In Sex in the City, when Carrie Bradshaw accepts Mr. Big’s marriage proposal he asks her: “Should we get you a diamond?   “No. No.” she responds.  “Just get me a really big closet!”

What woman doesn’t fantasize about a larger – better organized closet? I had a client call me in a panic once because her husband was threatening to throw out all her shoes!  A little drastic, but I’m sure there are a few husbands out there who can relate to the closet space conundrum.

Organizing homes for many different clients, I have found that most women own more shoes than they realize. Justifiably so perhaps, I for one, can certainly relate to Marilyn Monroe’s statement: “Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.”

So what do you do when you have too many shoes and too little space?

First things first! You know that you need to donate or toss some out! So start sorting them by color and occasion appropriate groups. Once you can see that you actually own 6 pairs of black pumps, or 7 pairs of tan loafers, you can be more realistic about which ones to keep.

TIP: When sorting here are 5 simple questions to ask yourself.

• Are they comfortable? Do my feet scream to be set free after only 30 minutes?

• Are they fresh? Is there more than a whiff of “eau de foot?”

• Are they presentable? Do they look tired – over worn/tatty/scratched?

• Are they stylish? They may have been the height in fashion a few years ago but now – not so much!

• Are they just plain ugly?  As in – what was I thinking when I bought them!!

Once you’ve created your “charity donation” pile and your “toss it” pile – do just that.  Toss them straight into the garbage or the trunk of your car.

Now for the fun part – getting the rest of your shoes organized!  Whether you chose a wheel of shoes bedroom feature, which I personally love, or a more traditional under-the-bed, back of the door, hanging or box closet storage solution, you’ll now be able to find the pair you want, when you want them!

And if you are anything like Carrie Bradshaw, you might want to invest in some see-through boxes for those very special Manolo Blahnik or Jimmy Choo’s!  Organizing in a small space? Try displaying them on a shelf in an often forgotten space – above a window or door!