CLOSET QUESTIONS: ANSWERED
Clients often come to us looking for creative solutions for their specific collections or unusual spaces! I decided to open up the question on Instagram, and find out what some of the most pressing items are that plague my followers in their closets! Are you looking for a storage idea for some of your accessories, or in need of design tips, deciding on the look you want for your space?! Here I’m answering some of the most asked questions that I think can help everyone transform their tired closets into beautiful and functional dressing spaces!
Whether you’re looking to maximize a small closet or overhaul a luxury dressing room, the same principles of functionality and design apply! Take note of the items in your closet that aren’t working for you, and keep reading to see if your saving solution is here. There’s always something to be learned from someone else’s closet woes and storage ideas. And feel free to send along any burning questions you may have that I haven’t answered, as we’re always looking for a new creative challenge!
No matter the size of your space, I always suggest creating a dedicated area for workout wear! Find a spot in your closet, even if it’s just a couple of drawers you can spare, for all of your leggings, sweats, and sports gear. Keep running shoes, sweat bands, and gym bags close by. If you have the luxury of space, designing an athletic closet or a single cabinet that can store these pieces is a great way to really see what you have and motivate you to use it! Workout clothes can get filed into drawers for easy access, or non-slip hangers are great for leggings. When your athletic gear and sneakers are organized by color and looking good in your closet, you’ll have even more motivation to put these items on and get moving!
This is no doubt a question for all the parents this time of year! Our kids accumulate so many cute costumes and accessories, whether for Halloween or dressing up at home, and we want them to have access without causing chaos in the closet. I recommend finding a cute way to display these — either by purchasing or making a cute miniature garment rack, where these items can live in your child’s bedroom as playful decor! Or, consider installing cute decorative hooks on a wall in the bedroom, closet, or hallway where clothes and accessories can hang, this way they are on display and looking cute, without taking valuable hanging space or cluttering up your child’s room!
This is perhaps the MOST commonly asked closet question, and one that there will probably never be one-size-fits-all answer for! There are so many considerations to make when you are making this call in your closet. Number one, what is your lifestyle? Are you organized? If so, you might prefer to have everything neatly visible without doors. If you prefer to keep everything in your closet tucked away, doors might be a lifesaver for you! Other points to consider — sunlight in your closet that might fade your clothes, the level of dust in your climate, and whether you are organized to know where everything is without actually seeing it all at first glance!
Many clients who come to us struggle with this! If you have enough space in the closet, it’s a very convenient place to create a custom pull-out hamper drawer! Consider carving out space for a deep enough drawer if you have room to spare. If this isn’t an option in your space, you might consider a freestanding hamper or a cleverly disguised storage ottoman as a place to toss your dirty clothes! I like the latter as this is a great way to disguise the all-too-common messy laundry bin in the closet. Whatever you do, definitely keep the dirty laundry from ending up on the floor!
There are so many ways to dress up your closet without breaking the bank! It’s all really in the details. Consider swapping hardware and hangers for an instant transformation. Adding wallpaper to the ceiling or any open walls is also a great way to add a luxe level of texture to the closet. Maybe play with the idea of mirroring your drawer fronts if that’s your style! An area rug helps to define the closet as a room in the home, regardless of size. And finally, accessories can make a major difference! Style a bureau with a cute tray and some artwork or fresh flowers for a finished look. Check out this post we did with tips for recreating some of our favorite designer boutiques on a budget!
My first tip whenever a client has a huge collection of something is to take stock — are you really wearing them all, and do you want to dedicate space for them in your closet? If not, purge! If so, there are several clever ways to maximize storage for tees. Thankfully they aren’t bulky, so you can really pack them in with slimline hangers if you’re planning to hang them. Personally, I prefer to keep tees folded and filed neatly front-to-back in a drawer. This way, they’re out of sight and always organized without taking up valuable hanging space for more formal items.
It’s always important to take care of your investment pieces in your closet, and store them thoughtfully. Fir some, these are designer bags, for others it’s high-end jewelry and family heirlooms. You want to be able to see and access your prize possessions, while also ensuring they are fully protected and safe from the elements. For jewelry, I always recommend having at least one locked drawer where you can keep the most valuable items (lined in suede or velvet of course)! If space and budget allows, there are so many levels of protection available — consider a custom safe (which can be fully concealed), false drawers with hidden compartments, or biometric locks to ensure these items are for your eyes only. Check out my latest post, where we look at all the latest ways to keep jewelry under lock and key!
As with any collectible item, you want to create an area where you can really appreciate them all together! Silk scarves are so beautiful and Hermés is known for their classic colorful prints. I suggest finding a way to display them, almost as artwork in your closet. Maybe hang them all together on wall-mounted rods, similar to the way they are displayed in the store. Or if you have the space, neatly fold in rows under a glass-display island top! If seeing them is less of a concern, a pull-out scarf cabinet is also an option to maximize space and keep them all together, so you can pull it out and see the full collection hanging on rods.
Soft and unstructured bags are always a challenge in the closet! For gym bags, I recommend keeping these close to your other workout gear. Consider stuffing them with your workout towels or a yoga mat so they stay in shape. For other floppy bags, I highly recommend purse pillows that will help to fill out the bags and keep them neatly upright on a shelf. This also helps prevent against against unsightly wrinkles and creases in your precious bags. Purse hooks are also a great option for tall unstructured totes!
We all have them, and no one seems to know where to store them! First, decide where will be most convenient for you — in the closet to pair with outfits, or closer to your bathroom / vanity where you will be styling your hair? I like to outfit a drawer specifically for headbands and hair clips. Choose a deeper drawer where you can have headbands stored standing up, stretched over a dowel or stand so you have easy access. Hair clips and pins should go into a shallower drawer with compartments for various sizes of accessories!
Do you like to keep all your sunglass cases or prefer to hold onto just a few for travel? If you keep them all, you might consider storing the glasses in their cases in a drawer, this way you know they’re protected and won’t get scratched or crushed. I like to store sunglasses out of their cases in custom suede inserts, and create an extra compartment at the back or one side of the drawer to keep a few cases so you can easily grab them and go! Then, any additional cases that don’t fit in the drawer can get stored away in a box or bin somewhere less accessible, like an upper shelf in the closet with dust bags and travel accessories.
