family organization Archives - Arrow Hill Cottage

Is your home lacking closet space? Find ways to store your belongings practically with the creative closet alternatives outlined in this post.

It is the time of year when most people are feeling the urge to purge. The cold weather has driven us indoors and we find ourselves surrounded by all of our belongings. It doesn’t take long for it to feel like the walls are closing in with too much.

Too many toys, too many books, too many pairs of shoes. In addition to the ‘stuff’ we had – we just brought more into our homes in the form of Christmas gifts or extra decorations for the season. It can be overwhelming.

My family is no exception. Although neither my husband or myself tend to be collectors of things – the accumulation just happens over time. The amount of clutter that naturally enters our lives is one of the main reasons our family is on a journey toward minimalism. The New Year is the perfect time to get a clean slate, to look at things from a new perspective.

I strive to keep only items that we use on a regular basis and/or truly cherish. And I’ve noticed that I am better at accomplishing this goal if I have FEWER closets. In fact, when we moved into our rental home one of the first things we tackled was the removal of most of the closet doors. One of the closets even became a bedroom for our oldest son!

I can almost hear you asking the question: ‘If you don’t have closets, where do you put all of your things?’ I’m going to answer that today with a list of 9 creative closet alternatives for your home.

HANGING RODS

I’m going to be honest in saying that the storage of clothes is something which I personally prefer to happen behind closed doors. I have designed for each of the bedrooms in Arrow Hill Cottage to have a small closet for clothes, and the mudroom to have a small closet as well, to store seasonal items such as winter coats and boots.

If you don’t mind having your clothes on display, there are plenty of creative alternative ways to hang them.

simple hanging rod with shelf above

ladder wardrobe

branch wardrobe

BASKETS

It’s no secret that I love baskets. Of all the closet alternatives in this post, this is possibly the one I utilize the most in my own home. I showed you some of my favorite baskets in this post about organization containers. They are so versatile and come in a wide variety of sizes, styles and colors. You can utilize freestanding baskets to store items such as blankets and towels, or use a series of baskets to organize smaller items on shelves.

blanket storage

kitchen storage

basket storage for toys

OPEN SHELVES

Whether a freestanding shelf or a wall hung shelving unit, there’s no doubt that shelves are considered a powerhouse of home organization. Basically, anything that can be set flat can be stored on a shelf. One of my favorite spaces to see open shelving in is a kitchen. The display of beautiful (and useful) dishes and other items adds much interest to a room that would otherwise be full of closed cabinetry.

open kitchen shelving

shelving in a playroom

living room shelving

UNDER BED STORAGE

There may be some items you own that are only used during one season of the year. You may not want to have them stored in a prominent place. Under bed storage is one of the most versatile closet alternatives. The space is perfect for items such as winter gear, holiday decor, and kid clothing that you may be saving as hand-me-downs for a younger sibling. If you build a platform bed, you can create even more customized storage underneath.

elevated bed with storage underneath

re-purposed dresser drawers

platform bed with basket storage

LOCKERS/CUBBIES

The divided spaces of lockers really help to keep things organized. They are perfect for kids, making it easy for them to remember where to place their backpacks, coats and shoes instead of throwing them in any random spot.

lockers with shoe storage below

vintage metal lockers

large open lockers

FURNITURE

This is another of my favorite storage options. A coffee table that blends with the room’s home decor can hide (ahem… store) obnoxiously colored toys when not in use. An ottoman with a storage compartment can house books or extra bedding.

coffee table storage

stacked trunk end table

DIY storage ottoman

HOOKS + BENCH

Similar to the locker set-up, a simple bench with a series of hooks above can accomplish the hard-working job of keeping everyone’s outdoor gear in line at a minimal cost. The bench may have an interior compartment, or perhaps space below for basket storage.

simple built in bench with hooks and shelf above

bench with baskets below

simple DIY entry bench

ARMOIRE

One major downside of closets is that they eat up valuable square footage. The framing itself takes up space, and the door swing creates it’s own series of issues. If you really want to keep items behind closed doors, consider an armoire instead. Made of cabinetry materials, the construction is more slim. They can also be moved – meaning you can experiment with it’s best placement.

freestanding pantry

bathroom toiletry storage

storage for linens

DRAWERS

Drawers are another way to keep items organized and a bit more hidden. Of course, cabinetry is one option – but it can get expensive to create custom built in pieces. A simple stand-alone dresser can many times do the job just as well. A desk with side drawers may be the perfect solution for smaller items, such as office supplies.

dinner plate storage

coffee bar

desk made from two drawer units

The bonus of utilizing these closet alternatives is that your items are bound to stay more organized and you will be less likely to add extra, unnecessary items into your home!

ALTERNATE USES FOR CLOSET SPACE

Another giant plus? By removing closet doors (or the entire closet itself!) you will free up a ton of floor space! Just think of the possibilities this extra square footage could become!

READING NOOK

This reading nook is so completely cozy! Can’t you imagine getting lost in a good book here?

SMALL OFFICE SPACE

The detail of this small office would really make working enjoyable. It provides plenty of storage and looks beautiful at the same time.

NURSERY NOOK

This bright and colorful nook is just the right size for a crib- freeing up space in the rest of the room.

ARTS & CRAFTS CENTER

I can imagine a lot of creativity happens here! Click here to see a photo of the closet before!

I hope this post will inspire you to clear out the clutter and possibly reclaim the space that the closet occupies! New Year, new possibilities!

PIN THESE CLOSET ALTERNATIVES

Save these ideas for your home, and get organized for the New Year!

Let’s just take a moment and acknowledge (or stand in wonder/confusion) that I have been a mom for over 10 years and just recently put together our very first family command center. When it was finished, I stood back and thought ‘WHY did it take me so long to do this?!’ It just makes good plain sense! As an organization junkie, I’m totally geeking out about it – and maybe sharing our space can give you some tips to help keep your own family organized!

Again, I’d like to mention that we are renting our current house from family members. Though they have given us quite a bit of liberty to make design choices, Craig has drawn the line on a few things he will absolutely not allow me/us to tackle no matter how many times I ask. One of them is the painting of the kitchen cabinets. This kitchen was remodeled in the 1960’s and I believe the cabinets are primarily constructed of oak hardwood, which are stained a very dark color. The only natural light source in the space is a small window above the sink, and so those cabinets really make the room seem very dark. I’ve lobbied to paint them all white, and add some fresh new hardware – but he’s not budging and I would like to stay married, so it’s a no go.

But… what happens behinds closed doors stays behind closed doors, right?! 😉

In the kitchen there is a tall cabinet in one corner of the room. We have used it for pantry storage since we moved in nearly 3 years ago; But it’s depth meant that a lot of items were inaccessible or were forgotten about – helllooooo stale cheerios! Through time, the bottom portion even became a space where footballs were stored. I cringe at the memory.

Here is a BEFORE picture. The cleaned out pantry space. Note the lovely contact paper on the shelves and the unfinished flooring below.

Let me tell you…. they don’t make contact paper like they did in the 1960’s. That stuff was made to last! I was eventually able to peel it all off, but woah. Just woah. I also managed to finally finish the flooring by using the more high quality peel and stick tiles over the existing chee-po peel and stick tiles. It’s an upgrade. (Note to self: In the new house… REAL thickness tile only. Please!)

I then used some barn wood that we had on hand to line the back wall. I found a floating shelf at Target that matched the texture and color perfectly and though it gave him quite a struggle, Craig was eventually able to attach it to the barn wood wall. The inside of the cabinet doors were painted the same mint blue color as the decorative ‘niches’ we have in our kitchen. From there it was a matter of adding the functional pieces and making it pretty! I thought it might be easier (and more fun!) to do a video of the space pointing out all of the little details instead of typing them. Behold the first ever YouTube video that includes my face talking. Be gentle on me people, it can only get better from here.

And there you have it! Our family is now on track to be ultra organized! Though we have only had it functional for about a week, I’m happy to report that the kitchen counters aren’t littered with papers, and the kids have been having fun playing with all the activities that are right at their fingertips. And can I just say that pointing them in the command center’s direction when they ask, yet again, ‘what’s for dinner?!?’ has been a treat.

Everything can be tucked away behind closed doors – great for when company comes over! There is a sweet space for photos, and a charging station for the phones/ipads.

There is space in this command center for both adults (top half) and kids (bottom half). I get a sleek barn wood wall to look at when I am writing a blog post or browsing on Pinterest. The kids have access to all sorts of fun activities down below – coloring books, play doh, etc – as well as a spot for their Ticket System (chores/ commission)

The Meal Rotation clipboard is in easy viewing distance for the kiddos, so they don’t need to ask mom what’s for dinner. Stylish file folders make organizing bills and paperwork more tolerable.

My favorite piece? Probably the three ‘Plan of Action’ calendars! I’m a list maker… remember? I love sitting down at the end of the day and writing down my top 3 goals for the following day. I think that seeing what is to come helps prepare me, and makes me less anxious. I have made each of these calendars (monthly, weekly and daily) available in pdf form. By clicking on the images below you can print your own to use. As mentioned in the video, I print off one of each sheet and then make them into DIY dry erase boards by placing them in a clear plastic binder protector (then folding back the binder portion or cutting it off). That way, I waste less paper and spend less time printing.

Maybe these calendars can be your first step toward making a command center for your own family.

Enjoy and happy organizing!

Tag: family organization

9 CREATIVE CLOSET ALTERNATIVES