Closet Case

To understand my closet is to understand me. You might think that speaks of a psyche almost imbecilic in its lack of complexity (ridiculous / fashion-obsessed / shallow), but I assure you, your closet is similarly reflective of you. And this is not an insult, btw.

Let me start with a few details about me which, until now, you may not have discerned:

• I love order.
• I hate clutter.
• I'm efficient in a compulsive way.
• I'm compulsive in a compulsive way.

Then I'll throw in a few details about my closet:

• It's small - having been carved out of a room 15 feet wide, under a staircase.


• It's oddly shaped.


• It's been "home renovated" by my husband and a close family friend.


• It's still not large enough for my clothes and my husband's.


• My husband has more clothes than me - but most of them are crap from 1987 and are taking up space at the awkward back end of the closet. I would love to twitch my nose and have it all end up at a thrift shop. Trust me, he would not miss a single item.

Here are a couple of additional facts, thrown in for good measure:

• I live in a Victorian rowhouse (over 100 years old).


• Every built in closet (of which there are none on the main floor or basement) was added in - when the house was restored about 10 years ago.


• I had no idea about the importance of closets until I found myself living in an environment so unaccomodated by them. My house, while long and tall, is 15 feet wide. So I get to choose between things like couches or an add-in wardrobe.


• I love my challengingly narrow, old home and do not intend to move.


• I don't have 60-100k lying around at the moment with which to do a wholesale reno, and trust me, I'd be starting with the kitchen if I did.

My long-time friend Martha has been known to say of me "She gets rid of September's magazines in August." And it's true. Given my nature, and infrastructure, I can live surrounded by clutter and crap the likes of which would make me truly insane, or I can institute a policy I like to call "Get Something-Give Something". For everything I bring in, I give something away via one of the following channels:

• Putting it out front for the many, many, many lawn pickers who troll the downtown core.


• Giving it to Goodwill or to a shelter.


• Giving it to a friend.


• Putting it in the recycle (when appropriate)


• Throwing it out. (And yes, this has to happen now and again. You can't do much with old underwear and socks and decimated shoes and certain other things.) This is, of course, my measure of last resort.

Now that I've set the scene, please stay tuned for tomorrow's closet installment, wherein I will provide photos and talk about the specific way I like to organize my things.