Closet Stalker

Have you ever been out at night, maybe in a car or walking your dog, and looked at the houses you are passing? Have you ever stared a little bit longer into the homes where the light is on and you can see inside the windows? I’m not talking about climbing into a tree and watching a family eat dinner, that is illegal, weird, and probably pretty boring in all reality. I’m talking about when you get a glance at certain pattern of fabric on the curtain in the window, or when the tv is on and you think, “That family watches The Bachelor”??? Getting a glimpse into someone’s home isn’t really about them, it’s more about seeing the inside of a space. It’s why I look at real estate listings even though I am hopefully never moving again. I want to see how a space is decorated, what color rooms were painted, what was remodeled or updated. So if any of you are slightly stalker-ish like  me, I thought it would be fun to take you inside the closets of one of my favorite clients, I’ll call her Client A.

Client A and I have worked together for a couple of years now. With that length of time comes a comfortable relationship that creates the beauty of me knowing her fashion style and her life style. She is a very busy wife and mother, multiple kids at multiple schools with multiple activities. Time to herself is limited, as is time in general. She lives in a lovely home with lots of storage spaces, but they weren’t necessarily efficient. She needs to be able to get dressed and feel pulled together quickly. Last year we spoke about shelving and hanging options to add into her existing closet space, as well as storage in what were essentially large storage spaces on a finished 3rd floor. This summer she had the shelves put in and the results are beautiful. But Client A ran into a problem that lots of people do. It’s great to have organized storage options but it can be overwhelming to figure out where to put what, and how to find the time to put it there. If you have ever moved into a different house you can relate. It can be overwhelming to  put the kitchen items away in a manner that you think will make sense for you and your family. It’s common to over think the process, become overwhelmed, and then paralyzed from action. Client A knows that I know what works for her and asked if I could come over to help her do a few things; edit out clothes that no longer fit her or her style, switch seasons so that fall/winter are in her master bedroom closet, and put things into her current closet as well as her off-season closet. Here’s a peek inside:

This is one of the upstairs storage spaces that was essentially an empty small room.  Shelves, drawers and hanging space now make this small storage room deliver huge storage options. Off season clothing and accessories, along with less frequently worn items from the current season, are hanging and ready to go.

 

I used a garment rack to organize what needed to go downstairs for fall and winter. These racks fold up and are great to have on hand for organizing when packing, switching season, or even during parties for coats and jackets. No one really likes going into a bedroom and rifling through jackets on a bed. Plus remember that episode of Friends where they flashback and Ross drunkenly kisses his sister Monica because he thinks she is Rachel under a pile of coats at a party? Not good.

 

The master bedroom closet was already a custom-built installation from the previous home owner. In order to make it work better for my client, I suggested added additional shelving onto a small existing wall, as well as creating additional hanging space for longer items in front of a window that is never really opened (there is a very large bay window at the front of the closet to give plenty of natural light). My client’s contractor was able to add to the existing closet to make it all work together and look as if it had always been built this way.

 

 

So what to put on all those new shelves??? Shoes!!!

 

Also organized and ready to go is this client’s enviable collection of denim. I sorted them first by cut (skinny, cropped, straight or flared) then by color and wash. I faced the waistband toward the end of the shelf so that it is easy to check the brand label and the size to find the pair she wants.

*Insider Tip – Creative Closet Storage

The container store is awesome, but it can be overwhelming. The key to finding good storage solutions is to look outside of your closet. This client has a fab collection of clutches. They work well because they can be stashed into larger bags and make for a quick grab and go. They also allow you to add a stylish accessory to your outfit, without having to break the bank on a larger size handbag. Lots of people like to keep their bags inside a dust cover or maybe even in a drawer. The problem with this is out-of-sight-out-of-mind. To keep them stored safely yet easily available hit up the kitchen accessories section at any home store. I grabbed these racks, technically they are for storing the lids of pots and pans, baking sheets or cutting boards, and repurposed them to keep the clutches upright and easily sorted. I bought the dark color for her main closet and white for her storage closet. They were $6.99 each and I bought 4, putting 2 together upstairs and storing the other dark finish one away. This way if my client decides to purchase more she will already know she has a matching storage rack ready to go. Stylish and simple, these racks keep things in sight and easy to access. So next time you are struggling for storage ideas try looking outside of your closet for solutions!

Let me know how you liked snooping into other people’s closets…I have been into hundreds and I love them all, looking at them, organizing them and talking about them. You know how men go into a home and check out the basement and the garage? I’m all about the closets! I’ll make this a regular type of post to give you an insider peek if you are interested. It’s guilt free stalking!

Want to know what else is fun to look at? Someone’s old school photos – here’s a picture of me from elementary school – clearly a blind, drunk monkey was my hair stylist, either that or my mom requested a feathered mullet. I’m rocking the preppy 1980s Eagle’s Eye wool cardi, and I still love my cotton turtlenecks to this day.

Thanks for reading!

Suzie