Closet Solution: remove doors
One of many closet storage/organization solutions; The many benefits it has; One solution to fixing the problem of over stuffing your closet; Letting your closet breathe.
Closets can be a source of great convenience. At the same time, they can also be a great source of frustration. They can be easily stuffed and sometimes overstuffed. In addition, closets usually have a door which can conceal anything it contains discretely, even for the people living in the home which means that you can forget about some of the things you have.
There are many different solutions to help you with closet clutter. Some of the solutions can apply to all closets types while others need to be personalized for specific closets. Out of all the solutions available, I will be exploring one of them with you here today.
When we built our house (a little over two years ago) we thought we had made it as functional as we could. We played with the plan for close to a year before we settled on the final version and then had it drawn by an architect. Little did we know that we would be taking down parts of what we had built to make it as functional as possible.
Our Problem
Our front entry has a closet, which is great! A lot of homes don’t have the space to have a closet for guests to hang their coats in so I know that we are very fortunate to have one. However, I noticed that when guests came in our front entry, one of two things would happen:
1) Guests would not always feel comfortable enough to open the closet door not knowing it was a closet where they could hand or store their things.
OR
2) The closet door would get in the way of the entry door and would cause a traffic jam of guests, coats and shoes.
Either way, having guests over in our front entry was not practical. That got me thinking…
Fixing the Problem
I remembered that this lady had told me once that she had taken off all the closet doors in her home. All of them! She did this because it felt more spacious but also because it kept her accountable on what she would put in the closet and how she would display it. The visual aspect of removing a door was very beneficial to her. So much so that when her husband and her had to reinstall the doors because they were putting their home on the market, her husband said that he felt like their home felt smaller with doors.
I thought about the idea for our front entry and was a little hesitant because for one, the door on that closet was new! It was only a few years old and I hate getting rid of something that is still good. Also, I didn’t want the closet to feel like a mudroom… There is nothing wrong with that really except that we already have a mudroom entrance from our garage and didn’t need two in our home.
We then thought that we could try to reuse the door and transform it into a barn door style door which would fix the problem we had of the closet door bumping and blocking the front entry door.
My Inspiration
I stumbled upon this picture of a closet and was instantly inspired to do the same to our front entry closet. I figured I could always add a barn door once I was done with the inside of the closet.
If you’ve read my blog before, you know that this is not the first time that I’ve chosen to decorate a closet. I’ve done stencils both in our walk-in closet as well as in my office closet. I don’t know what it is about closets but I absolutely love to spruce them up and make them feel like their own space or entity in a bold way.
Why You Should Consider Removing Closet Doors
On an organizational stand point, the idea of removing closet doors can be overwhelming. Everything contained in your closet will be exposed to all who walk by. However, it does have its advantages.
Having everything out in the open will keep you accountable as to what you have. Left’s face it, “things” take up valuable real estate in our homes so why keep thing we don’t use. By having no closet doors, you will actually see all that you have and be better positioned in assessing what you actually use and then see if you should keep or toss it.
Having no closet doors will also keep you from over stuffing your closet or shoving things that don’t belong in it. You will most likely want to keep your closet visually appealing, not only for others, but mainly for yourself. Subsequently, keeping your closet visually appealing will motivate you to keep it looking that way.
No! Don’t Look in That Closet!
Have you ever said this before? Maybe not out loud, but certainly in your mind right? It’s the worst when you feel like what you are hiding or are not proud of is exposed to all… I get it. It feels like that dream you sometimes get when suddenly your are naked in a room filled with people… The worst!
I’m here to tell you that this does not have to be the case with you. Not too long ago, I organized a client’s small closet. The closet was really small so I knew I had to maximize the space as much as I could. I not only wanted the space to fit all that was needed but I also wanted it to look good. I know for a fact that when something looks good, we tend to want to keep it looking good.
Client Testimonial
“It looks so good that I think I will always keep the closet doors open”
This is what my client said when I was done with her closet. In her case, we could not remove the closet doors, since it’s in a rental unit, but leaving the closet doors open was option for her which made the room feel bigger.
Let your things breath
The action of removing a closet’s doors will result in the space feeling larger and more spacious. This is as long as the inside of the closet is well organized. In order to keep the inside of your closet visually appealing, you must take the time to empty it all out and ONLY keep what you are actually using.
The closets you have in your home occupy important real estate that should not be ignored or overlooked. In order to maximize your space as much as possible consider:
- using as much of the vertical space as possible
- hanging as much as you can and keeping the floor clear
- keeping quality pieces instead of a quantity of pieces
Now that I’ve gone over the many benefits of removing closet doors, does it motivate you to try this solution in your home? If so, in which closet? Let me know in the comments below.
PS: I’ll be posting soon about how I went about converting our entry closet into one that is more functional for us. Stay tuned!
