Oh, Those Closets! A companion piece to Lynette Ranney Black s Dream Sewing Spaces.

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1 Oh, Those Closets! A companion piece to Lynette Ranney Black s Dream Sewing Spaces. For many of us, finding storage space for our sewing paraphernalia is our biggest challenge. It s logical to use the closets in our home, but they are already stuffed full! Closet organization may be the key for carving out more storage space. A wide array of closet storage units and accessories can be found in home improvement, housewares, and other specialty stores. Clothing Inventory Identify your needs and the spatial requirements of clothing and household goods before planning the closet. Here is a checklist, followed by dimensional information on typical clothing and linen storage. WOMEN Height Reach Ceiling Height Hanging Space Requirements # Shirts Length # Skirts Length # Pants Length # Jackets Length # Coats Length # Dresses Length # Jumpsuits Length # Evening Dresses Length # Robes Length # Other Length # Other Length Miscellaneous Storage # Belts # Scarves # Necklaces # Other Jewelry Related Storage Soiled Clothing Hamper Size Mirror Size Travel Rod/Temporary Hanging Size Suitcase Storage Packing Shelf Size x x Size x x Iron/Ironing Board Briefcase Shelf Sitting Area Other Other Shelf or Drawer Space Requirements # Sweaters Folded Size # T-Shirts Folded Size # Shorts Folded Size # Swimsuits Folded Size # Beach Cover-ups Folded # Slips Folded Size # Camisoles Folded Size # Bras Folded Size # Underwear Folded Size # Nylons/Pantyhose Folded # Socks Folded Rolled # Nightgowns/Pajamas Folded # Shoes Inches # Maintained in Boxes? # Purses # Hats # Gloves # Other # Other Palmer/Pletsch Inc.,

2 MEN Height Reach Ceiling Height Hanging Space Requirements # Dress Shirts Length # Casual Shirts Length # Dress Slacks Length # Casual Slacks Length # Jeans Length # Jackets Length # Robes Length # Coats Length # Other Length # Other Length Shelf or Drawer Space Requirements # Dress Shirts Folded Size # Casual Shirts Folded Size # Sweaters Folded Size # Walking Shorts Folded Size # Jeans Folded Size # Swimsuits Folded Size # T-Shirts Folded Size # Sweatshirts Folded Size # Socks Folded Rolled # Shorts Folded Size # Pajamas Folded Size # Hats/Caps # Handkerchiefs # Shoes Inches Maintained in Shoe Boxes? # Other # Other Miscellaneous Storage # Ties Length # Belts Length 2

3 Typical Dimensions Women s Clothing & Accesories Shirts/T-shirts 29 long Jackets long Pants long, Skirts long Shirts/T-shirts 10 x 13 Pants 16 x 16 Men s Clothing & Accessories Dresses/short nightgowns long Coats long 2-4 pole space Robes (floor length) long Nightgowns (full length) long 1- Ties 27 Sweaters 10 x14 T-shirts 10 x13 Dress/Casual Shirts long Slacks/Jeans long, Dress Shirts/ Casual Shirts 16 x16 Slacks/Jeans 16 x16 Jackets long 2-3 pole space Coats long 3-4 pole space Robes long Hats 10 x 6 x11 Handkerchiefs 4 2 /3 x3½ Belts Walking Shorts 16 x16 Socks Rolled: 4 x 5 Folded: 4½ x10 Pajamas 8 x13 Shoes Dress: Slippers: Boots: 9 x 6 x12 9 x 4 x12 9 x x12 3

4 Sweaters Folded: 11 x13 Typical Closet Accessory Dimensions Built-in Shoe Racks:9 x6 each cubby Freestanding Floor Shoe Rack: 21 x 8 x 10 Shoe Bag: 20 x 36 x 8 13 x 57 x 15 Purse Rack: no. of purses x12 x 10 Hat Box: 12 and 14 diameter Garment Bag: x 57 x 8-24 Boot Rack: 18 Tie Rack: 18 Hangers: Shorts Folded: 14 x 8 (short) 14 x12 (knee length) Slips ( half slips, camisoles) 10 x11 Scarves Belts long Recommended Rod Placement and Support Rod heights (height of rod and shelf above rod) may vary according to the height and vertical reach of the person using the closet and the length of clothing owned. Common rod heights for clothes are as follows: Height from Item Floor Floor-length Gowns/Robes Street-length Dresses/Coats Shirts/Pants/Skirts/Jackets 48 Children s Clothing Double Pole (apart) Necklaces Evening Dresses long 2-6 pole space Jumpsuits long Socks Folded: 4 x10 Rolled: 4 x 5 Swimsuits 12 x12 Stockings & Pantyhose Folded: 4 x10 Rolled: 4 x 6 Recommended Maximum Span Pole Size Wood 1 1/8 diameter Wood 1 3/8 diameter Wood 1 5/8 diameter Metal 3/4 diameter Metal 1 diameter Metal 1 1/4 diameter Max. Span 3 feet 4 feet 5 feet 6 feet 8 feet 10 feet Shelves should be 2-3 above rods to allow space to lift the hanger off the rod without hitting the overhead surface. Purses Shoulder: 12 x10 Clutch: 14 x 8 Shoes Dress: 4 x 6 x 9½ Boots: 6½ x 8-14 x10½ Slippers: 4 x 4 x10 Gloves 5 x 8½ -22 Recommended Maximum Loads for Shelving Plywood Thickness Span 3/8 1/2 5/8 3/ (Maximum load: pounds per square feet) 4

5 Minimum Closet Sizes Reach-in Closet The minimum front-to-back depth of space for hanging clothes is 24. The accessible rod length is equal to the width of the door opening, plus 6 on each side. Closet Solutions Now that you know what you have to store and how much space is needed, what do you do now? How can you rearrange the space or organize the closet better to free up space? Let s look at some before and after closets to give you ideas. Reorganize Two Closets Create an empty closet to claim for sewing by reorganizing and redesigning two closets... at least 24 Edge-in Closet With an edge-in space of at least 18, the accessible rod length can be much longer than the door width. HIS HERS at least 18 Walk-in Closet This type provides rods on one, two or three sides of an access path at least 20 wide. A wider access space within the closet may be used as a dressing area. at least 20 THE NEW THEIRS 5

6 Reorganize a Walk-In Closet Using just two walls of this walk-in closet for clothing really opened up the space, and actually provides more storage (no lost corner spaces). Double poles, dresser drawers, and high shelves all add usable space. A Coat Closet Reorganization A coat closet doesn t have to be a jumble. Consider dropping the pole height down for the longest coat and adding more shelves above for hats and gloves. A simple shoe rack keeps boots and shoes organized. left view right view BEFORE 6

7 The Linen Closet Another closet that may benefit from reorganization is the linen closet. Are linens scattered in more than one closet? Could they be combined into one if you customized your closet? Here s a possible solution: Linen Dimensions FLAT SHEETS: Twin 72 x108 fold to 9 x13½ Double 81 x108 fold to 10 1 /8 x13½ Queen 90 x115 fold to 11¼ x14 3 /8 King 108 x120 fold to 13½ x The Food Pantry The best shelf depth for storage of cans, jars and food boxes is 9. Storage of extra pots, pans, and bowls should be 12. Vary the shelf depths as needed so you can store as much as possible in as little space as possible. By reorganizing my food pantry (I changed the depth and height of the shelves for specialized needs), I opened up space for sewing storage adjacent to my sewing/office area (see pages in Dream Sewing Spaces). FITTED SHEETS: Twin 39 x 76 fold to 9 3 /4 x 9½ Double 54 x 76 fold to 13½ x 9½ Queen 60 x 80 fold to 15 x 10 King 72 x 84 fold to 18 x 10½ Standard Pillowcases 21 x 33 fold to 7 x 11 King Pillowcases 21 x 45 fold to 7 x 15 Twin Blanket 66 x 90 fold to 16½ x 22½ 72 x 90 fold to 18 x 22½ Double Blanket 80 x 90 fold to 20 x 22½ Queen/King Blanket 108 x 90 fold to 27 x 22½ BEFORE Hand Towel 11 x 18 fold to 5½ x 9 12 x 20 fold to 6 x 10 Face Towel 15 x 26 fold to 7½ x x 32 fold to 8 x x 36 fold to 9 x 18 Bath Towel 22 x 44 fold to 11 x x 48 fold to 12 x x 50 fold to 13 x 12½ 28 x 52 fold to 14 x 13 Bath Sheet 36 x 68 fold to 12 x x 72 fold to 14¾ x18 24 Wash Cloth 9 x 9 fold to 4½ x 9 12 x 12 fold to 6 x x 14 fold to 7 x 14 Bath Mat 20 x 30 fold to 10 x 7½ 20 x 34 fold to 10 x 8½ 22 x 36 fold to 10 x 9 Note: There is no standard method of folding linens. Fold to fit your storage area. 9 food AFTER 12 for pots and household items If space allows, consider creating bays (as shown on page 112 of Dream Sewing Spaces) to use for food storage. Think of your pantry as an efficient grocery store! 18 Great for fabric and sewing storage! 7 Visit for information about Dream Sewing Spaces