I Asked a Pro Organizer How to Transform My Narrow Closet, and Her Advice Is Brilliant
Apartment Therapy and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability are subject to change.
If you’re anything like me, you have that one spot in your home you always struggle to keep tidy. Maybe it’s an overflowing junk drawer or a chair that permanently holds a mountain of laundry . For me, it’s the small storage closet in my office. It’s slowly morphed into a jumble of disorganized, miscellaneous belongings that I just can’t figure out how to declutter and make functional.
I eventually avoided even opening the door due to the avalanche of papers, books, unused electronics, and bags that awaited. I knew I needed help, so it was time to consult an expert. I sent a few photos of my closet chaos to Mindy Godding, professional organizer and founder of Abundance Organizing , and asked for her advice.
How a Pro Organizer Would Transform My Cluttered Closet
I expected criticism or a “thanks, but this is beyond help” response, but Gooding didn’t flinch or pass any judgment when I shared my space with her. Instead, she came back with some easily actionable tips, products, and questions to ask myself moving forward. Best of all? Her advice doesn’t just apply to my situation — she shared some universal rules of thumb for anyone in need of turning messy closets into practical, useful, and manageable storage spots. Here’s everything she told me to do.
Be Intentional with Every Storage Spot
The first major “organizational sin” Godding points out wasn’t just the volume of stuff I packed into my closet, but the lack of intention. “The number-one challenge in this space is its unclear purpose,” she explains. “It’s almost like a ‘junk drawer’ — a lot goes in there, but nothing ever comes out.”
When a space becomes a “catch-all,” she says the categories begin to compete. In my closet, fitness equipment was fighting for territory with vintage keepsakes and loose paperwork. “At the bare minimum, I suggest sorting these possessions into clear categories and giving them designated homes,” she suggests.
The fix? I set out to do a hard reset on categorization. Godding suggests a strict sorting process: keepsakes and photos on the highest shelves, tote bags on hooks, and office supplies paired with fitness gear in dedicated cubbies.
Identify the Clutter Culprits
Before buying pretty bins to reset my closet, she recommends identifying and clearing out what’s making the space so disorganized in the first place. Godding identifies three major “clutter culprits” that take up prime real estate in closets.
-
Underperforming organizing products:“Anything that is rickety, damaged, or not the right fit is part of the problem,” says Godding. “Replace with more uniform options that improve the capacity of the closet.” In my case, Gooding suggests sticking to items that are light in color because I have a dark space.
-
Packaging:Why keep empty cardboard boxes? Godding’s advice is simple: Toss the packaging and reclaim the air space.
-
Loose paper:Gooding insists I evict all loose paper from my space. “If there is a certain category of paper that needs to be stored, such as household management, you can invest in a file box to keep it contained,” she says.
Reclaim Your “Prime” Organizing Real Estate
One of my biggest mistakes was the back wall. I had a stack of items blocking the most accessible part of the closet, and while I had the right idea with a modular wire rack, it wasn’t sturdy or large enough. She recommends replacing it with something “a little bigger and more sturdy” to occupy more of the space, both vertically and horizontally. (Find her recommendations below!)
Make It Actually Look Good
Organization is only half the battle; you probably want your space to look good, too. To get that high-end look without a custom contractor budget, Godding recommends focusing on repetition. “The brain loves repetition,” she says. “Replace mismatched bins with one or two coordinating styles. I recommend no more than three different finishes in a single space.” By choosing light-colored bins — which help brighten a dark, windowless closet — you create visual harmony that feels more like a shop and less like a storage unit.
Related: How To Clean A Burnt Pan
“Force Rank” Your Belongings
I often struggle with letting go of vintage finds and nostalgic keepsakes. Godding’s strategy for the sentimental person isn’t just about “sparking joy” — it’s about force-ranking. “Use placement to help enhance function. For example, put items that you need to retrieve regularly up front and visible, while keepsake items for long-term storage can be placed in the back,” she says. “Another suggestion is to sort by category first in order to identify any possible duplication. For example, you might have three tote bag options that are all similar in size, but only one is your go-to.”
Assess Your Organization Monthly
In the kitchen, I’m a big believer in a “countertop curfew,” a nightly reset to keep the space uncluttered. I wondered if my closet needed the same? Fortunately, Godding says no. “Daily is probably not necessary with this type of space,” she notes. Instead, she recommends a monthly assessment. Every 30 days, check what’s starting to stack up. If you see papers creeping back onto the floor or a “catch-all” pile forming on a shelf, spend 10 minutes resetting it to your original plan. You can set a calendar reminder and take pictures once you get everything in place to remember how you originally set it up — keep in mind that this is your space to organize, so don’t be afraid to change or cut anything that’s not working for you.
6 Closet Storage Gems the Pro Organizer Swears by
To transform my closet, Godding recommended a handful of organizers, storage finds, and bigger pieces to make the most of the space. The good news? Most of them are $50 or less!
For a closet like mine, she suggests stacking a KALLAX two-cubby shelf unit on top of a KALLAX four-cubby shelf unit from IKEA to work around the slant in my ceiling.
She also suggests using the back of the closet door to house key items I use frequently, as well as optimizing the right wall with a peg board and hook accessories customizable to my needs.
Godding’s favorite product to double the amount of hanging space in the closet is what she calls a “ closet rod doubler ” because “the sides can be adjusted up and down depending on length.”
To increase surface area in shelving, especially if you have a lot of vertical height, Godding recommends hanging shelf baskets that are often available in a variety of finishes and sizes, like this adorable IKEA pick .
For corralling important papers, she recommended a mounted paper pocket “that you can put on the wall or the back of the door to keep paper contained and visible without piling up.”
Before I dive into making all of Godding’s tips a reality in my chaotic space, I decided to ask Google Gemini what the space would look like once I applied all of her recommendations. Just seeing the end result I’m aiming for is inspiration enough to get started! If my messy office closet looks anything like that when I’m done with it, it’s motivation to keep it that way for good. Once I get through it, I can’t wait to try it on my downstairs closet.
Further Reading
Get a Personalized Gardening Plan with Our New Tool (Partner)
Marie Kondo’s Method for Storing Kitchen Towels Is the Only Way to Store Kitchen Towels
