This is the eighth in a series of Top 10 Closet Storage Do’s and Don’ts.

8. DON’T store seasonal items at eye level. The most valuable real estate in a closet is located at eye level.  This should not be wasted on items you access infrequently, like holiday, archival, and seasonal items.  If you happen to have some open space front-and-center, great!  You don’t have to fill it.  Save it for a more urgent need, because it will surely come up.

less-important-itemsDO store seasonal items more remotely. Free up this prime real estate for batteries, light bulbs, paper towels and other everyday items by storing the wrapping paper, sleeping bags, and archive files in the back and top of the closet.  If everything is important then nothing is important.  You have to choose priorities.  At some level everything is important or you wouldn’t keep it, so the real challenge is to recognize the LESS important items and store them remotely.

Today’s key to unlocking clutter.  Making less important items less accessible allows more important items to be more accessible.