Spring Closet Refresh

When could be better than early spring for putting on rose-colored glasses, rolling up your sleeves, and deep-diving into closets, bins, and drawers, purging, cleaning, and straightening, making better than before? Feeling productive indoors on a Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon, doing what you can with what weepy weather you have, is far more appealing than feeling mopey and melancholy about it. Then, when the weather does turn, the snow melts for the last time, and spring as we imagine it really does appear, you will have nothing indoors tugging at your attention. Imagine walking blissfully out your front door into spring sunshine without so much as a backward glance.

In my latest closet refresh, the addition of a basket and some storage boxes greatly enhanced the usability of the space while keeping it aesthetically calm and clutter-free. I started with my bedside nook, where I keep only a marble lidded bowl (a vintage find that smells like perfume inside), a book, a coaster, and a bottle of roses (I like them even when they're spent). Sometimes, the jewelry of the day lands here, too.

I was able to take advantage of the unused space below my hanging garments by adding a two-drawer Swedish Bigso box. The design is perfect for keeping my larger pieces of jewelry easily accessible and dust-free.

A vintage brass and capiz box holds my earrings.

To the space below the nook, I added a shelf that holds a basket, which functions as a drawer for holding often-used things. Below the shelf, a stack of four Bigso boxes was just right for capturing other items that needed a home. One smaller box keeps my winter hats and gloves, the other, my Barre3 band, ball, and weights. The larger boxes are for handbags and shoes.

You may have noticed the notch cut into the shelf. It was an intentional part of the plan, providing a perfect place for my yoga mat.

Whether I'm space planning in a large house, or a tiny closet, the process and philosophy are the same - have only what you love, see your space with fresh eyes, do what you can with what you have, and don't hesitate to acquire beautiful pieces that will make it function at its best.