subject: Decorator's Guide To Transforming A Loft Into A Seasonal Closet [print this page] Decorator's Guide To Transforming A Loft Into A Seasonal Closet
Sometimes the idea of a loft space is better than the loft itself. Many times, the loft is an odd-shaped space that is challenging to access and many people have no clue what to do with it. You may be curious about what possibilities you have with your very neat but so far unusable loft space, and have thought about using it for storage in the way of a seasonal closet. Regardless of how many closets you already have in your home, you can always use one more. A loft can represent a whole area that can used for storage, regardless of short ceilings or weirdly angled walls.
Cleaning.
It is crucial that you clear everything out of the loft space prior to beginning designing it as a closet. If it is a space that you have not been using, typically it has become a repository for extra stuff. So empty out your loft, and take this opportunity to get rid of anything that you do not need. You may even come across a metal wall artwork, copper wall decor or handmade metal wall art that you never got around to hanging; well, now is the time to hang it where you planned. Next, turn your attention to your closet, and start emptying everything out of there as well. Use this technique to clean out your excess clothes. Now is the right time to get rid of things you have forgotten about or no longer fit into. Sort your closet contents into four piles: one for charity, one for yard sales, one for keeping, and one for throwing in the trash. Pack up everything but your keep pile, then go through that pile and divide it into two stacks. One stack of clothing, the things that you are wearing now, will go back into your closet, and the other stack of clothing, your off-season garments, is what you want to store in your new seasonal loft closet.
Maximizing Space.
What follows are some typical ideas that can help you to reorganize the loft space. If your loft has a slanted ceiling and short walls, you may want to add long, hanging rods along of each wall at a height that is convenient. This will leave an area behind your hanging clothing that you can use for storing shoes, boxed items and boots. To keep your clothes from getting dusty you can store them in garment bags or you can simply drape them with an old sheet. You also want to take care to properly store wool and fur clothing to keep moths and bugs from invading your garments.
Holiday Storage.
If your clothes do not completely fill the space within your loft, then take advantage of the extra space for storing away other items. This can be a great place to store away your holiday decor inside plastic bins. Instead of having them stored all over the house, they are easy to organize and retrieve right there in your loft.
Now instead of having a useless loft space that just collects junk in your house, you have created an organized and useful space that is a pleasure to use and it helps to keep your other closets organized and clutter free as well.
