Don't discount the value of looking pretty.
This goes for a lot of things, but today I want you to look at the top shelf in your closet and just double check what's been shoved up there the last few years.
It usually ends up being a box of old jewelry, maybe some shopping bags, a random heating pad, the hairdryer you tried 8 years ago but didn't like, extra ski socks you forgot to put in the downstairs bin. Those were real life examples from Denver closets the last few weeks.
Here are some real life internet pics I googled.
Proving everyone is in the same boat.😉
Or you've been in a situation that looks like this. That one long shelf looked like possibilities when you first moved in and now you realize it's a disaster to keep up.
(Shelf extenders will save you here!) You can have your sweaters folded, denim in stacks 2 shelves up and still have space for the pretty stuff!
Why do I think it should be pretty?
Because closets overload your brain with visual stimulus, which leads to stress, overwhelm and drains your mental energy. The latest stats tell us that spaces like this raise our cortisol levels by 18% - 26%. Spaces like this turn your ordinary morning routine into a series of [micro-decisions](/blog/the-best-way-to-manage-loads-of-choices). This depletes the energy pool of your prefrontal cortex, leading to higher irritability, lower productivity, and procrastination early in the day.
All the nervous system work and supplements you take aren't any match for the space you get ready in every morning.
So yes, you need to make some decisions around the pieces in that pile, but I want you to think about how you want it to look afterward. If clutter stresses us out, then the opposite is true.
Beauty will calm you.
The Psychology of Organization backs this - "Far from being a surface-level luxury, an aesthetically pleasing and structured closet shifts your neurological chemistry from a state of low-grade anxiety to calm and motivation."
Now we can't all have the gorgeous closets that have unlimited shelving, room for couches and a wet bar…(but I wouldn't turn those down!😉)
Using what you have and what you love
But you can do a basket vibe. I had a client find a few mismatched baskets from the Goodwill to put above to hold her workout gear, which is so smart considering that stuff can't be stacked or folded well. It's so slippery!
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
And my FAVORITE way of making something look pretty is by putting your bags on display. You can use tissue paper to keep them up straight, but I find that a rolled up towel works amazing. Gives it a boutique feel. I don't have the room to bring in a vase with floral stems, but I do have this crazy piece of art from my Great Grandma's house. It's a bird, made with real feathers. It's old, it's odd, but it makes me smile.
You can put seasonal shoes on the top shelf like a display. I had a client paint one wall and hang her accessories on a corkboard like a piece of art. If you have to keep utilitarian things due to space, put it all the way to one side. Whatever you see when you first walk in should give you that feeling of Ahhhhh-so pretty. 🥰
Using what you have and what you love will make your space feel completely you.
If you want help bouncing around ideas, take a pic and send it over and we'll brainstorm.