Conquer Your Kids' Closet Clutter

If you think getting kids to clean up their rooms is a challenge, getting them to devote an afternoon to tidying up their closets may seem an impossible dream. Meryl Starr, a personal organizer and author of The Personal Organizing Workbook (due out this month), doesn't think the idea is so far-fetched. The trick, she says, is to offer your child a smartly designed closet that feels like an extension of his or her room rather than an out-of-sight dumping ground. The closets she designed here -- one for a preteen boy, the other for a teen girl -- show budget-friendly ways to create a space that any kid will be inspired to keep neat.

The girl's closet was outfitted with a combined rod and shelving unit, providing ample room for clothes on hangers as well as surfaces to hold smaller boxes for accessories like jewelry. Starr chose clear acrylic containers and a translucent drawer unit to keep things in sight. The floral tackboard and lilac interior give the reorganized space a big dose of personality.

Striped hamper, Stacks and Stacks. Tackboard, PBteen. Rug, Anthropologie. Paisley decals on door, Blik. Most clothes, shoes, and accessories in both closets, L.L.Bean.