Although tackling a messy closet may seem to be a pain in the neck, think of what you would do if you didn't have a place in which to stuff your stuff. Closets are a fairly recent addition to the plan of a house - historically speaking, that is. Back when this country was a colonial subject of Mother England, closets were considered to be rooms and were taxed as such by the British Crown. Therefore, the early colonists often did not build closets and kept their clothing in trunks or armoires or hung them on hooks. It was only after the American Revolution that the closet tax was abolished and closets came back from their banishment. Closets years ago were small affairs for the most part, unless you were very wealthy. The typical closet used to be a simple shelf and pole arrangement. It wasn't until the 1980's that the concept of several shelves and double-pole arrangements became popular.

Today, most new homes are built with walk-in closets for the master bedroom and closet companies like California Closets and Classy Closets do a booming business revamping these necessary little rooms into fine showplaces of storage design. The North Valley just welcomed a new closet design business to the area - Closet Works of Anthem. Owners Nick and Shauntelle Henshaw moved to Anthem from California for a "better quality of life" for themselves and their children. Their individual talents lend themselves perfectly to a closet design company - Nick's background is in construction and Shauntelle once owned an organization systems store called "Something Simple." "We want to promote good quality workmanship at fair prices and a short turnaround time," Shauntelle tells us. And, they're right here in the neighborhood, not a 45-minute drive away.

So, let's begin our closet transformations. First of all, you need to pore through all the items in your closet with the determination to get rid of anything that is no longer of use. This may not be as easy as it sounds. Many of us keep clothing that doesn't fit or is out of style or items that are no longer used for far too long. You need to ask yourself why you are still keeping these things. What reminders of the past do these things represent? You, sir - those flowered shirts you wore in Florida - you haven't lived there for five years - you're in Arizona now. You, madam - you wore those size 6's when you were 10 years younger and 15 pounds thinner. It's time to move on. Now, take a deep breath and put the clothing that you no longer wear and those things you were saving "just in case" into a pile for a charity or a consignment shop. Now, don't you feel better already - lighter, freer?

Now, let's organize what's left into a more harmonious and stress-free arrangement. It's a good idea to organize your hanging clothes by season, color and type. In Arizona our winters are mild, so there's very little need for a lot of heavy clothing. If you do, however, have such a need, then you might want to put these items in a separate closet, rotating them when a new season rolls around. Otherwise, organize your clothing by type (long-sleeve tops, short-sleeve tops, sweaters, tees) and then by color (all blacks, whites, blues, etc.). This works particularly well for women, since their side of the closet is usually filled with far more items of apparel than their male partner's side of the closet.

Boxes, Baskets and Bins
Use pretty boxes or baskets to hold hats, scarves, evening bags, hair ornaments and other sundry items. Colorful boxes and pullout bins are a great addition to a children's closet. It helps them learn organization if they have a place to keep their toys. If drawers and hanging rods can be built at child height, children might want to put away their clothing instead of throwing them on the floor. (One can always hope.)

Other Niceties
Add a full-length mirror to your closet and make sure it's of good quality so that it doesn't give you a distorted image. A hamper bin for dirty clothing is another wonderful addition, if you have room. It could be a freestanding hamper basket or an arrangement of individual slide-in-and-out baskets in a cabinet. Good lighting is also important. Non-fluorescent lighting is less likely to discolor your clothes. And, if you can, have a pretty chandelier installed for an elegant look.

Fine Details
Today's closet designers can redo your closet into masterpieces of beautiful workmanship. The elements can be made of white formica for a modern sophisticated look or rich wood finishes for a more European feel. Elegant crown molding, glass inset doors, marble table tops, cedar lining, and raised panel cabinet doors are just some of the fine details that can make for a luxurious room that you will want to show visitors.

Now we have a place for everything - and everything in its place. We just need to keep it that way. Let's be sure to put things back where they belong immediately after changing. Now, if we could only get our children and husbands to do the same.