“If I just had the space for them, I would SO buy those shoes!”
Ah, another confession moment: I have NEVER let lack of space stop me from buying a pair of shoes! You can’t let a little cramped closet stop love. No, sir. “Oh, you have those in size 9 as well? I’ll take them.”
This client had a LOAD of shoes that needed storage, and an empty wall in her walk-in closet that needed customizing! The other side of the closet already had built-in shelving, but this side was empty, so we needed to design a matching storage area which meant completely custom was the way to go.
The husband needed a little extra suit/long-hanging space, and she wanted some additional top and skirt double-hanging. But those were just “fillers” flanking that big beautiful door in the middle. Whatever could be behind it??
Voila! Beauty, pure beauty – and in this case, as much as I love shoes, I’m (mostly) talking about the closet! It’s also DOUBLE SIDED – so there’s another column of shelving just like this one on the other side of the roll-out door. A valet rod installed on the side makes a great functional place for hanging clothes while steaming, or just putting together an outfit in the morning!
“The only BS I need is BAGS AND SHOES.”: Said some famous woman, and echoed by the rest of us!
Another item the wife requested was a place to store jewelry. Keeping in the theme of things being organized but hidden, we used a slide-out jewelry rack, upholstered with a soft, romantic tone-on-tone damask fabric to add some extra beauty. It tucks in neatly between the shoe roll out and the double hanging (I bet you never even noticed it in the first picture!).
Closets: Go Custom In the Important Places
Storage – even ready-made hardware store quality – can add up in the budget! But for those areas that we use, constantly, multiple times a day and sometimes by multiple people, I always suggest going custom: your sanity will thank you! We all have more than enough things that add to the daily stress, and our closets shouldn’t be one of them! As my mother has said, “a place for everything, and everything in its place”!
Tips to Consider:
1. Inventory your current closet! Know what you have to store – how much double hanging, how much long hanging, how much shoes, accessories, etc. will you need? This can change over time of course, but when you are investing in a #customcloset you want to make it suit your needs as much as possible.
2. Speaking of accessories, look at what you have more of – maybe you need handbag storage (there are some great options for tilt-out lower drawers that can work well for those), or jewelry, or you’re like me and have umpteen-thousand scarves (umpteen-thousand wasn’t a word until I started wearing scarves … WAY TOO MANY). Personalize it to YOU.
3. Lighting, lighting, lighting! You want to be able to clearly see if the shirt you have is clashing with the pants! Have a strong overheard option, and depending on the size of your closet, you may need alternative lighting like wall sconces.
4. Make it a place you love. Dragging ourselves out of bed in the early AM isn’t always our favourite time of the day, but if you’re heading to a beautiful custom closet, it might help! If you have space for a small art piece, or organizational baskets in your favourite colour, use it! Design your closet like you’re the #professionaldecorator!
Here’s to beautiful spaces and happy days!
