Hello, New Year! It’s that time when many of us turn our attention to organization, decluttering, and cleaning. Whether you’re starting a fresh routine in January or joining in any other season, organizing your home can make life easier. If you’re looking for a short jumpstart, consider joining a 30-day decluttering challenge to build momentum and make small, consistent progress.
Over the past few months I’ve been quietly tackling some major organizing projects at home. Between seasonal posts and preparing for a new baby, I’ve secretly been hard at work turning cluttered spaces into functional, tidy areas. One of the biggest changes was converting a “junk” room—previously full of home decor and craft supplies—into a nursery. That meant moving decor and supplies into the guest closet and creating better storage throughout the house.
Many closets in our home came with just a single wire shelf at the top, which wastes a lot of vertical space. For Miss A’s room, I’ve wanted a functional closet system since we moved in. She has two closets side by side that were underused: toys piled on the floor, clothes haphazardly hung, and odds and ends shoved on the top shelf. I decided it was time to make one closet dedicated to clothing and the other to toys, with some toys moved to a planned play area in the dining room.
Over the holidays I picked up a Rubbermaid HomeFree Closet System to use in one of her closets. I chose this system because it fits multiple closet widths without cutting, uses a track and vertical rails, and allows you to rearrange rods and shelves as needs change. That flexibility is great for a growing child or if we repurpose the room later.
I bought the 3 to 6 foot wide system for our 6-foot closet and added two drawers plus two upright extension rails. I wanted the drawers low so Miss A can reach socks, underwear, tights and shoes easily—and hopefully start dressing herself. (Is it odd to admit I’ve always wanted drawers in my closet?)
I began by emptying the closet and removing the old wire shelf. If you’ve never removed a wire shelf anchored directly into drywall, take a moment to look up the correct removal method—doing it wrong can leave large holes. Once the shelf was out, installing the new system was straightforward. Hanging the top track and vertical rails took the longest, but after that adding shelves, rods and baskets was quick and easy.
The result is a much more functional closet: low drawers for independence, a bottom rod for “clothes of the week,” and plenty of upper storage for less-used items. Miss A loves picking out her outfits and declared her new closet “perfect.” I love seeing her newfound independence—especially with a new baby on the way.
Beyond the convenience for Miss A, the closet system makes excellent use of previously wasted vertical space and helps keep things tidy. There’s still ample storage on the top shelf and room for more hanging space as needed. The modular nature of the system means it can be reconfigured over time, which is a big advantage for evolving storage needs.
More posts you might enjoy:
- DIY Closet Shelves {beginner tutorial}
- How to Organize a Linen Closet
- A Quick Storage Closet Makeover