How decorated is your closet or laundry room?
Styling your living space is a natural step when moving into a new home, but what about styling your closet or laundry room? These storage spaces deserve a little bit of character that reflects your style, too, and makes you smile when you open the door.
In my workshop Clean the Chaos, I talk about styling your spaces, even the closets and laundry room. You can check out Pinterest for closet organization systems, but often just decluttering and organizing your space is all you need to reset the calm. Adding a small bit of styling is icing on the cake. Do you smile when you open the closet door?
Most people do not think about styling their laundry room, but I put up a pretty wallpaper border in the tiny laundry closet at one house I had. It was a simple and inexpensive way to brighten the space and make me smile when I opened the doors to do a chore I did not like, especially when the kids were little and the laundry piles were large.
Consider using wall space in your closet or bedroom for small hooks, racks, or shelves. I hung a small peg rack behind a closet door for longer necklaces and scarves. I tend to wear them more often now that I can easily see them! Plus it adds a little touch of style to the closet.
Look around your other spaces for something you can use to style a storage space. A plant if there’s a window available. A trip souvenir. A small basket or bowl. A pretty box. A greeting card. A Christmas ornament that you hate to pack away all year. A favorite piece of art. I don’t like extra clutter or too many things to dust, but I do like little joys. A small traditionally painted bowl from Albania sits inside my bathroom drawer for hair clips and a tiny hand carved wooden bowl from Kenya sits on my kitchen window sill for rings. Since I really like chunky rings, I display them on a small plate on my dresser. It shows off my style and makes me smile.
There is one spot in my closet that is a catchall spot. It’s the first place my eyes see when I look into the closet. When I decluttered this year, I tidied the spot and hung up a piece of art on the wall in that corner. It is still a storage spot but instead of my eyes looking at the storage with dread, I see this pretty art and I smile.
Want more tips like this? Join my workshop on decluttering your home.
Table Talk: What storage spots in your house make you smile? What can you repurpose to bring a little joy to a closet?