in my house are always cluttered with little piles, but I never just shove things into a closet. If it’s going to be put away, it’s going to be put away right. I’ve never run into anyone else who thought the same thing.
I love love love your closet!! You have inspired me…to do a massive cleanout! My fiance turned an entire bedroom into a closet for me, but I need some… “design = pretty”! Plus, you are right….I need to go through the SHOES and purses…I have more than 150 pair of shoes..and I wear maybe 7 pairs!!! Thanks soo much for the inspiration!!
Amazing!!! I almost cannot believe this is real :) I’m speechless. And certainly inspired.
I think I love that it looks like a Barbie Dream Closet: saturated colors, lovely patterns and funky designs. Mine is all black and gray … boo for me, but yay for you!
You have such a colorful palette (*great minds*) — I’m so jealous of your gorgeous dresses, and I want to raid your shoe collection. :-)
I am fawning over this. Seriously fawning. I love the cup idea to organize earrings. And the green glass tray? Gorgeous! I consider myself very organized but your display makes everything look so appealing and visually interesting.
Holy moly! Wow. I really want of those wardrobes now, haha. I tried to think of what the layout for my closet is, and it’s mostly just an explosion. You have a great taste in clothes, by the way.
Absolutely lovely :)
I wear nothing but dresses in the summer, and in the winter things work just fine with tights and a long sleeve tshirt underneath.
I am SO jealous. Book marking you for when my husband and I build our dream house :) Years away but hey I still like the idea. :D
your closet is amazing! I’d love to get the same IKEA organizer. Which one is it? You Rock!
oooh I wish I had a closet that looked like that and such pretty clothes :)
Could you tell me though where you got that branch necklace holder. I have been searching high and low for one!!
I just did a blog post about your post! I love it and can’t wait to read more of your site.
Jennifer
This is exactly the inspiration that I needed to organize my closet. I’ve lived in a new home for almost a year, and my closets looks a hot mess to say the least. You’ve got awesome closets! How about we just switch? Lol!
[...] Making it Lovely » My Organized Closet Love. It. (tags: home organization closet clothes design) [...]
[...] you want to see a REALLY AMAZING closet check out Nicole’s Closet at Making it Lovely! I refuse to post pictures because they are just TOO good and I’d like to [...]
OMG, this is amazing! Can I please ask where you got your jewellery holder from? I am DYING to know!
[...] IDOL Nicole of Making It Lovely has organized the most amazing closet in the world. It was really fun to get a peak at all of her [...]
(I’m playing catch-up!) This is SO inspiring. Also, I think I spot a dress I own among your pretty dresses! It’s blue and white and from Target and looks sorta like a DVF wrap dress and I love mine except when I wear it I have to be careful because if a good gust gets it, it tends to expose me! So I keep a hand down on the skirt if I’m walking outside.
Anywho, lovely wardrobe/closet! I need to clean mine out something awful.
[...] take a look at this blog entry from nicole at ‘making it lovely’. she almost exclusively wears dresses and has the most organized closet i’ve ever seen: http://makingitlovely.com/2008/12/16/my-organized-closet/ [...]
Seriously amazing! I am really wanting to organize my closet too and this is such a great set up
[...] could be said for nearly everything pertaining to her house, but I have serious closet envy over Nicole of one and two] from Lifehacker this weekend. One of my goals is to take more pictures [...]
That does look very nice and so much closet envy is hard to come by. It’s the power of pictures in action.
[...] I think if only I could put all my clothes on wooden hangers, life would be so much better. This lady has a closet like that with cute dresses hanging straight down from rows of wooden hangers (to be [...]
I’ve seen pictures of closet organization where they organize their 5 shirts and 3 pairs of pants. But wow, you have craploads of stuff and mangage to pull it off with flying colours.. hmm, there goes that excuse. I’m impressed!
[...] the curious: this is how Nicole of Making It Lovely organizes her closet. Nubby explains the art of closet [...]
Your closet is to-die-for!!! I love your shoes. and all the organization is just perfect!
I just came across your blog today and I love it too!!
omg! you totally inpired me, my dads a capenter and hes building me one(: its cheaper like that! i checked out ikea.com and that most have cost a fortune! well i love it and conrats on your baby!(:
December 16, 2008 - 1:11 pm
Wow! Looks great!