Thank you both for all the suggestions. I would consider myself one of the most organized people I know, which is why I never considered a personal organizer, but maybe it is possible just to consult for an hour or so and see if there is any ideas I might not have thought of. I always hear of personal organizers wanting people to purge and I have no desire to purge anything I have. I love every piece I have, I never buy unless I love something. I may not wear clothing once a month, as I have more bras than I could go through in a month lol, so my clothing is far beyond that. I know that sounds bad, but girls will be girls, right? I guess for most the answer is purge purge purge, but when one takes their time picking pieces that are not too trendy and are of good quality why should we have to purge just because the closet is too small? I am looking for innovative ways to store hanging items, shoes, bags, accessories, etc not get rid of them. :) I have also obviously stopped buying anything at all in 2 years due to no more space. Tenant Proof, if I had an attic or basement I would have def used those spaces (gee what i would do for that kind of space), but I am in Florida and storing in an attic here would be in boxes and very very hot in the attic and no basements here. I do not really have seasonal items, again problem with living in Florida :) Also, the size of my home really is large yes, but we bought it 14 yrs ago before the real estate hike so got it for what you would pay for 3000 sq feet today even after the bottom out of real estate currently :) We could never afford this home if we had bought in the last 5-6 yrs. Wondering if anyone finds it tacky to have a glass cabinet in the bedroom and store handbags or shoes in a glass cabinet? I am on the fence with this one, I am really trying to think out of the box, but scared about anyone that sees my bedroom thinking "what was she thinking putting her shoes and bags on display?" I guess these kinds of innovative things are what I am looking for that are 'acceptable' if someone were too see.

Well thank goodness you thought about the whole getting the pax units through the door thing! I'm glad I didn't go out and buy them - after asking at IKEA with a pax specialist, we realized it would be a very difficult install. I'm going with the Elfa system. Seems to be a better match for this closet. Thanks for the help!

I live in a 160 year old house. No walk in closets here. I have found that built in shelving units give me less usable space than MacGyver-ing my own ad-hock combo of boxes, drawer, and shelving units from Target and the container store. I have a *ton* of stuff, neatly organized and easily accessible in my bedroom closet using these items, which cost under $150 total. ON THE FLOOR 1. Four of these drawers, 2 on top of 2, in white. The are placed on the floor under the shorter hanging items like shirts and short skirts. Use: Purses, tights, exercise clothes, special shoes in drawers; sitting on top of drawers are shoes I wear most often http://www.containerstore.com/s/storage/storage-drawers/like-it-smoke-modular-drawers/12d?productId=10034766 2. Big, flexible plastic tote bag on the floor next to drawers. Use: Boots, hold tote backs. Got it at container store but cannot find online. ON THE SHELF ABOVE THE HANGING ROD 3. Cheap, great made in USA plastic shoe boxes with lids from Target. 18 of them stacked in three rows. (Note, I am tall, which helps.) Use: Shoes and belts. I labeled all of the boxes with hand drawn pictures of my shoes so I know what is in them. And, labels like - 'funky belts' or 'more normal belts'. 4. Two of these shelves, placed on the shelf next to my grid of clear shoe boxes. Use: Stack bulky sweaters and sweatshirts. http://www.containerstore.com/s/shelving/shop-by-area-of-the-home/kitchen-pantry/white-large-grid-stacking-shelf/123d?productId=11002123

Design a custom closet to not only fit the space, but the items in your wardrobe. For example, our designers literally measure the height of your boots to ensure that there's enough clearance space on your shoe shelves. They ask questions like, 'Are you right handed or left handed? Are you a visual organizer, or do you like to compartmentalize with cabinet doors and drawers?' These questions help us understand your storage needs and routine, which help us create a closet layout that's specifically designed around you. That will answer your shelving vs. closet rod question. Here was one of last year's most popular reach-in closets at the National Association of Home Builders Show. Also, some of the other photos posted by users I noticed to be wall-mounted systems. You want to make sure you go with something floor-based, because 1) You won't have to worry about the weight of your wardrobe weighing down the shelving over the years, and 2) floor-based systems blend into existing spaces better, making the design feel like part of your home's original floor plan.