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5 ways to attack your closet with the power of Feng Shui

Filed under: Haute Home, Accessories, Clothing, Shoes

Cleaning out your nightmarishly unorganized closet may not be at the top of your list of things to do with your Saturday, but a tidy storage space for your wardrobe can supposedly change your life -- at least that's if you believe in the eastern art of Feng Shui. Even if you don't subscribe to any superstitions that say cleansing your house will improve your existence, most of us can at least appreciate the aesthetics and functionality of a well-organized closet.

There are a bajillion products out there which claim to make the storage of your earthly junk more accessible, so how do you know which ones will lead you toward enlightenment? Rather than test out all the closet organizers on the market, you might find it easier to just apply these simple concepts to your closet and go from there.

Closet of Eden

(click thumbnails to view gallery)

  • Left, Right, Center
  • Modular Shoe Rack
  • Matching Wood Hangers
  • Track Lighting from Ikea
  • Elfa Rules


  • The 50% rule -- Half of the space in any closet, drawer, etc. should be empty space. When you open a closet door, clothing shouldn't fall out and drawers should not get jammed because they are overfilled. Give all of your clothes and shoes room to breathe. What if you don't have enough space to achieve the 50% rule? Simple, get rid of stuff. It's tough, but it's worth it.

  • Left, Right, Center -- Organize your clothes into three categories according to function:
    • The first consists of work clothes and jewelry items that relate to your skills, prosperity and family -- these go on the left side when you're facing your closet.
    • The second, weekend and workout clothes that correspond with health and social outings -- center.
    • Then a third category is for clothing that deals with your relationships, travel and creativity -- right side.

  • Step in the right direction -- Organize you shoes and keep them all facing the same direction. It looks much neater and according to the Feng Shui gods, cluttered piles of shoes represent a life that is moving in a thousand directions. Focus up.

  • Smell better -- This is another intuitive yet under-appreciated fundamental of Feng Shui: if you want your life to be a bed of roses, it can't smell like public restroom. In other words, deodorize your shoes and maybe store your dirty clothes in a closed hamper, or somewhere other than your closet.

  • Let there be light -- Your closet is basically a museum displaying your wardrobe, so make sure it's a well-lit exhibition. If you have trouble seeing anything add higher wattage bulbs or literally add more lighting.

[via iVillage]

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