6 Closet Organization Tips I Learned Straight From an Ikea Pro

The first thing Stephanie did when she came to my house was carefully measure every nook and cranny in my bedroom down to the last centimeter. She decided that the wall at the foot of my bed was the best place to build my dream closet. When it came to the limited space between my bed and wall, she calculated just enough room to walk comfortably. She ensured the bedroom door would have room to open, and she even noted the necessary access space for a power outlet.

Beyond just measuring, Stephanie strategized how to maximize all untapped space, such as the vertical storage potential my tall ceilings provided. I used to think a piece of furniture either fit in a certain space or it didn't, but Stephanie made me realize that with so many Pax options, you can customize your storage solution to take advantage of every available inch while working around unique restrictions.

Now that Stephanie knew exactly where she could put the furniture in my bedroom, she needed to know exactly what to put in it. And she wanted specifics; for example, how many hanging blouses vs. folded shirts, and for shoes, how many high heels, flats, boots, etc. I sent Stephanie a list of exactly what I needed to fit in the wardrobe. There was no guesswork in the wardrobe design, just counting and planning. Stephanie wasn't going to hope all my clothes fit in the wardrobe — she going to design a space with a designated spot for everything to go.

After understanding both my space and my wardrobe needs, Stephanie set out to find the perfect Pax pieces to put together to create a unique and dazzling closet capable of accommodating all my clothes and accessories while looking great in my bedroom. She used the Pax Planner tool on Ikea's website to test out different combinations of wardrobe frames, doors, and shelves; for example, in my narrow space, there wasn't room for outward opening doors at the foot of the bed, so Stephanie went with sliding ones.

Because I wanted the wardrobe to have a high-end look, Stephanie went with streamlined, glossy doors, including the beautiful Farvik sliding doors and a set of Vikedal mirrored doors. She upped the luxury factor by adding soft-close dampers to the doors.

Inside the wardrobe, the secret to creating a high-end feel is to include numerous thoughtful details, such as a pullout tray with dividers for all my jewelry and accessories topped with a glass shelf so I can look down and see what's in the tray without having to open it. Instead of just adding a rack for shoes, Stephanie installed pullout shoe shelves that provided easy access and were spaced at the right height to accommodate my personal mix of high and low shoes.

Stephanie streamlined hanging storage to elegant effect by grouping different types of items together and using uniform hangers. For more glamour, she installed lights that automatically turned on and off within each compartment of the closet when accessed. These little customizations endowed the wardrobe with an expensive, bespoke feel.

Upon discovering that only half my dresses were full length, Stephanie had the genius idea to work in a small column of shelving beneath the half of the closet filled with short dresses; thus, even within a predominantly hanging closet space, she worked in additional storage for folded clothes. In the spare inches beneath the full-length dresses, Stephanie added long-term storage cases.

For odds and ends, such as belts and overflow jewelry, Stephanie was sure to stock up on a mix of storage cases. Seasonal pieces — such as Winter boots, heavy coats, scarves, etc. — were put into overhead storage in baskets. This additional storage space also ensures that there's ample room for me to add new items over time.

The final wardrobe transformed the way my bedroom looks and feels for a total of $1,704. That isn't cheap, but considering it includes every luxury upgrade and replaces the need for any dressers or additional storage furniture, it's a tremendous value. Everything now has a place, so it's easy to put away. As a result, the room is clean, calm, and inviting.

I was so inspired by wonderful new energy the wardrobe brought to the bedroom that I overhauled the entire space to match, getting rid of the beat-up old dressers and replacing the bed, area rug, and linens with streamlined, elegant pieces in soothing colors.

I used to avoid spending time in my bedroom and keep the door to it shut to hide the mass of clutter I just couldn't cope with. Now, the door is wide open as I love to show off and relax in the gorgeous space every chance I get.