What is the investment of a custom closet?

Taking Stock of Storage


A tip-top closet is a substantial investment, so it is wise to enlist the expertise of a closet-design specialist. On average, a professionally designed closet will cost around $2,000, but depending on the size of the space, the size of your wardrobe, and the amenities you choose, you can easily spend $40,000 or more.

The first step in any closet design is tabulating inventory. To ensure the most space-efficient layout, every tie, earring, and pair of shoes must be accounted for. "We want to see it," David Linda, president of SpaceMan Home & Office, always tells new clients. "We don't want you to tell us, we want to see what [clothes] you have." The average person, he adds in his defense, has no idea how many clothes he or she actually has until they come to him for an audit.

Storage preferences also play an important role in the design process. Jennifer Williams, president of St. Louis Closet Co., never overlooks any lifestyle detail when considering a new design: "Are your pants hung over the hanger or by the cuff? Do you roll your ties or hang them? Are sweaters folded or hung? Do you want drawers for your undergarments?" Those are a few of the detailed questions she asks clients.

How Much Room?

The space itself is the next major concern. In new homes, designers typically have a lot more control over the size and shape of a closet. David Linda's SpaceMan Home & Office is based in Houston, where a good chunk of business comes from newly developed high-end properties. "Everything here is new and more modern, and they actually plan for closets, as opposed to old houses," he says. "They frequently have 15-by-20-foot closets."

Many people in the market for a closet makeover don't have the luxury of a newly built space—particularly those in confining urban apartments. Some closet designers specialize in making efficient use of small spaces. For one job in a tiny loft apartment in New York's Tribeca neighborhood, Charlton brought in a library-style rolling ladder and added a roll-out shelving system to take advantage of the closet's vertical dimensions.

* Article from Business Week

Everybody's working for the weekend!

Am I showing my age when the song by Loverboy, "everybody's working for the weekend" pops into my head? What a great catchy tune and also brings me back to those days when I had some of my first jobs and all I looked forward to was 5:00 on a Friday. That dreadful grind that gleamed with hope of better careers to come in the future. One of my first jobs, at the age of 16, was to fold napkins for a banquet hall. I was the best folder and would challenge myself to get more napkins folded than all the other half interested teenagers who were hired to fold napkins into fancy shapes. Although dreadful at the time, I still use a lot of what I learned in those long hours of folding napkins. Discipline, persistence, creativity........When you come over to my house for a dinner party, you better believe you have a fancy folded napkin at your plate!

As this economy continues to hit hard times, I am surrounded by many people who have got laid off, downsized, rightsized, company went bankrupt, etc. These people have found themselves in situations were they are doing whatever it takes to make extra money, even if they have to fold napkins. I couldn't help but reference my latest book that I am reading, "Start Where You Are", by Chris Gardner. Many people know him better by the movie, "The Pursuit of Happyness". If you haven't had a chance to watch the movie or read the book, I highly recommend it. I had the privilege to listen to him speak live. He is humble but worked hard (really hard) and made a lot of sacrifices that most people would not be willing to make to arrive where he is today. His main focus was being the kind of dad that he never had the ability to experience.

Spring is the Perfect Time to Simplify and Reorganize

How Do We Cut Through the Clutter?

We comb through each room and choose 5 things to either sell on Craigslist, donate to the local Salvation Army or to a friend. We choose things that are either broken, we don't love or are no longer useful. Maybe we've outgrown a throw pillow, or can accept that we're never going to fix that lamp or that the side table is really unnecessary. When we get proactive abut what we want to keep, it makes us feel empowered to get rid of what's dragging us down. When we choose 5 things (start small if you need to) it feels so good that it motivates us to keep going, making space, lightening the load.

Here are some of the things that have made it out the door over the years:

• Frames we were saving "just in case"
• Clothes that have holes or we've outgrown (no we don't hang onto them for when we lose weight)
• Chipped dishes or dishes we don't love
• Side table that ws too bulky in the living room
• Books! We keep the ones we love, not the ones to impress guests
• Old Towels (we donate them to shelters)
• Miscellaneous stuff in the bathroom

Laura Joliet

Keeping your Kids Organized!

If you can't see the floor of your children's rooms (or are to afraid to open the door) then it is time to take action! Help children organize their rooms in a way that make their space fun and easy to keep clean. Reassure them that putting their room in order doesn't mean they have to throw away any of their good stuff.

Organizing a Kid's Closet

Organizing a kid's closet presents a unique challenge, mainly because most children's clothes are smaller than standard hanging systems. In addition, the space often needs to double as a place for toys and games storage. Below are top tips for organizing a child's closet space:

• Keep in mind children grow so adjustable shelving and poles are important
• Make it kid friendly. Use baskets to hold odd shaped toys and low shelving to put their favorite toys.
• Consider safety. Make sure that the shelving is secure and that it can't easily pull out from the wall.
• Don't forget a laundry basket. Wire laundry baskets allow for ventilation to the dirty clothes and easily removed to bring to the laundry room.

New Year New Organized You!

Did you know that 48% of American's Adults say they are at least somewhat likely to make a New year's Resolution this year? What made your list for 2010? If getting organized and making more time to spend with family and friends tops your list, here are some ideas to get you started and help you find more time.

Closet Organization Tips

• If you haven't worn it in the last 12 months, it doesn't fit, if it's out of style or you don't feel good about yourself when you wear it, get rid of it!



• Store your clothes according to season you can keep your "off-season" in a different part of the house if you run short on space.



• You can organize your clothing according to purpose (formal, casual), type (shirts, pants), style (short sleeves, long sleeves) and color (light to dark).



• Seperate out catagories of clothing like men's / women's, pant/shirts by assigning each section a different part of the closet.



• You can hang just about anything from hooks or racks attached to your closet walls: purses, belts, ties, jewelry, ect.

Little by little we’re seeing hints of it everywhere….Spring! Every year I look forward to that first day of the year when I can finally bring out the sandals and pretty colors of spring.

I also love the idea of clearing the closet of those bulky coats and sweaters and making room for pretty tops and SANDALS! Did I mention sandals-yes, I love them! Having a shoe system in my closet makes it even better, because I have a lot more room for my shoes plus they’re all there for me to see. But this isn’t the best part… I greatly enjoy the clearing of the closet and sense of calm and joy that comes with it.

I read an article on about.com that discusses the correlation between stress and clutter. It’s true! Think of how you feel when you come home after a long day at work and walk in to the sight of piles and piles clutter.

Ok, so we did some research and compiled a few tips to help you organize your closet. Having a professional designer come to your home and create a custom closet design for your closet is first and foremost. Most closet companies, such as All About Closets in Chicago, offer a complimentary consultation where they will come to your home/office, measure your space and design a custom closet unit that maximizes your space (sometimes even doubles it) and fits your lifestyle.

In any case here are some useful tips to get you started on your closet spring cleaning:

• Put on some fun music, grab some garbage bags or storage bins , cleaning spray and paper towels or cleaning rags
• Go through your closet and sort it into three different piles

1. Things to throw away (does it have holes?)
2. Things to donate (have you worn it within the past two years)
3. Things to store (next season’s clothes)
4. Things to keep

• Wipe clean the rods/shelves
• Go through your “to keep” and “to store” piles and ask yourself

1. Have I worn this within the last year?
2. How many of these do I need in this color?
3. Does it fit? If not, set a goal for yourself of 6 months and put the date on the bag. If they don’t fit by this date- donate them.

• Finally, go through your final “to keep” pile and organize clothing by tops, bottoms and accessories
• From this set, you can furhter organize by color, outfit, etc

Bravo…spring cleaning has begun. Enjoy!

Favorite closets!

Take A Walk Through Your Closet

I was exposed to a new world today called Second Life. As I flew around the different islands, I was able to redesign a kitchen and customize it to my liking and then I walked through it to see what the newly designed kitchen and appliances would look like. We have a similar program at All About Closets-Chicago that allows the customer to get a 3-D version of what their closet will look like when it is completed. At that point, the designer is able to print it out or download it for the customer so that they can show friends, family and anticipate their new purchase. It does not have the capacity to "walk or fly" into the closet but that would be really impressive to a client to be able to walk around or even start filling their virtual closet with clothes, shoes, etc.