Alderly Wardrobe range in Dark Grey
This week, Organised Chaos spent a lovely day down in The Panelling Centre in Limerick (one of their six branches nationwide) where I got a tour of their wardrobe collection. There’s nothing better than a gorgeous, organised wardrobe so I was delighted when they asked me to go take a look!
As the lovely Panelling Centre team showed me around the branch, they also shared some interesting statistics into Ireland’s top wardrobe woes. Apparently 51% of people say that their partner has different storage needs to them, which can lead to problems – so the lesson there is that you really need to give hubby more than one rail! Easier said than done, right!
The Panelling Centre is the perfect place to begin if you’re on the hunt for a storage solution with a great collection of wardrobes available. The Quattro range is a timeless four panel style wardrobe which comes in both Light Grey and White with various mirror sizes available too. Another wardrobe that stood out to me was the Alderley range which is a Woodgrain PVC, shaker style design that would suit any bedroom. My personal choice of colour would be the Dark Blue shade in Alderley but there is also Light Grey, Dark Grey and Cashmere too… That is, if I couldn’t have the walk-in wardrobe that they showed me of course!
The tour is all up on my Instagram, so if your wardrobe is best before 2001 – then hop over to the highlights section of my Insta (@organisedchaosireland) and check out the type of wardrobe you could have!
While it was great to see the different ranges on offer in the Panelling Centre, it was also really good to learn how exactly the team there can help us design the wardrobe of our dreams – and maximise the storage space in our bedrooms! I mean, well designed wardrobes = better storage solutions and more clothes we can keep right?!
So since we’re feeling the wardrobe love at the moment, I thought I’d share some of my top tips for an organised wardrobe! Besides, it’s the perfect time to declutter and swap your Winter wear to your Summer style!
Built-in drawers with a Robson Oak finish
Declutter first, store second
We all wish we could keep everything, but if you dream of an easy-to-use, organised, modern wardrobe you’re going to have to declutter first! We all find it tough – according to the Panelling Centre research 32% said certain items didn’t fit them anymore but they were holding on to them and 29% admitted they were quite bad at clearing out their wardrobe.
So to help you make decisions, start off with the no-brainers. Pull out and remove anything easy that you know needs to go. This gets you off to a good start. For more difficult items, create a ‘maybe’ pile and for clothes you’re not sure of, place them here. By the end, your subconscious will have had time to think over this & 99% of the time, people let these items go on second look!
Finally, some clothes, shoes and bags are expensive and we feel guilty letting them go. Remember, you’re not getting your money’s worth if it’s stuck at the back of a wardrobe and never used! It’s already lost its’ monetary value. Let the item go to a good charity or perhaps pass on to a friend – someone else might need it more than you do.
If you tend to keep things for longer to avoid wasting them, there are options to help ease this worry. Look into the lesser known charities – for example animal shelters will take old bed linen while charities for the elderly often take large furniture. Or why not combine your decluttering and creative side through upcycling.
Maximise your wardrobe space with a pull-down rail
Give an instant facelift
The quickest and least expensive way of improving the look, style and organisation of your wardrobe is to invest in matching hangers. Having all the same hangers gives a uniformity that looks fabulous. However, it’s practical too – because the hangers fit well into each other and thereby increase the amount of space available to you on the rail.
As well as wonderful wardrobes, the Panelling Centre also offers a revamp service if you want to stick with your old wardrobes. New doors, handles, baskets and other accessories are available for a more cost-effective way of brightening up and improving the storage in your existing closets.
New handles for a touch of glamour!
Keep wardrobe cubby tidier for longer
Cubby holes are good for handbags as they can be stored standing up straight. They also store jeans well when folded. However, other items such as tops & sweaters can topple over, and as soon as you reach for one item – your organised cubby hole is suddenly a mess. To avoid that, add baskets into each cubby hole – assigning one category of clothing to each basket – the Panelling Centre can help you with this by providing quality baskets in a variety of sizes. Storage within the cubby hole is particularly important if you are currently housing items such as jewellery, hair supplies or toiletries on them. These get very messy, quickly. Place storage around them to keep them together and neat!
Match the space you have to the contents you own
The size of the clothing or accessories that are assigned to each area of a wardrobe is important to note. For instance, use upper cabinets and shelves for items that you use less often. If you don’t have upper cabinets, can you install them? Always – no matter what room – look up! Look for available space. The Panelling Centre can add in cabinets above beds or chest of drawers to give additional storage to your room and make the most of the space you’ve got.
If own deep drawers, add chunky knits or heavy tracksuits here. These types of clothes will allow you use the depth more efficiently than if you added in lingerie, socks or flimsy t-shirts. Personally, I’d avoid deep drawers in a bedroom – I liked the shallow soft-close drawers I saw in the Panelling Centre – these are best for maintaining organisation.
Maximising space in a Walk-in
If you do have a walk-in wardrobe (I’m not jealous at all!) – my top tip for these areas is to zone, zone, zone! Each rail, basket and drawer will take a different category of clothing. For example, you may have multiple rails in a walk-in wardrobe. So place jackets on one rail, long dresses on another, work wear on a third, and all casual wear on a fourth rail. Assign handbags, out of season clothing or nice boxes of memorabilia to the top shelves or cabinets. Items in the same category should be in the same area.
Personally, I think the bedroom and wardrobe spaces are the two most important areas of the home to organise. The bedroom is where we retreat from the world – to rest and recuperate. It should help us do that, not stress us out further. And as for the wardrobe – well there are enough problems in the world – opening your wardrobe & picking an outfit shouldn’t be one of them!
But if it is, let’s remedy that shall we?! The Panelling Centre is giving 30% OFF their Quattro range throughout May and June! And if you’d like our help organising your closet, we have teamed up with the Panelling Centre to offer two lucky winners a consultation! Check out their Facebook Page for details and best of luck!
Happy Organising!