I like to regularly declutter my home, especially since my new house is smaller and I can’t stand clutter. First, I got rid of a lot of stuff, and then I organized everything I had left. I’m glad to say it worked.
Let me clarify that I’m not a minimalist when it comes to my wardrobe. I’ve collected more clothes, shoes, and accessories over the 10 years I’ve lived in Singapore. I used to have one small wardrobe; now I need several. My job and my love for clothes contribute to this, but I still avoid clutter.
Instead of buying a lot of storage furniture, I prefer a clean house with plenty of empty space. I think it’s important to see all my clothes, shoes, and accessories to make sure I use them. In Singapore’s single-season climate, I keep all my clothes visible year-round. If you have multiple seasons, it’s a good idea to store off-season clothes neatly.
Although I thought I might need an extra cupboard in this house, I managed to fit everything using creative solutions and most of the existing wardrobes. My things are spread out, but it’s still manageable because I organized everything well.
Main Bedroom:
The main bedroom now has a small closet instead of the spacious walk-through wardrobe I had before. This closet, which I’m still tidying, is my main dressing area. I’m working on getting matching white hangers. Here, I store dresses, nice tops and shirts, skirts, jackets, and underwear. My pants are in a separate wardrobe because there’s not enough hanging space.
I’ve only got two pairs of shoes in this closet, my booties. While not everything fits, this wardrobe provides a good overview of my favorite clothes. I usually start an outfit with a top or dress and get pants from the nearby wardrobe if needed.
For makeup, I found a great dressing table at Ikea. My jewelry collection is in cabinets and on a wooden stand, but I’m considering improving this setup with a custom-made cupboard like one I saw in an inspiring apartment. Vertical rails for necklaces might be a good idea for neat storage that’s still easy to see.
Office:
My home office is the largest bedroom because I work from home a lot. Even though the house is smaller overall, my office is bigger. It’s also a significant storage space now that I’ve decluttered files, folders, and old electronics. I repurposed my office cabinet to store shoes, bags, belts, and scarves, which fits well with my fashion-focused work.
This office cabinet displays my heeled shoes and favorite bags, while others are stored behind sliding doors. The built-in wardrobe in the office serves as a secondary closet for my pants, casual dresses, t-shirts, sportswear, toiletries, swimwear, and cardigans.
Son’s Room:
My son doesn’t have many clothes since he mostly wears school uniforms, so I use part of his closet for items I no longer favor. This way, my main closet only has items I love. If I haven’t missed something from this separate closet after a while, I donate it.
Small Extra Room:
My husband keeps his clothes here, giving him his own dressing space.
Hallway/Living Room:
We’ve moved our Chinese cabinet five times, and now it’s a chic storage spot in the living area for my flat shoes. In Asia, it’s common to remove shoes at home, and this cabinet makes storage easy. I also have a small cabinet for black/gray flats and another spot for sports shoes and some of my husband’s and son’s shoes near the entrance.
Overall, the storage setup in our house works well. While there’s not much space for more clothes and accessories, this helps me maintain a smaller, more efficient wardrobe. I did notice some gaps in my wardrobe, but I filled them with new purchases during a recent trip.
I managed all this without buying new storage furniture, except for a wardrobe for my husband in a room without a built-in one. This saved money and made good use of what we already had. How satisfied are you with your home’s storage solutions? Do you feel organized and have a good overview of your belongings?