Planning your closet - Ajustable shelving system

With a little planning, you can organize a closet to optimize the available space and easily find your items. You will be amazed at all that can be stored in there. To help you measure your present closet and the location of the shelves, use the Planning guide Organizing your closet in PDF format. For viewing and printing, you will need Acrobat Reader software. You might also want to download the Planning Guide Organizing your closet using a modular system.
PDF Guide (400K)
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Determine your needs
Draw the plan
Make a list of items
Wall-to-wall shelving system
Tips for optimum storage

Determine your needs

It's important to identify your needs. You really have to think about it, because once it's done, it's done for a long time. Here are seven steps to help you identify your needs.
    Get rid of useless objects
    Untidiness is often the result of buying new items and keeping the old ones around.

    Measure the space available
    Measure and mark down the size of every closet in your house: width, height, depth and the space occupied by shelves and doors. These measurements will help you decide what is the best way to organize a particular closet.

    Make a drawing
    Try drawing to scale, on squared paper, the chosen closet and what it's going to look like once you've organized it.

    Allow for easy access
    If an item is inaccessible, you will forget about it; it's as if you had thrown it away. You have to ask yourself: "Will I use it often?" Try to store things near where they will be used.

    Identify your needs
    Draw up a list of everything you want to put away in a given closet. If possible, store the seasonal items elsewhere. Make a list of what should be stored in each closet of the house.

    Calculate the space needed
    To determine the space that you need, we recommend that you sort things by category. Then, mark down their approximate size to have an idea of the space required. Large items can be stored separately (e.g. hall closet or kitchen cupboard). Don't forget to leave 2" (5 cm) of space between your clothes.This will let the air circulate freely and you'll avoid stale smells and creases.

    Don't overlook details
    If you don’t like your storage space, chances are you won’t use it much. Think of details such as the different ways of storing the same item (hanger, basket, shelf). Choose the option that you prefer, taking into consideration the size of the item, the door size, etc.

Draw the plan

Top view
This step allows you to determine the width available for shelving and the possibility of installing corner shelving. Measure the length and width of the closet and note the measurements. It is important to note all the elements that could interfere during the installation (e.g. ventilation pipes). The standard width is 12 in You can also find 9-in, 16-in and 20-in shelves.

Front view
Measure the closet’s height. Using the square paper, draw the basic structure of the closet. First concentrate on the layout of the shelves. Try a few combinations to determine your needs. When you’re done, number each shelf and note the lengths in the table below.

Place the joint fittings
Refer to the table showed in the planning guide and place the joint fittings on the quadrille.

Make a list of items

Referring to your drawing, note in the table available in the Planning Guide, the list of items required for your layout and the quantity of each.

Wall-to-wall shelving system

You will also find an entirely adjustable shelving system on the market that can be used for closets. It allows you to alter the shelf height without reinstalling fastening accessories. The wall-to-wall system requires the installation of a horizontal rail on the upper portion of the wall and of a couple of slotted wall posts to which you can attach adjustable shelf brackets. Very flexible, this system is ideal for pantries and other types of storage spaces.

Although these fastening accessories are different, the layout is the same. The shelves are however limited to a 16-in. depth.

Tips for optimum storage

  • Add a second linen shelf above your closet’s top coat hanger shelf to store folded clothes.
  • If you have a lot of short-length clothes like shirts, blouses and pants, stack coat hanger shelves 42 inches apart. This will allow you to double your storage space.
  • Place off-season clothes in storage bins that you slide under a bed or store in the basement.
  • In a child’s closet, place the coat hanger shelf at a height adapted to your child.
  • When organizing your new closet, why not also sort out items you don’t use anymore and give them to charity. You will gain some additional space and surely make someone happy.
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