Hall closet organization for people who want to be organized but don’t have the time (or inclination) to spend hours doing it.
For the past few years we stuffed as much as possible into our single hall closet: baby clothes, board games, extra kitchen hardware, stacks of Hayes’ old artwork—basically everything that didn’t have a home elsewhere.
It was organized for a while, but as things overflowed and we kept shoving more in, the closet slowly turned into a catchall. Finding anything became difficult, so I emptied it completely and reorganized the whole thing.
I never intended to spend a day on this project, but the whole makeover took surprisingly little time.
The entire process took just one hour from start to finish.
Below are the before photos and the quick steps I used to transform the closet into a functional, organized space—done fast, from someone who isn’t a professional organizer and doesn’t love organizing for its own sake.
A little backstory on our storage situation…
Our house has very limited storage, which is especially challenging with a five-year-old. Our bedroom closets lack doors, so they can’t serve as hidden storage unless we add doors—something we might do someday but haven’t planned for yet.
That means the small hall closet is the only enclosed storage space we have besides kitchen cabinets and a few furniture pieces. It’s original to the house and has some charm—a pull-out board between the top cabinet and drawers that was once used for ironing or as a small work surface—so we chose to keep and work with it rather than replace it.
If I could design it from scratch I’d make it different, but the existing layout was usable, so we made it work.
Here’s how I organized the closet quickly and efficiently, keeping in mind I’m not a professional and don’t want to spend a whole day doing it—just a focused hour to maximize our limited space.
Hall Closet Organization in One Hour
1. Take everything out.
Start by removing everything from the drawers and cabinets. Empty it completely and lay items out on the floor. Working quickly keeps momentum and helps get the job done without dragging it out.
2. Clean every surface.
Wipe down every surface with an all-purpose cleaner: cabinet fronts, shelves, drawers and interior sides. It may not be filthy, but a quick clean makes the space feel fresh and ready for organization.
3. Put like items into piles.
Group similar items together. Separate anything that doesn’t belong in the closet—donations, trash, or items that should be returned to someone else—and move those out of the piles that will go back into the closet.
For me this meant sorting board games and puzzles into one pile, kids’ artwork into another, craft supplies together, and miscellaneous items in another. Some baby clothes were donated or returned to family. Sort now so you don’t re-clutter once you put things back.
4. Quickly plan placement.
Decide where things will be most functional. Put daily-use items on middle, easy-to-access shelves; rarely used items can go on the very top or bottom. Once I cleared out what didn’t belong, I discovered more space than expected and dedicated a few drawers and the bottom shelf to Hayes’ art supplies and games since the closet is right next to his room. Keeping related items together makes them easier to find and maintain.
5. Grab containers for small items.
Use bins, boxes, or baskets you already have to corral smaller things. I used a keepsake box for loose artwork and two felt bins to contain miscellaneous items. Containers keep items tidy and make the interior look neater than loose piles.
6. Put everything back.
Return the sorted items to the drawers and shelves deliberately. Be intentional about placement so the system can be maintained. Little choices—like grouping art supplies in the lowest drawers and everyday items at eye level—make it easier to keep things organized long-term.
Board Game and Puzzle Tip
Stand board games and puzzles on their sides like books. This saves space and makes each box easy to pull out and return—much simpler than stacking everything.
7. Label everything.
Labeling helps long-term maintenance, but if you’re trying to finish in an hour it’s optional. I haven’t labeled everything yet because most groupings are obvious, but I plan to label bins since their contents aren’t visible. A quick alternative is to take a photo of the bin contents and tape it to the front.
That’s it—an organized, functional hall closet for our family, completed in under an hour. With a little intention and simple supplies, even a small, older closet can be transformed into efficient storage that’s easier to maintain. Fingers crossed we keep it tidy this year.