Kid's closets are an interesting challenge. They are often the smallest closets in the house and you are trying to hide the most items in there. I hear many parents say, "it is just a kid's closet, they don't need anything fancy". We understand where they are coming from, but disagree with that way of thinking. A child's closet is the "organization training wheels" to teach your kids a few important life skills at an early age. For this blog we collaborated with one of the owners of California Closets Texas Hill Country, Jill Siegel.
1. Make sure you have enough shelves:
Here is the big question-What hangs and what folds? Depending on your child's stage in life, the answer could be very different to this question. With smaller kids you tend to fold more of their tiny clothes. The older they get, the more you hang.
2. Make sure there is a place for dirty clothes:
Think of this closet design as teaching your child one of the more important life skills you can teach-organization. There is a place for everything and everything has its place. Where do the dirty clothes go? Where do the clean clothes go? There is no doubt the answer to this question when you take the time to plan ahead.
3. Make sure there is plenty of room for toys:
Kids are more likely to put things away if there are specific places for their toys to go. Create shelf spaces in your child's closet that are fitted for specific items, such as bins for putting smaller toys and larger openings for some of their larger toys.
4. Plan for your closet design to adjust as your child grows:
No matter the size of your child's closet, organization abilities should grow with your child as their wants and needs change. As an infant you may need more shelf spaces for folded clothes, blankets and diapers. As a toddler you need more space for toy organization and a few additional hanging clothes. Finally, as a teen the need to organize toys goes away and gives way to the need for drawers to hide large folding items and shoe bins.
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5. Make it fun:
Closets don't have to have drab white walls and painted shelves, they can be fun like the photo below. Take your child's closet and make it a space they want to spend a little time in. They will enjoy all the fun little details you can add for personalization. There are no set in stone rules here. If your child has 10 dress-up outfits with matching plastic shoes, plan a space for them that they can reach. Your child will enjoy knowing where all of their favorite things are and you will enjoy a cleaner room.
6. Don't forget to add your organization accessories:
Take advantage of all of the fun organizational items available when creating your child's closet. The more fun you make it, the more likely they are to use it properly. A few examples of items that are available include sloped shoe shelves and wire drawers. You can also take it that extra step and add down lighting and glass shelves so some of your areas can appear as decorative display.
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Who says teaching organization and life skills can't be fun? We think California Closet's concept for children's closets is well thought out, creative and fun. Our advice to you if you are thinking about hiring a professional to organize your child's closet: Find a designer that has kids and understands your goals and growth plans. Thank you to California Closets for providing the wonderful photography above and thank you to Jill for all the great advice for creating and organizing your child's space.
Are you looking to update your child's space, but the thought of touching it makes you swoon, we are here to help. Our design team has collaborated with California Closets on many different occasions and would love the opportunity to work with you on yours. Give us a shout.