Closet organization

[GreyhoundsRUs]

So, we are starting from square one with baby girl's closet. She will be 3 1/2 by the time we move, and we hope to have one or two more kiddos while here. I was looking at some ideas online, and a lot of them show 3-tiers of hanging clothes. How practical is this for a toddler? Should we do one part 3 and the other part 2-tier? Overall, we were thinking of having both hanging space as well as shelves. Will this be useful? The closet is roughly the size of the one pictured. The doors are also the same style. Should we just remove the doors and use a curtain of some type? The end of the closet is about 1 foot from the door frame into the bedroom...


Thanks

[SuzySunshine]

We did two tier in A's original closet. One side was two tier with a bar low enough for her to reach. The other side was a single tear with room for her laundry basket underneath. We only did two tier because I liked to have the storage above the top tier for toys she wasn't playing with yet, blankets, etc. Things I didn't want her to be able to reach. She didn't have the shelves because she had 2 dressers.

[Vishenka69]

I just ordered a whole thing from Container Store (elfa finally went on sale). They have a consultant that you can call and they'll design the whole thing for you based on your closet measurements and you can see it in real time by refreshing the browser and ask them to adjust accordingly. Very convenient, loved working with them.

I did two tier, because I'm pretty short and wouldn't be able to reach the third row.

[MrsK]

I really don't hang much of my boys' clothes. I'm usually fine with one dresser drawer of current clothes for each of them and one or two drawers for clothes they'll grow into. I use the closet space more for shoes, toys, linens, extra diapers and supplies. Square cubbies with canvas baskets work well for that.

[scrub-jay]

I really don't hang much of my boys' clothes. I'm usually fine with one dresser drawer of current clothes for each of them and one or two drawers for clothes they'll grow into. I use the closet space more for shoes, toys, linens, extra diapers and supplies. Square cubbies with canvas baskets work well for that.

This is what we do. I couldn't fathom hanging my dd's clothes when she was a newborn, I was happy with dresser drawers and canvas cubby bins, you do so much laundry with a newborn, make it easy to put stuff away!

[Michele]

I don't hang kids clothes. They each only have like 10 outfits max at any size. So they get put into dresser drawers. Now that the boys are old enough to dress themselves (well K is almost there). The top drawer is socks/undies/pajamas, middle is shirts and shorts, and the bottom is jeans and long sleeved shirts. All of P's clothes are in one of my dresser drawers.

I use the closet for storage and lock it closed.

[SuzySunshine]

I liked to hang things, especially for a girl because I felt like I got a better idea of what she had to pick from. You will get a TON of clothes and you'll get sizes she can't wear yet. I hung them by size so that when she started outgrowing things the next size was ready - the closet was full before she was even born. I used the dressers for things like towels, diapers (didn't have a changing table), onesies, pajamas, things like that.

You'll figure out what works for you, that is another reason I would go with 3 tiers because if you find you're not going to hang as much stuff you'll have storage space instead of unused hanger space.

[Auspicious]

I'll just add that I would definitely keep those doors rather than a curtain. Much easier to toddler-proof!

ETA: oh, and I do think a combo of shelves and rods is useful. My 3.5y.o. doesn't have a dresser and all her clothes go in her closet, hanging stuff on the single rod and the folded stuff in one of these:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40210553

[Pollyanna]

Baby/toddler clothes get folded, or more likely get pulled out of the clean laundry basket.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

All great advice! I love it If we were staying in the house longer than June 2015, I would go the custom route. We'll probably do all shelves and then add some clothes poles under the shelves. I hang a lot of my clothes and probably will hang hers for the same reason Cheri mentioned.

I like the Ikea hanging organizers, too. Oh, the possibilities!

[SoonerTexan]

I'm so jealous...our current closet is about 1/3 size of the one in the pic. The only other closet in the house is packed with vacuum cleaners, etc. Most of our clothes are in an already-stuffed set of armoires from our parents. We need to move...stat!

[Vishenka69]

I looked into the IKEA closet organizers too (we have their wardrobes in our master bedroom) but they weren't cheaper than Container Store and I liked that I didn't have to configure it on my own. I also like how everything is movable and I can easily do 3 rows at some point or just one.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

I looked into the IKEA closet organizers too (we have their wardrobes in our master bedroom) but they weren't cheaper than Container Store and I liked that I didn't have to configure it on my own. I also like how everything is movable and I can easily do 3 rows at some point or just one.

I was thinking more along the lines of the temporary stuff at Ikea like was mentioned above (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40210553). Once we are done with training, I will be looking at more permanent solutions Right now, we're going to go the DIY route!

[SuzySunshine]

GRU, what hardware stores do you have in IC? If you want organizers the parts to the systems are MUCH cheaper at places like Menards then they are Target. We just bought pieces to make what we had work and it wasn't very expensive at all.

[GreyhoundsRUs]

SS - we were looking at Menards We also have Home Depot and Lowes, but Menards is the closest.