It's hard to look at Hilary Farr's closet and not want to invest in an entirely new space of your own (trust us, we've tried). The star of HGTV's Tough Love With Hilary Farr and the co-host of Love It or List It is no stranger to enviable interiors, so it's no surprise that her closet is just as desirable – from the perfectly sized alcove shelving to the spacious rails organized by clothing and color.
'I've never had a closet large enough to actually see what hanging and stored. Now I have this amazing space so simple and well thought through,' Hilary says after sharing her walk-in closet ideas on Instagram (below).
'Now I have this amazing space, so simple and well thought through. Thank you [to the] Closet Factory for helping me keep to my budget and still get exactly what I needed… and wanted.'
It is perhaps inevitable to dream of a closet as beautiful as Hilary Farr's. However, interiors therapy expert and author Suzanne Roynon suggests that there is more to Hilary's post than its (inevitable) aesthetic quality.
So, if you don’t have room for a full-on luxury walk-in closet, you can still learn from the star's closet storage ideas – and translate them into your home.
Suzanne is a specialist Interiors Therapy Expert and author of Welcome Home, How Stuff Makes or Breaks your Relationship. She has spent more than 25 years in corporate and charity roles, using her ability as a therapist and public speaker to help people understand their relationship with their homes and possessions.
According to Suzanne, Hilary Farr's closet teaches us to declutter – a key lesson that can change any home – whether you have a closet as spacious as Hillary's – or you're working with smaller bedroom ideas.
'The first step is always to pull everything out of the closet and ruthlessly declutter,' Suzanne says. 'In the average closet, just 20 percent of clothes are worn regularly while the other 80 percent are ignored, and their hangers gather dust.'
Suzanne suggests this can be for various reasons; the first and most prominent being the clothes don't fit. However, it can also be because people keep clothes waiting to be repaired or because they are waiting for a special occasion to wear (or re-wear) a particular item of clothing. Others may keep a piece of clothing because it reminds them of an unhappy or difficult time – but in this case, it's essential to let your clothes go.
Learning the art of closet decluttering is the first step to achieving a space similar to Hilary Farr's. However, the process doesn't end there. You can also recreate the look by organizing your space in a similar way to the HGTV host by categorizing certain items together.
Suzanne's personal preference is to categorize the available space with coats and jackets at one end, then longer dresses, shorter dresses, skirts, tunics, and long tops, shirts/blouses. She hangs by sleeve length, sleeveless tops then pants and jeans folded over a hanger to form a triangle effect that leaves space in the bottom of the closet for a shoe rack or handbags.
'Another option is to create a rainbow effect, but I find this makes it more difficult to find a particular item quickly, explains Suzanne, 'so it's suited to a more creative and casual lifestyle.'
Inspired? We're spending the rest of the weekend closet organizing – the way Hilary and Suzanne intend.
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