By Emma and Michelle, Professional Organisers from TIDEE
5 SIMPLE WARDROBE SHARING TIPS FROM TIDEE
At TIDEE our passion is creating order in people’s lives and we love a wardrobe challenge.
In our experience, large walk-in wardrobes pose less difficulty for sharing. But, when space is at a premium, you need to invest in some quality storage solutions to create a workable wardrobe for all.
So how do you successfully and harmoniously share a wardrobe? Here are TIDEE’s Top 5 Tips to make this everyday space practical and beautiful, whilst maintaining the peace with your wardrobe buddy.
1.Shake it off
If you don’t have enough space, then chances are you both need to give all your items a thorough look. Stare them down, hold them close, try them on. Do you love it? Do you REALLY love it? If the answer is no, it’s got to go. Have a few sorting bags at the ready, one for items to sell and one to donate. Trust us, if an item hasn’t been worn for a year, you are unlikely to miss it when it’s gone.
If you really aren’t sure, take a Howards Storage Bag and put the ‘maybe’ items in here. Store this at the top of the wardrobe or under the bed. If it’s still there in a year, it’s time for the items to be moved on. Howards Storage Bags are also great for storing seasonal items. In summer, store bulky coats and winter woolies and then swap over in winter. This will help free up some wardrobe space. Remember to store items clean and pop some Cedar Fresh Blocks into the bag to protect your clothes from moths and mildew.
Now you’ve freed up some space – which will make it easier to share the prime wardrobe real estate.
2. You've got to keep it separated
Assign yourself specific hanging, shelf and drawer space and stick to these areas… wardrobe creep simply won’t do. Keep your like items together and contained in drawers using the Dream Drawer Dividers or Fifi Drawer Separators which fit most drawers and keep underwear, socks, activewear you name it, in their space. Same goes for shelves and hanging space. Store knits together, t-shirts together, swimwear together – you get the gist.
3.Keep me hanging on
In our experience, hanging space can be vastly improved with the right hangers. If you’re short on space, slimline hangers are the best. We love the Howards Flocked Hanger with Bar. These will dramatically increase your wardrobe hanging area (especially if moving from a thick wooden hanger) and are suitable for all clothes. They are also great to hang scarves and ties on as they don’t slip. For the ultimate wardrobe sparkle, changeover all your hangers to the same style and colour for instant uniformity and glam!
4. Stack it up
Shoes commonly take up a lot of space in a shared wardrobe. We find, that a great way to store these is in their pairs and in boxes. There are fantastic, transparent shoe box solutions that can be stacked up to fill otherwise under-utilised floor or shelf space. Shoe boxes are great for showcasing your shoes from your best heels to trainers and they look fab! They are also great for storing smaller items like underwear, socks, accessories such as belts and sunglasses, even clutches. Some of our favourites from HSW are the Elegance Shoe Drawer and the cost effective Howards Stackable Shoe Box.
5.There's a place for us
Drawers are essential in any wardrobe but in the absence of built-in-ones, a freestanding set of drawers is a good alternative. We recommend the Howards Essentials Mesh Drawers. Perfect for storing lightweight items like underwear, socks and t-shirts, they go a long way to space creation and happy sharing.
We find that somewhere on each side of the wardrobe, there is also going to be an opportunity for a stylish storage tote or basket to add a luxe look and to store items like bags (another tip is to store bags in bags to maximise space and keep items contained) and accessories like hats and caps.
With the right storage items and some dedicated time we know you can share any wardrobe successfully.
Good luck and remember sharing is caring.
Emma & Michelle x
TIDEE