Lots of elements go into designing a closet space that's truly effective and works for the life and style of its' owner.
Closet Works designer Tim Higbee shares a quick insight on an important variable that he considers every time he goes in to a large space that needs to be designed for a client.
Having Closet Works design a custom closet space for you will make life so much easier. And once you have the structure in place, it's often helpful to add some additional, flexible storage.
These flexible storage bins are not only collapsable, but washable. And they're really cute. Bins like these from The Container Store are a terrific way to highlight your personality as a further extension of your style. So, after you've worked with your Closet Works designer to select the color and style of your closet system and picked handles that you love, the additional of funky, flexible accessories is a great way to continue maximizing every inch and making everything easily accessible.
Pantry Organization makes meal preparation as easy as 1-2-3.
Having pantry space in your home helps you with kitchen storage solutions.
Consider varying shelf depths to accomodate small, medium and large items. Boxes of macaroni and cans of soup are small and you want them quickly and easily accessible. You also want to be able to see how many you have so you know whether or not to buy more.
Deeper storage shelves are great for things like platters and serving dishes and an open floor makes it easy to slide your "Costco" quantities in their short term living space.
Check out this video with a few more great organizational tips.
Adding accessories into your closet increases function exponentially. By adding things like valet rails, belt racks and tie racks, you'll be able to easily access the accessories that you own when you're getting dressed.
It's a huge time waster to have to look for a specific garment or accessory, and a terrific money waster not to be able to find the black belt you need - especially if you end up purchasing another one.
In most instances, these closet accessories can be mounted on the sides of veritcal panels or on wall/door space.
Chicago Closet Works Designer Carol Kirkland shares an inside view with great tips on how to incorporate closet accessories into your space.
Gadgets and electronics are a way of life these days. In fact, AT&T's latest tag line is "mobilize everything".
I totally get that.
So, how do you keep unsightly chords out of sight? How do you manage all those wires when you've now gone beyond just needing to plug in your computer and desk lamp?
There are many devices available that you can buy. Professional Organizer Monica Frield from Chaos to Order in the Chicago area shares a few tips on how to keep on top of your electronic beasts.
Most Closet Spaces Have Doors (thank heaven - it's how most of us hide our stuff!). However, getting the most effective utilization of the space while incorporating your existing door styles can become a closet design challenge. Jennefier Martin has some great insights on how to maximize your closet space.
For the second year in a row, Closet Works is gearing up to participate in the 2011 Chicago Gay Pride Parade and this year, the slogan is "Closets Are For Clothes." The Parade will be taking place on June 26th at noon and if anyone is planning on attending this year's festivities, refer to the Spectator's Guide published by Pride Chicago.
In addition to the Pride Parade, we are also the official sponsor of the Pride Fest, a 2-day street festival leading up to the Pride Parade that has been gaining momentum since the year it started, back in 2002. If you have nothing else going on on Saturday, June 25th, visit the Pride Fest on Halsted & Addison and find our Closet Works booth to spin the wheel and win some prizes!
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For more info on our involvement in this year's Chicago Pride Parade and to read more, please visit these links:
Chicago Pride Calendar
Chicago Pride Fest Info
Closet Works Facebook Page
As newlyweds, my husband and I are still adjusting to our individual storage needs - and by adjusting, I mean he's the one who's giving up more space.
In one of my previous blog posts, I talked about moving into my new Master Closet. In the mean time, all of my husband's clothes have been relocated to the guest room closet which means that now I have the bedroom walk-in closet all to myself!
Spring is in the air, and I must have been bitten by the "Spring Cleaning Bug" because this past week I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to re-organize our entry closet. The process only took about 45 minutes and the result was a beautifully organized Spring-ready space that is sure to impress the Mother-In-Law.
First thing we did was remove everything (!) from the entry closet. We were shocked to see how much stuff we were actually able to fit into our Closet Works closet. After we created 3 piles for jackets & shoes - Spring keep, Winter keep, Other donate - it was smooth sailing.
Since Winter is officially over and Spring weather is setting in (fingers crossed it stays that way!), I started by putting my winter coats in the back of the closet. This eliminates the need for bulky storage boxes and leaves plenty of room up front for my lighter Spring jackets.
With jackets taken care of... I was on to more important things: Shoes! All of my Spring sandals are conveniently located at eye level directly in the middle of the closet. My husband is 6'4", so his shoes live on the upper shelves right next to all of his golfing equipment, including balls and gloves. I love shoes, he loves golf... it's good to have hobbies, right?
The gently used jackets and shoes that we no longer had a use for made their way to the local Goodwill store and hopefully to someone who really needs them. To find your local Goodwill store, visit their website and enter your zip code.
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Are you in need of a Closet Makeover? Currently, Closet Works offers 15% off any storage solution if you donate at least 10 gently used clothing items to Goodwill. Make sure you hurry, because this offer expires April 30th, 2011!
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We’ve all got clothing in our closets. Heck, that’s what they’re there for.
But what’s the quality of the clothing that’s in your closets right now?
Be honest.
Is it a mish mosh of things you bought on sale?
Is the color of every garment a color that flatters your own personal coloring?
Or, with the exception of an abundance of black items, does your closet look like a rainbow of every shade and color that’s been popular in the last five years?
“That’s an expensive way to build a wardrobe” says Jill Bremer, Executive Coach and Certified Professional Image Consultant.
“Build your wardrobe around 2 – 3 colors that you know are flattering to you. For example, black, burgundy and ivory. You’ll be able to create dozens of mix and match combos and limit shoe colors to only a few” says Bremer.
This approach saves space, money and time. It also serves you really well because every item you purchase and every item you wear will be working for you.
“It will boost your confidence and effectiveness while simplifying your life,” says Bremer.
Sounds like a great way to simplify your way to sanctuary!
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Jill Bremer is an Executive Coach and Certified Professional Image Consultant. You can find her at http://jillbremer.com
After a long and cold Chicago winter, the temLOW.jpg)
peratures are rising and the snow is finally melting. Now is an excellent time to begin planning your next spring cleaning project. Why not start with the largest closet in your house - your garage? If your family is like mine, your garage serves as the catch-all for anything out of place. As the piles grow, your available space shrinks. Your dreams of having an organized garage are slowly overshadowed by feelings of overwhelming discouragement and doubt about where to even begin.
We at Closet Works are experts at relieving your organizational stress by designing functional storage solutions. Although garage organization seems complicated, there are four basic categories of items that must be stored.The following outlines these categories and offers easy storage solutions:
- Items that require floor space: Your garbage cans, lawn mowers, snow blowers, tricycles, and wagons are examples of this category. With a custom garage design, we can find the perfect place for all of your equipment while optimizing your storage capacity.
- Items that can be stored up high: Bicycles and storage tubs are the most common examples from this category, and can be easily hung on hooks or racks from the garage ceiling.
- Items that fit onto shelving: Shelving may be completely exposed or it may feature doors, drawers, or baskets. Shelving is a great way to store smaller items used on a more regular basis, such as cleaner, fertilizer, sunscreen, bugspray, car-wash supplies, and other similar-sized items.
- Items that may be hung on walls: Storage racks, like slat wall or grid wall, combine with moveable hooks and racks to provide storage for rakes, shovels, brooms, leaf blowers, bicycle pumps, skis, extensions cords, etc. Wire baskets are another option for wall racks, and are perfect for storing sporting equipment. These racks allow for a practical storage solution on an otherwise unusable surface.
Whether your dream garage includes a workbench for your household projects, adequate storage for your gardening supplies, a defined place for your children's toys, or simply to have a clear path to park your cars, we at Closet Works have your solution.
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G
reg Cetera's favorite thing about being a designer for Closet Works is that he gets the chance to meet wonderful people, and visit beautiful homes throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. He embraces the challenge of creating functional and aesthetically pleasing solutions to address his clients’ storage needs. Greg is most gratified by providing clients with a sense of order and tranquility as they become organized. He firmly believes in the Closet Works philosophy of creating “Raving Fans,” and aspires to provide each client with premier customer service and precise attention to their needs and objectives. Greg is now the Sales Manager of the sales/design division.
