Sharing Spaces: Effectively Merging Twice The Stuff Into Half The Space:

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By Mia Bolaris-Forget

Getting married means more than sharing your life, love and future with your beloved, but also sharing your space. Wait a minute. You may have been okay with relinquishing certain personal freedoms, but who said anything about abdicating any of your personal space? Especially your closet space, after all, you need as much of “that” as you can get.
Merging you life means also merging your assets, and that means “stuff” as well as money and one of the simplest places to begin is with shared closet space.

1. Toss Out Your Differences: Regardless of “why” you are both holding on to certain things, it’s time to decide what you NEED and what you don’t. Start by examining what you own, perhaps starting with your recent wardrobe, and toss aside anything you haven’t worn or used in two years or more. Old shoes may be kept if they are still stylish, in good condition, or have the possibility of being repaired.

2. Sort and Stack: In a generation that’s so conscious about putting labels on things, this is one time where labeling may just come in handy. Put your respective clothes in piles, separating by season, usability and determining which get folded, hung, stored, or other. Label each pile accordingly, assessing your space in comparison to your belongings and making decisions about extra shelves, racks, bins, etc.

3. Put What You’ve Got To Good Use: Once you’re ready to reorganize evaluate how you can best utilize the space you have. Don’t forget to take all the following into consideration:

· space behind doors

· vertical space

· floor space (under tall rods) especially for stacking bins, etc.

· asymmetrical wall for extra shelving

· space under beds, couches, etc (obviously that are NOT visible)

· make more room in closets by adding another rod or rack (for hanging clothes) and extra storage (you can always pile things on top of an extra rack).

· Adding extra cabinets or drawers where possible.

Also keep in mind the following when putting away or storing clothes:

· Keep items you use the most up front, store “out-of season” or less favored items toward the back. Consider storing these items away in boxes, a suitcase, etc. (until they are needed).

· Make sure stored items are easily accessible and visible. If you’re storing them in boxes or suitcases, make sure you label them, so they are easy to locate and find. If you prefer bins, consider clear plastic, which allows you to see what’s inside.

· Consider adjustable or removable shelving, storage, or racks, so needs brought about change in lifestyle or career can be easily addressed.

4. Let The Organization Begin: Make your purchases and arrange your close making the best possible use of the space available, including add-ons and stacking bins, boxes, etc. Remember, the more storage you have the easier organization will be and the less “clutter” you will have. More organization also means less time looking for and finding things, which ultimately means less stress and more time for you. Consider clear bins or labeled boxes. Maybe even think about color-coded storage. Whatever you do, try to keep in mind that continued coordination is key.