Blog
by Angela on February 10, 2012
In this week’s Dream Closet we are looking behind the closet door of author and Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi. I’m going to dish up (pun intended) my thought on her closet with The Good, The Bad, and The Reality. I’m also going to toss in one of my favorite closet must have tips. Let’s get cooking! (okay, I’ll stop with the cooking puns now!)
The Good
Purses. I really like how they stored her big purses along the top of the closet. This is a great use of space and the purses are easy to see and grab quickly.
Hangers. Of course I must say I love that all the hangers are matching AND I love that they are wood. I still think the wooden hanger always delivers a beautiful, clean, and sophisticated look. A+!
Jewelry. What a fun and gorgeous way to display jewelry and accessories! I have several posts on jewelry (click here to see one of the recent posts) but I like how in this closet they use a beautiful glass display case to house both jewelry and accessories. I love when you can display your items like a store would, then it feels like you are shopping in your closet all the time. Brilliant!
The Bad.
As usual we simply are not seeing enough of the closet! Surely she doesn’t only own nine pairs of shoes! Where is her storage for long hanging items like the dress we see? I would love to see more drawers too.
The Reality
I like how they show a dress displayed hanging from some other hangers. That’s so funny because so many people do that! A few years ago I discovered valet rods and they are a must have in the closet (see photo below).
You can get them from custom closet companies or from a Rev-A-Shelf Dealer. They come as a fixed rod that you simply attach to a shelf in your closet or in a pull out style. The pull out style can be pushed back and out of the way when not in use. I have the pull out style in my closet and purchased it from More Space Place. They are fairly inexpensive, but SO useful!
I also like the how they stored some of the small purses below the hanging items on the right hand side of the picture. Again, so many people do this because if you have a small closet you might not have a choice. By keeping these small purses uniform in color and size they don’t look like a jumbled mess.
Overall, I like how this closet is something just about anyone can have. Pieces like the beautiful wooden hangers and the lovely display case make this closet an inspiration.
What little changes can you make in your closet this weekend?
by Angela on February 2, 2012
It should come as no surprise that the fun and well styled designer turned host Nate Berkus has a closet to match. This dream closet featured in Elle Decor is bold, gorgeous, and ultra functional.
So let’s talk about the good, the bad, and the reality of this closet.
The Good.
One of the first things I notice about this closet is that Nate is using all of the vertical space in the closet from floor to ceiling. This is a great small space example of using every bit of space you have.
The Drawers! Wow! I love the use of drawers in this closet and the best part is that they are not too deep, (by deep I am referring to how tall the drawers are). When you use drawers that are too deep things get buried in the bottom and you never see them again. This is an excellent example of how to use drawers the right way, not too shallow, not too deep. By looking at a few photos of this space I am guessing these drawers are about 4-6 inches in height.
Other good things in this closet include a generous amount of shelf space perfect of shoes, sweaters, and the luggage and bags tucked away on the top two shelves. Finally, you just know that I cannot let this post go without mentioning the ottomans…love them!
The Bad.
Hmmm….this is tough but I do have to say the lack of hanging space is the one negative I see in this closet. Even with the ample drawer and shelf space, I’m still surprised at how little hanging space there is, unless this picture is not showing the entire closet. I would guess that the hanging space is about three feet wide and that is just tiny.
The Reality.
I love that Nate’s closet is actually a “doable” closet for the average person. This is not a crazy over the top celebrity closet that the average person will never have. There are many elements that you can take from this closet and make your own.
Color! Most people’s closets are pretty bland: white on white. In Nate’s closet he used a bold color on the wood and a more neutral colored wallpaper on the walls. You could mix this up in your own closet by painting the walls, the wood, or both to make a huge change in your closet.
Dresser in the closet. In Nate’s closet the built in dresser drawers with the mirror on top just flows with the style of the closet, but this is actually a great idea for your closet too. Traditionally, you see dressers in the bedroom but that can lead to going to multiple places to get dressed. If you can incorporate all your dressing needs in the closet you will spend less time going from the bedroom to the closet and back.
I hope you got some inspiration from Nate’s closet. If you want to see a before of Nate’s closet visit the So Haute blog. So what color are you thinking about painting your closet?
by Angela on January 20, 2012
What a treat, to take glimpse inside the closet of one of Americas most well-known fashion designers! So let’s get down to the good, the bad, and the reality about Ralph Lauren’s closet.
The Good
Let me just say: lights, ottoman, mirrors! In case you are new to my blog you may not know that I repeatedly talk about the importance of good lighting in a closet, a mirror to see what you look like, and a nice place to sit. Those are some of my favorite closet must haves. If your closet isn’t big enough for a stool, bench or chair, that’s okay as long as you have a place nearby to sit down and put on your shoes etc.
I love the boot storage in this closet! They are using the space above the hanging clothes which can sometimes be underutilized. Also many people put shoe storage near the floor so this is a little different and I love it.
Luggage stored above. One of my favorite parts of this closet is how they show the luggage stored above the gorgeous rich closet built-ins. Now THIS is reality! Even if the luggage shown in this picture is decorative you can still use this idea in your home! You could use antiques luggage or decorative boxes to store mementos, keepsakes, off season clothes, or even your old cheerleading outfit! The options are endless! Or you could store your actual luggage at the top of the closet too.
The Bad
Well, what can I say bad about Ralph Lauren’s closet?! The bad is – I wish I saw more of it! What’s behind those mirrored doors? Where are all the shoes? Sure I see lots of boots, but where are the other shoes? Maybe they are at the very end of the closet on the left hand side of the picture. It’s hard to tel, but I want to see more.
The Reality
When you look at the solid wood, the molding, the drawers, the under cabinet lighting and the mirrored cabinets this would be a very HIGH dollar closet. A similar look could be achieved by meeting with a local closet design company like More Space Place or looking at IKEA. Closet designers often have different types of solid wood or laminate that they can use in your closet for a fraction of the price of a high dollar solid wood.
Thanks for indulging in Ralph Lauren’s closet with me. What is your favorite part of his closet?
by Angela on January 13, 2012
Okay, you are really going to have to stay with me for a minute on this one, I know the thought of Miley Cyrus might not hold your interest, but stick with me.
I’m always in search of Dream Closets, and it’s been fun sharing “celebrity” dream closets with you. So when my amazing and patient assistant Anna and I ran across this one we had to laugh a little. Then Anna pointed out that this would actually be pretty easy to replicate. She was right! So I’m going to dish the good, the bad, and the unrealistic about Miley’s closet.
The Good:
Love the color pallet! If you have a teen, a tween, or a 7 year old this color palette would be a great one that could hold for a few years. Black and white never go out of style, so you will always be able to find accessories. Keep your eyes open for my upcoming posts on my girls’ playroom makeover reveal for more ideas on this color palette! You can find some fun accessories at Pottery Barn Teens.
The shoe shelves! Okay this is the brilliant piece in this closet! If your closet is lacking storage or just too small, consider adding a shoe shelves similar to these! You can find something similar at Pottery Barn called the Studio Wall Shelf . You also consider one from World Market. I love this idea! Perfect for shoe overvflow in a stylish and fun way.
Of course you know (if you read my blog) that I love a chair or stool in the closet!
Also, a full length mirror is a MUST!
Wall Art. Even the wall would be super easy to recreate! A simple coat of paint (I recommend a paint with the primer already in it so you only have to paint one coat) and repeating some vinyl wall art. I found a similar chandelier at VinylWallart.com.
The Bad:
The only thing I don’t like about storing shoes like this is that they will need to be dusted. Sad but true.
The Unrealistic:
Let’s face it, this is a pretty big “closet” and all we see is shoes! Where are the rest of her clothes? Maybe she has another closet for that? To the common person a closet this size dedicated solely to shoes is not a reality. But that’s why this is a dream closet!
As you can see there are lots of things I love about Miley’s closet! Thanks for hanging in there with me! I told you it would be fun!
by Angela on June 3, 2011
Here’s a cool organizing idea from the March 2011 issue of O Magazine!
If you’re a serious shoe collector, rather than letting your gorgeous heels sit boxed away in your closet, or take up floorspace around your room, pick your favorite pairs and place them in a glass-fronted display cabinet. Not only will this keep your shoes safe, clean, and organized, but it will also allow you and your guests to enjoy your collection every time you enter the room! Much better than keeping your prized possessions hidden away in boxes.
This is also a great way to keep your collection under control–anything that doesn’t make the cut and doesn’t fit in the cabinet should be sold or donated. And you can reflect on shoe purchases before you make them by enforcing a one-in, one-out rule.
