Maybe you’ve heard of the concept of induced demand. It’s the reason why, despite the building of new roads, you still find yourself stuck in traffic every day. Simply stated, if you make something more available, more people will take advantage of it. Similarly, the advent of more closets in the average home hasn’t eased our storage woes—in fact, it seems that we’re collectively always short on space.

Given the phenomenon, closet organization isn’t simply a matter of maximizing space, but also of minimizing clutter.

To get your overflowing closet under control, begin by emptying it out and imagining specific zones dedicated to different categories of stuff. (You’ll probably find yourself saying, “Oh, so that’s where that went!” several times in the process.) Follow up by categorically sorting your items into piles before placing them back into their assigned sections, prioritizing the items you reach for most often. That means that your favorite shoes live in their own cubbies, front and center, and that your most beloved T-shirts or sweaters are folded and stacked in order of preference. Whatever articles you can’t fit back into the closet at the end of the endeavor has earned itself a one-way ticket to the donation pile.

Don’t forget that your closet can be refreshed, too, with paint or wallpaper. Invest in a set of high-quality hangers and add stylish storage boxes or baskets for smaller items. Doing so will incentivize keeping your closet neat instead of letting it become a chaotic catch-all.

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Illustration by Mar Hernández

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Dwell on This: How to Actually Organize Your Closet