I Hate My Closet

No doubt when K reads the title of this post he'll roll his eyes and call me (if he's at the office) or turn to me (if he's at home) and say, "It wouldn't be so bad if you'd make an effort to keep it organized instead of just piling everything on the shelves." To some degree, he's right. I planned to include a photo so you can see what he's talking about but then I chickened out. I admit, it looks pretty bad in there. But it's not just that I'm a slob (I am...but I'm a recovering slob) and have a hard time keeping my things organized in neat little piles (I do). It's also that I cannot stand my closet. It is:

- dark
- narrow
- difficult to maneuver in

My house was built in the late 1950s. This was apparently a time when Americans were not terribly concerned with closet space. I'm not sure why. From the looks of the clothes men and women were wearing back in the day, it seems like they could have used as much space as possible for their sweater sets, pin skirts, suspenders, ties, shoes, hats, accessories, etc. But for whatever reason, closets in the 1950s were relatively small affairs.

At some point in the last 50 years, our master bedroom closet received a makeover. Someone, likely a woman, had clearly had enough of not being able to fit all her clothes inside. Or perhaps it was her husband who, tired of not having any space for his own clothes and shoes, decided something needed to be done. In any case, the closet was widened a tad and the back wall was knocked back several inches. Obviously this was good enough for those folks. I'm sure it was a big improvement on the original closet. But....

...I still think it sucks.

Part of the problem is the design. I could, were I so inclined, stand inside the closet and peruse the shelves. Of course I wouldn't be able to see anything. That's because unlike a proper walk-in closet, it has sliding doors (which always cast a shadow from whatever side is closed) and it's quite deep. Even on a bright sunny day, I have a tough time differentiating between various items of clothing. And because the closet is located just to the left of my bed and nightstand, I can barely squeeze into the side where all my pants and shirts are located.

When we moved in, K installed one of those inexpensive closet systems from Home Depot. It's not quite as luxurious as these, but it fit our budget and was relatively easy to install. I had high hopes for my new shelving unit...I diligently hung and folded my clothes and lovingly tucked them into their new home. I was a veritable queen of organization...for about three weeks. And then slowly, but surely, a small pile of folded items began collecting on the middle shelf....only to grow into a Mt. Everest of clothes. And that, my friends, is essentially how it's been for a few years...sprinkled with with two or three valiant, but failed, attempts on my part to reorganize things.

Every time I open my closet these days I'm frankly depressed. It's become a blemish in our home. I have fantasies of gutting the damn thing, pouring gasoline inside, and burning it to the ground (not a bad idea if it weren't for the fact that our home, which is attached, would likely suffer in the process).

Does anyone else have closet issues? Or is it just me? If so, how have you managed to keep yourself organized?