How to Clean out Your Closets

TMIWeekly tackles the mess in their closets with the help of Lauren Goldstein from California Closets.

Julia: Hey welcome to TMI weekly, I’m Julia. Megan: I'm Megan. Mary: And I'm Mary. Today, Lauren Goldstein is here from California closets to help us de-clutter our life and organize our closets. Give us some tips on how we can store and de-clutter. Lauren: So you really want to make the most of your space and part of doing that is going to be having a system in and having things like velvet hangers, double hangers and shelving that goes out to almost your ceiling, so that you can utilize all the wall space. But the other thing in New York here, where we have multiple seasons is really living seasonally. So if there are other season shoes, you can put them in clear boxes, you can put them along your top shelf, under the bed, you can use vacuum bags, in that way, when you need them, you sort of access them but they’re not in your way as you’re trying to get to other things you actually utilize. Julia: You’re a total closet expert. When you look at any closet that has not been organized, what is the very first thing that you do? Lauren: I looked at the space and then I can see what wall space you’re not utilizing, what clothes you have the most of—if they’re long, if they’re separates, and you a folder, do you like to hang everything or you are a drawer person and based on what I see, we come up with a design that is absolutely meet those needs. Mary: I'm a big folder, and so knowing that I like to fold things, it means that I need a lot of shelving— Lauren: Absolutely. Mary: —as opposed to like hanging space, and then all the long dresses are in one place and all the blouses so that I can stack all my shoes underneath, just use what naturally feels good and then try to design spaces for that. Lauren: And it’s definitely, like if I go into one apartment and it’s an older woman, and she’s always had chores as soon as she walks-in in her closet, I'm not going to change those. Mary: Is it not hard to play stylist like just a little bit? Lauren: Sometimes. Mary: One of my favorite things to do actually is to go to like a thrift store and second hand store and get some really cool suitcases, raise up your bed and you can have—the suitcase is showing from underneath your bed. And so I'm having a bed skirt just hiding everything, you know. Julia: That’s such a good idea. Lauren: And actually you can take all hide boxes, you can find pretty colored boxes and use them along your top shelf, so that when you go in, it’s really cute but all of your stuff is neat and hidden away. The other thing, if you do have dressy dresses, they work really well in wardrobe bags than in other areas like all my own, the dressy dresses, on the top—but they were not in my clothes because I know I'm not wearing them as much. It’s utilizing the space that you get to all the time with the stuff you use with the stuff you use all the time. Megan: So what’s the craziest request that you’ve gotten? Lauren: Right now. We’re really pushing using the velvet hangers and huggable, and the great thing about the huggable is because they have the rounded shoulder on them, you don’t get the point. Julia: And they’re pretty. Lauren: And they’re pretty, you can color code, like I code all of my dresses at pink hangers, all my jackets are in black ones, they come in a million of different colors, in that way, when you put something away, you know exactly where it goes. Julia: Yeah. Megan: So what is the craziest request that you’ve gotten? Lauren: The craziest request I’ve gotten—I made a closet into a nursery ones with like the changing table, the storage underneath— Megan: That’s so New York! Mary: Like the baby in the closet. Lauren: Exactly. Julia: The big transition I made from when I was a teenager to now is I don’t use drawers anymore. The only time I use drawers is for underwear and socks. Lauren: And we recommend drawers for bathing suits, any lingerie, underwear stuff that is not going to see in the shelf. If you have folded items in a drawer, when you pull that out, you can only see what’s on top. Julia: Right. Lauren: But when you have folded items on a shelf, you can see the whole stuff. Mary: Being a folder is good. Julia: Instead of just having inbox also had a box where every single time you come across something you no longer wear, you pop it in the box, and every week every two weeks, you take it to goodwill, or whoever you decided to donate it to. Lauren: Right, put it into good use, especially in this economy right now, you know, if you’re not using it, let somebody else use those. Julia: I'm not ashamed to admit that my organized closet give me far more joy than even a very good date. Mary: Oh, I totally agree. Megan: Agreed, yes, I love—I mean I love seeing organized closets and I would love from you guys to send some pictures at OMG at TMIweekly.com. And thanks you so much, you’re the great, amazing doll in my closet, so much more affordable that I thought. Where can everybody find you? Lauren: You can find us kellyclosets.com and thanks you so much for having me. Julia: Thank you. Mary: Bye. Julia: Bye. Lauren: Bye.