Meryl Starr is
a professional
organizer in
New York
(merylstarr.com)
and author
of
The
Organizing
Woihbook.
folder’s
friends
Closet Personality: T he Folder
-Iffolding is your thing, you’ll need as many shelves as you can squeeze in,
- plus a small amount of hanging space for both short and long clothes.
■
Shelves should be about
12
inches deep, roughly the depth of a stack
of clothes. You don’t want a lot of wasted space in front or behind.
■ Ventilated shelves promote airflow around folded clothes, which
cuts down on the possibility of mold, mildew, and pests.
■ Group like with like (jeans with jeans, etc.). Same-size items stack
more neatly. Put clothes you use most in the center at eye level.
■ Don’t stack higher than about a foot, and leave at least 6 inches
- between the top of the stack and the next shelf for easy reaching in.
■ Add drawers to collect smaller items. If you don’t have drawers, use
a basket or two. Position below eye level so it’s easy to peer in.
THE SYSTEM: RUBBERMAID
MATERIAL Epoxy-coated steel
COST AS SHOWN About $
200
WHERE TO BUY rubbermaid.com
WHY WE LIKE IT Shelves hang off vertical tracks
and can be adjusted easily. Rods telescope out so
you can get more hang space from the same
rod. Cool drag-and-drop design tool on Web site.
STACK IN THE BOX
Meant for towels and
sheets but great for
clothes, too. Try the
medium size for
sweaters and Ts; the
large for pants and
jeans. Collapsible Linen
Storage Bin, $
22
,
kangaroomstorage.com
SHELF HELP
Get more shelves
quick with a
hanging stacker
that attaches to
the closet rod.
Use its cubbies
for clothes,
shoes, purses,
whatever.
6
-Compartment
Canvas Hanging
Sweater Bag,
$
20
, container
store.com
GET ON BOARD
Neatly folded
clothes mean
more stable
stacks and less wrinkling.
Folding Board, $
15
,
caldrea.com
4.1
8 0 NOVEMBER
2009
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
