Don’t be fooled—small closets can fall into a disorderly mess in record time if you’re not armed with the right design strategy. While it can be easy to tuck things away and close the door, how organized these small spaces are can have a large impact on how your home (and your mind) feels.

“A closet might be small, but it sets the tone for the entire home. When mine are tidy, I get the same quiet satisfaction I feel walking into a well-kept Cotswold cottage,” says Mikel Welch, interior designer and Command Brand ambassador. But how one goes about getting to that ideal scenario is where the real work begins.

With Welch’s four-step design philosophy, even the tiniest closets can be brought to perfect order. “The beauty is not in how much you own, but in the clarity and restraint of how it is arranged,” he says.

6 Must-Have Items Professional Organizers Use to Tackle Everyday Clutter

1. Start with an Edit

“When I begin organizing a small closet, the first thing I do is pause and think about what role the closet really needs to play,” says Welch. Whether that means housing clothes, acting as overflow for home goods or seasonal items, or even storing appliances, determining the purpose before you begin your closet organization is key.

“Once that purpose is clear, it becomes easier to edit down and decide what deserves a spot," he says. Keeping that focus as you organize the closet helps ensure nothing that doesn’t belong makes the cut, a key factor in keeping the closet easy to maintain once the process is complete.

2. Use a Customized Set of Tools

Whether we’re talking about closets, building a chicken coop, or doing a load of laundry, the right tools matter. But more than just having a standard set of hangers or bins in every closet, your approach to the organizational tools you use should shift based on the purpose of the storage space.

“For clothing, I focus on hangers and vertical space; for linens, I look to neat stacks and containers,” explains Welch. “The tools change, but my guiding principles stay the same.” For the design expert, that means nothing sticks around that doesn’t belong, and everything that does fit the closet’s intended purpose is given a home. “That is what creates calm,” he says.

The right tools, paired with proper editing, can help your closet stay organized well after you’ve completed the project. Give these first two steps extra space in your closet overhaul timeline to ensure they’re handled properly. Your investment will pay off with a small closet that’s easy to maintain for the long haul.

3. Look to Unexpected Places

Small closets have their challenges, and nothing seems quite so insurmountable as finding space where there doesn’t appear to be any. Fortunately for us, Welch is an expert at uncovering hidden storage areas we would never have considered otherwise. Small details that people often overlook can hold the solution to your square-footage problems, he says. “The back of the closet door, for example, is prime real estate. A Command caddy there can hold scarves, lint rollers, or small bags and keep shelves and floors clear,” he explains.

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4. Work in Stages

It’s okay to break up your closet organizing. In fact, Welch says it can be one way to prevent feelings of overwhelm from creeping in as you tackle your closet. Follow either the short or long timeline outlined below, and tailor it to your needs.

• Day 1 (or Day 1 a.m.): Start by removing items you no longer use, or that need to be moved to another place.
• Day 2 (or Day 1 p.m.): Build out the structure with tools like a Command Organizing Caddy or the Command Folding Clothes Hanger, recommends the organizing pro. “They add space without heavy installation.” Label bins and/or outfit the space with matching hangers so you’re ready to return all items to be stored there.
• Day 3: (or Day 2): Put everything in its place.

Benefits of a Well-Organized Closet

The reasons for finally getting those closets in order extend beyond simple functionality and can even affect your overall well-being. If you’ve ever had trouble focusing when the house is a mess, you’re not alone. There’s something to be said of clearing our homes to give our minds that extra boost of clarity we so often crave.

Closets are no different. Even the smallest closet can help alleviate stress simply through its orderly presentation. No longer overwhelmed by an avalanche of items that threatens every time you open the door, your closets can instead become tools for balancing your life, ensuring everything has its place and is easily accessible at a moment’s notice.