How to manage the stuff in your life

It is a fact of life, the more we live the more stuff we accumulate, and it usually ends up in the closet. Cleaning up that overflowing storage space is a giant step toward making more room in your life for the things that matter most. Here are some tips to make your task easier:

Step 1. Sort.

That pink angora sweater that you wore in math class, just to catch the attention of that boy... the black leather miniskirt you swear you will fit into again... or the piles of scattered shoes unusable because they require repair or refurbishing. Face up to the fact that they're history.

Set aside the things you don't wear anymore, and decide what to do with them. If you must keep something that evokes warm thoughts or memories, at least box it up and put it in storage. Your closet is the wardrobe you use. It's not a museum.

Two good rules of thumb: if you haven't worn it for a year, out it goes. In addition, each time you buy something new remove something old.

Getting rid of things for which you paid good money can feel wasteful. However, at least if you donate it to charity, you may get a small tax break — and give someone else a chance to get some real use out of the item. That's a good way to cut your losses and feel good about letting go.

Step 2. Take inventory. Count and measure.

Separate your clothes by types: shirts, shirts, pants, and dresses. Measure the space each grouping takes up. This is especially important when designing space to contain odd-sized boots and oversized shoes.

Step 3. Measure your closet from top to bottom.

Sketch its interior to the same scale that you sketched the dimension of your clothing. You will be amazed at how many cubic feet you really have.

Step 4. Consider how you want to store things.

Do you fold or hang your dress shirts? Hang pants folded or from the cuff? Now is a good time to evaluate past storage methods and see how you can be more efficient. Want some suggestions?

Sweaters, sweatshirts and casual shirts should be folded and displayed on a shelf in your closet for two reasons. First, when clothing is buried inside dresser drawers, it's out of sight and you won't be as likely to wear it; and second, a hanger can distort a sweater's shape, detracting from its appearance and necessitating more frequent dry cleaning.

Jewelry and accessories should be kept in a dedicated drawer built right into your closet system. Then you can coordinate jewelry and accessories with your outfits right where you get dressed.

Ties and belts should be hung on space-saving racks placed near the shirts or pants with which they will be coordinated.

Shoes should have a place of honor on shelves at eye level or in a rack hung on the door. Never relegate them to the floor of the closet (or Heaven forbid!) kicked under the beds, couches and chairs.

Luggage should be stored in a convenient place in your closet — next to the clothes you most frequently travel in, if possible. This will simplify the task of packing. However if you travel infrequently, a better place would be in the basement, attic or garage to free up closet space for items used more often.

Step 5. Draw a plan.

Transfer the shapes that represent the area of your clothes will take to the shape of your closet. Allow 21 inches for depth of hanging garments. Sketching an overhead view (called a plan view) of your closet will help you visualize this.

Depending on the type of closet you have, you may be able to build along more than one wall. With a walk-in you can build along the back wall, one or both side walls and possibly the inside front walls (called returns). With a slider, there is plenty of opportunity to double the storage capacity by utilizing all the dead space on the floor, above the pole and between the bottom and top rack.

OK. You have your closet dimension, and you know how much space your clothes groupings take up. Now position the items you'll use the most at eye level, and within easy reach. Put out-of-season and infrequently needed items in less accessible areas. (Ideally, don't put anything on the floor. You'll have to bend to reach it, and worse yet, it will collect dust and make vacuuming or sweeping difficult.)

Sketch in poles where you want

hanging space. Be sure to allow

enough room, top to bottom, for garments and hangers. Sketch in shelves where you want to display sweaters, shirts, casual pants, purses, bags and shoes. This is a good time to consider whether you might want baskets for T-shirts or laundry, and drawers to conceal lingerie and underwear. A good closet system can eliminate the need for a dresser — that's one less bulky piece of furniture to take space and attract piles of clutter.