Stop Organizing Your Closet By Color: An Expert Reveals the “Golden Rule” for a Perfect Wardrobe

Rainbows aren’t just for the skies: Color coordinating within your home is a great way to organize and bring a pop of brightness to any space. Arranging your closet by color is a popular tactic employed by many to make it seem more coordinated. And while this is a great solution to tidying a busy and important space, it might be falling short. Using this method could be adding to the confusion of your closet, and according to expert Maria Baer, Founder of The Baer Minimalist®, “If you’re only color-coding and ignoring function, you’re setting yourself up for a stylish kind of chaos.” There is a balance you want to achieve when setting your closet up. You want it to come across as stylized, but it also needs to provide a functional layout, too. Finding what you need should be simple, and when you’re gazing at the overall finish, it should still look cohesive.

“Organizing by color isn’t a mistake … it’s just incomplete,” Baer added while speaking exclusively with House Digest. She agrees that a closet set up to convey a rainbow organization system is very visually appealing, but it can also cause issues. “For example, that neon orange sweater might look stunning nestled between red and yellow, but if it’s your only sweater and it’s buried between sundresses and silk blouses, you’ll forget it even exists,” she said. While sorting your closet by color may be aesthetically pleasing, it also needs to be efficient.

Read more: 10 Things You Should Always Do When Washing Your Sheets

Organize and categorize before color coding

“Color is a fantastic finishing layer, but it shouldn’t be your main organizing principle,” expert Maria Baer shared during her exclusive interview with House Digest. She went on to point out that organizing your closets by the various categories of clothes you have can be more beneficial than worrying about color. If you’re concerned with the latter, you may lose pieces in the confusion of all of your items thrown together. “Once you’ve sorted by type (say, shirts with shirts, pants with pants), then you can color-code within those categories,” Baer advised. She also offered tips on how to nail this method. “Color-code within categories — this is the golden rule. Think: tanks — color-coded, then short sleeves — color-coded, and so on,” she said. “It keeps your closet both functional and fabulous.”

Baer suggested that if you have a lot of clothing, it may be worth considering everything from sleeve length to the purpose of the pieces: think workout items, work, casual, etc. “This lets your closet function like a boutique and feel like a Pinterest board,” she explained. It’s also important to be realistic about how you organize your clothing. If you wear more casual items on a regular basis, Baer recommended to make sure your system makes sense. “Your closet should reflect your real life, not your fantasy life,” she noted.

Utilize shelves, cubbies, hooks, and more

Once you’ve sorted your pieces into the proper categories, then you can focus on color coding everything. “Always go light to dark, left to right. Why? It’s the natural way we read (in the West), so it’s visually calming and easier on the eyes,” Maria Baer exclusively told House Digest. She said that this method can help getting ready more efficient, allowing you to find what you need more quickly. Baer also offered a few tips that her team use to get the most functional and stylish closet layouts. “Before organizing, edit mercilessly. If you wouldn’t buy it again today, it doesn’t belong,” Baer shared.

She stressed the importance of using the correct supplies in your closet. “Slimline velvet or plastic hangers equal instant glam and triple the space. Bins, shelf dividers, and labeled boxes? Chef’s kiss. Find all of our favorites here: The_Baer_Minimalist’s Closets Collection on LTK.” And rotating your pieces ensures you always have the appropriate amount of space in your closet. Baer also provided readers with a few tips on maintaining a stylish and tidy closet, noting to avoid placing too many pieces on your rods and to stick to one type of hanger. “Mismatched hangers make your closet look chaotic and actually waste space. Invest in one style and never look back,” she said. She also recommended to make the most of vertical space with shelves. Don’t forget about accessories and shoes, introducing cubbies and hooks or bins to organize these. Make sure to pay attention to the signs it’s time to reorganize your closet to keep it tidy and stylish!

Enjoyed this article? Get expert home tips, DIY guides, and design inspiration by signing up to the House Digest newsletter and adding us as a preferred search source!