Since we are doing a gut renovation of our 2,500 square feet apartment, we have to decide which closets we’re keeping, expanding, or tearing out. Such a hard decision! According to Wikipedia, closets, through French from Latin clausum meaning"closed," began life in the 17th century as small private rooms, often behind a bedroom, to which a man or woman could retire, for privacy, reading, or enjoyment of personal works of art.

Today, we don’t use closets to enjoy our works of arts, but we do need them to organize our coats, shoes, and party items. However, (and this is a big however), if we don’t have the places to hide stuff, we won’t have the stuff – and part of the point of this move is to lighten up, switch to a roller bag lifestyle rather than live like an overstuffed duffle. Closets can morph into dumping grounds, and then we have another thing to procrastinate about: cleaning out the closets!

What has worked it for us in the past is to let each closet have a main purpose. Of course other items sneak in, but naming each closet creates that sense of a place for everything and everything in its place. We need closets for these items: rain and winter coats, cleaning and laundry supplies, party and holiday gear (serving platters, coffee maker, etc.), clothes for each of our four family member, linens, athletic gear, technology, and fix-it supplies.

From there, it’s personal preference. I like my coat closet used only for coats, and I like it to be shallow and well-lit (so one black coat can be distinguished from another). Combining cleaning, laundry, and fix-it supplies in one space makes sense to me. Separate closets for the master bedroom help marital harmony, and my husband likes the idea of one closet dedicated to all the technology supplies even if it is small. The athletic gear can go in the small guest room closet, and the linens work in a small hallway space that isn’t good for much else.

So we are voting for smaller closets that can’t get that cluttered. Easier to add in more storage someday if we need it, but we are hoping we forget that option!