Add a Home Office

Whether you have a job that allows you to work remotely or simply need an organized space for managing your household affairs, turning an extra bedroom into a home office is a smart idea. Depending on your specific requirements, you can makeover the entire room or just a portion of it. Our knowledgeable home office designers can help you decide which option best fits your needs and your budget. We offer stylish custom desks that can be paired with shelving and cabinets that will keep your space organized and allow you to work more efficiently.

Give Your Kids a Homework Space

Even if you don’t need a dedicated office at home, there’s a good chance your kids do. Textbooks, notebooks, computers, backpacks — all of these school necessities can end up strewn around the house. That problem is diminished when kids have a designated area where they can do their schoolwork and stash their supplies. Closets by Design makes it simple to turn your extra bedroom (or a corner of it) into a homework station. In addition to custom desks and shelving, we have cubbies to capture clutter, an array of hooks for hanging backpacks, file drawers for organizing spare supplies and completed projects, and many more useful accessories. We can’t promise your kids will be any more excited about doing their homework, but you’ll love having their school stuff confined to one place.

Create a Craft Room

Do you have a favorite hobby or enjoy different arts and crafts projects? If so, you know how difficult it is to organize and store your paints, fabrics, yarn, beads, papers, tools, etc. You probably also know how frustrating it is to start working on a project at the kitchen table and then have to move everything in order to have a place to eat. Why not make your extra bedroom a hobby room? You can create an organizational masterpiece with Closet by Design’s customizable features, like craft supply drawers, chrome baskets, organizing slots, file drawers, and Lucite cabinet doors. We can even install rods to hold bolts of fabric or rolls of paper to make your sewing space or gift-wrapping station more efficient.

Release Your Inner Diva

If you’re more into fashion than crafting, you may be ready to transform your spare bedroom into the ultimate walk-in closet. Our design professionals will measure your space, itemize your wardrobe, and help you create a custom closet that matches your fabulous sense of style. You can choose slanted shoe shelves behind glass doors, a velvet-lined jewelry drawer, adjustable shelves for handbags, a Valet rod, tilt-out hampers, a full-length mirror and so much more. Plus, having your belongings organized in your new closet can help you start your mornings with a smile as you will easily find the pieces you need to complete your daily look.

But what about your guests?

With any of these makeovers, you will still use the space as a guest room if you add one of our versatile wallbeds. As the name implies, the wallbed mattress folds into the wall when you don’t need it, leaving lots of space for other activities. That means you can make your extra bedroom multi-functional and put it to good use when you don’t have guests in town.

Schedule Your Free In-Home Consultation

For more than 40 years, Closets by Design has been helping people organize and beautify their homes. We have the quality products you want and the design experience you need to help you customize a spare bedroom — or any other room in your home. Ready to get started? Our designers are available to meet with you. Contact Closets by Design today and schedule a complimentary appointment.

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Closets by Design installs thousands of custom made closets in homes every month, but this particular closet had a very special purpose.  Imagine a room fit for a princess complete with pink walls, fairy lights, a canopied play corner, and a custom made Closets by Design closet.  This dream bedroom is now a reality for two-year-old Ezra of Royal Palm Beach, Florida.

Ezra was recently diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and must undergo chemotherapy treatments. Precious Ezra has already been through more in her short life than many adults will ever experience and she is facing two more years of treatment in her future.  When Closets by Design owner Jennifer Johnson heard Ezra’s story, she immediately knew she wanted to help with the surprise makeover. She teamed up with the Florida chapter of Special Spaces, a national non-profit organization that helps create dream bedroom makeovers for children with cancer and donated the closet to the organization.

Jennifer and her team created a closet specifically for Ezra and her sister to share. They added extra drawers and adjustable shelves for the girls’ clothes and toys. Designers included a closet rod at a lower level that makes it easy for Ezra to reach her own clothes.

“As a business owner, I give back to my community in numerous ways,” said Johnson, “but projects like this are especially rewarding. The team members at Closets by Design are delighted when we can bring a little joy to children like Ezra.”

“I’m thrilled Closets by Design could participate in giving Ezra a magical space to come home to after her treatments and long hospital stays,” added Johnson. “We envisioned the room as a place of hope, where she can spend time away from the challenges of her illness — healing, recovering, and just being a kid.”

Special Spaces has a special place in Johnson’s heart. This is the second time her Closets by Design franchise has participated in a project with the non-profit to bring joy to a local child.  If you would like to learn more about Special Spaces and the wonderful work they do, please visit their website at www.specialspaces.org

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Ancient Greece

Chilon of Sparta was a poet and philosopher in the sixth century BC and is considered one of the seven sages of Greece. Many scholars believe that he coined the phrase “less is more” to represent the Spartan attitude toward life. Chilon’s view was that by saying less, a person gave more weight or emphasis to the few words spoken.

20th Century

Along with Frank Lloyd Wright and several others, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (commonly known as Mies) was one of the founders of modernist architecture. He was well known for repeating the expression “less is more,” and his application of the principle is obvious in the clarity and simplicity of his minimalist style. He loved free-flowing, multifunctional spaces that took advantage of their outdoor surroundings.

Modern Day

While Marie Kondo introduced a new generation to minimalism several years ago, the current stars of the movement are Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. Their 2021 documentary “The Minimalists: Less Is Now” was nominated for a Daytime Emmy and has been viewed by millions. In it, the two friends explore why people hold on to junk, explain how intentional living can transform lives, and suggest a 30-day declutter routine.

Creating a Less-Is-More Home

To create a minimalist home, you must be like Chilon and focus on the things that are important. For instance, if you’ve spent tons of time and money building your wardrobe, you don’t want to shove your favorite pieces into a closet crammed with items you never wear. After getting rid of the clothes and shoes you no longer want, you must decide how to arrange what’s left in a simple and efficient way. This is the perfect time to contact the organization experts at Closets by Design. Whether you have a walk-in or reach-in closet, our designers can make the most of your space by combining adjustable shelving, hanging bars, shoe racks, jewelry drawers, and more. Everything in your wardrobe will have a place, so you can easily locate and put away each item.

You might also choose to be like Mies and focus on creating a free-flowing multifunctional space by putting a wall bed in your guest room or home office. Closets by Design has a variety of wall beds in single, double, and queen sizes that can be paired with shelves, desks, cabinets, and more. Because the beds fold up into the wall when not in use, you can transform any room into a multipurpose space. Best of all, our products are fresh and modern with sleek lines and beautiful, functional design features.

Perhaps you’d prefer to emulate the Minimalists and begin living more intentionally by decluttering your kitchen and getting rid of all the junk and unused appliances that are taking up space. Again, Closets by Design can help you create a more pleasant kitchen environment with a custom pantry. With the right combination of drawers, shelving, cubbies, and other design elements, your pantry will provide easy access to the food and equipment you need to make preparing meals less stressful. Having an organized pantry also saves you time and money since you can quickly see which items you need. That way, you don’t run out of your favorite foods or buy duplicates.

Schedule Your Free In-Home Consultation

If you’re ready to simplify your life, Closets by Design offers stylish organization systems that enable you to maximize your home storage without detracting from the beauty of your interior. Contact us today to set up your free consultation and let us help you discover why less is more.

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Take Inventory

Whether you have a closet in your home built specifically for holding linens or whether you’ve designated an area of your bathroom, mudroom, or laundry room for the storage of sheets and towels, more than likely, you’re hanging on to items you no longer use or need. Take everything out of your linen closet and decide which things you should keep. If you’re still hanging on to the Thomas the Tank Engine sheets that your 17-year-old used as a kid, now is a great time to donate them to your favorite charity, along with any towels, table linens, etc. that you haven’t touched in ages. Throw out the threadbare towels and sheets with holes, or cut them up and use them as cleaning rags. Keep only the linens you use. Organization experts recommend keeping three sets of sheets and towels for each regularly occupied bedroom, two sets of sheets and towels per guest room, plus extra pillows and a blanket for every room.

Make a Plan

Often, linen closets are small and contain only a few shelves. If you simply cram sheets and towels onto the shelves, eventually, things become a jumbled mess; therefore, decide how you want to organize your linens before you begin putting them back in the closet. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Add adjustable shelves. If you don’t already have them, adjustable shelving makes closet organization much easier. You can leave more room for bulky items, like quilts and pillows, and create smaller areas for table linens or washcloths.
• Try shelf dividers. They come in especially handy when your linen closet is multi-purpose. For instance, you can partition an area for laundry supplies, another for your iron, and others for your sheets and towels.
• Use baskets, bins, or cubbies. With the right collection of containers, you can organize your linens in numerous ways. Perhaps you’d like to separate your sheets by size so all the twin sheets go in one bin, all the queen sheets go in another, and so on. Or maybe you’d prefer to designate a basket for each room in the house and put all the linens for the guest room in one bin, the kitchen linens in another, etc. Whatever arrangement you choose, containers will help you use your space more efficiently.
• Put bulky items on the bottom. If you have extra quilts, blankets, or seasonal items, store those in the bottom of the closet. It’s best to have sheets, pillowcases, and towels on the middle shelves, so you can reach them easily. You can save the top shelves for smaller items you use less often, such as holiday napkins or extra pillows.
• Use clear containers for non-linen items. When you have to store toiletries, tissue paper, or other items in your linen closet, consider using clear containers. That way, you don’t have to go through every basket or bin to find what you want.

Call Closets by Design

If you truly want to maximize the space in your linen closet, call the experts at Closets by Design. We can transform it into a masterpiece of organization. Whether your linen closet is large or small, we’ll measure it to the inch and prepare a custom design for you. You can choose from hundreds of features, such as adjustable shelves, shelf dividers, wire baskets, and drawers. And if you want a totally new linen closet, we can create one for you. All we need is a little space, such as an unused corner of your laundry room or a blank wall in your bathroom. Schedule your free in-home consultation today, and see why we’re an industry leader in total customer satisfaction.

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Start by Emptying Your Closet

That’s right, take out everything. In order to use all the clothes in your closet, you first have to see what’s in there. As you remove items, separate them into four piles — keep, mend, donate or consign, and toss. This is the perfect time to try on clothes you haven’t worn for a while. If something doesn’t fit or if you don’t like the way it looks on you, get rid of it.

Sort the Remaining Clothes

If you live in a climate that requires different attire for each season, start by separating your warm-weather clothes from the cold-weather ones. Then within each season, separate items into categories based on use, such as work, casual, dressy, and outdoor. At this stage, you can put away the clothes that are out of season. Whether you hang them in the back of your closet or store them in bins, the idea is to get them out of the way so you can focus on the clothes you’ll be wearing for the next few months.

Put Together Your Outfits

Now it’s time for some fun. See how many outfits you can create from what’s already in your wardrobe. An easy way to start is by laying out all your pants and skirts. Then take each top and see how many bottoms it pairs well with. Hopefully, each top will work with multiple bottoms. Next, pull out your shoes, belts, and other accessories to finish the outfit. Be creative and experiment with mixing textures and colors. Make sure to look at your dresses, sweaters, jackets, and suits as well to see how they work with the rest of your wardrobe.

Record Your Combinations

You don’t want to forget any of the fabulous new combinations you’ve discovered, so be sure to document them. Some people like to keep a wardrobe diary where they write down the various ways they can use each piece. Another option is to create a fashion album in your phone by taking pictures of the outfits as you put them together. You can even tap into your inner model and photograph yourself wearing each one.

Organize Your Closet

Once you know how all your pieces work together, you need to store them in a way that makes them easy to access. When you organize by outfit, you can set up zones for work clothes, casual wear, etc. This is where closet dividers come in handy. Even if you have a small closet, you can create zones to organize your clothes and accessories. Of course, when you have a walk-in closet, you have more room for additional categories. If, for instance, you like planning what you’re going to wear ahead of time, designate a section specifically for your weekly wardrobe. Over the weekend you can pick out the clothes you want to wear each day of the coming week. Then you can wake up and grab an outfit without having to think about it.

Let Closets by Design Help

No one knows how to organize a closet better than the professionals at Closets by Design. Whether your closet is tiny or huge, they can customize it with adjustable shelving, hanging bars, shoe racks, and more to create a space where your clothing and accessories are always in their place. Best of all, you can schedule a free in-home design consultation with one of our experts. Contact us today to learn more.

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Choose a Room to Transform

Have you realized that you never use that home workout room? Or maybe your youngest child has left the house. Whatever the reason, if you have an extra room, you can repurpose it as a walk-in closet. Ideally, the room you choose should be close to your bedroom, so you have easy access to your wardrobe. But if that won’t work in your home, you can put your closet anywhere you like, as long as you don’t mind a little walk to get there.

If you’re thinking about converting your current guest room but are worried about getting rid of the bed, don’t be. Closets by Design offers an array of wall beds  in single, double, and queen sizes. When not in use, these beds fold up into the wall, so they’re out of the way for your day-to-day routine. However, if you have company in town — voila, instant bed. Best of all, a wall bed can be integrated seamlessly into the design for your new closet, creating an elegant multi-functional space.

Decide Which Features You Want

When you work with the experts from Closets by Design, we’ll measure your room and itemize the contents of your wardrobe. Then we’ll sit down with you to create a custom design that’s perfect for your space. With dozens of material options and hundreds of features to choose from, our closet systems can be configured in a nearly infinite number of ways. Would you like an entire wall of adjustable shelves for your shoes and purses? Do you want a valet rod for putting together your outfit for the next day’s activities? Maybe you need a velvet-lined jewelry drawer for your sunglasses and earrings or a security drawer for your truly precious treasures. How about a tilt-out hamper for your dirty clothes or an island with drawers where you can fold clean laundry and stash sweaters or jeans? Those are only a few of the many options you can incorporate into your customized closet.

Express Your Inner Diva

Just as your wardrobe represents your unique style, so can your closet. Once your designs are exactly as you want them, you can choose from a variety of colors and even textures for your project.  Our offerings will match any taste and any décor.  And after you finalize your order, Closets by Design will build your units from the finest materials and professionally install them. Then it’s up to you to add the personalized touches that will take your closet to the next level of awesomeness.

Schedule Your Free In-Home Consultation

At Closets by Design, we understand that a closet is more than a storage unit for your wardrobe, so we’ll help you create a soothing space where you can prepare for the upcoming day and unwind after it. Since 1982, we’ve built a reputation as an innovator in our industry. Our quality products and excellent customer service have caused even the most hard-to-please divas to sing our praises. Contact us today to schedule your no-obligation in-home consultation.

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According to a study done in 2016 by Cornell University, the stress caused by clutter may trigger coping and avoidance strategies such as oversleeping, eating junk food, and binge-watching media. But getting rid of clutter and the stress it causes does not have to be difficult. As organizational expert Barbara Hemphill points out, “Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions.” If you have decided it is time to clear out the clutter in your home, here are some decluttering tips to help you begin the process.

Decluttering Tips – Focus on One Area at a Time

The thought of decluttering and organizing an entire home can feel overwhelming. That is why our top decluttering tip starts in one area, even if it is just a junk drawer in the kitchen. After you have thrown away all the used twist ties and rubber bands, the broken can opener, and the pens with no ink, then you can start clearing out the kitchen in earnest. Old sponges and scratched or broken plastic containers harbor bacteria, so toss them out. Gather up all the plastic grocery bags that are lurking in cabinets and take them back to the store for recycling. If you have appliances, gadgets, or dishes that you no longer use, give them to a local thrift store or your favorite charity. Get rid of old condiments in the refrigerator and expired food in the pantry. Once you have cleaned out the things you no longer need or use, it is time to reorganize and find a place for everything that is left. To keep clutter under control for the long run, onsider adding a custom pantry system. Closets by Design can help you create the perfect pantry for your space, incorporating shelves, drawers, baskets, and other design elements that will make organizing your kitchen easy.

Use the OHIO Rule 

OHIO stands for “only handle it once.” Once you pick up an item, decide what to do with it right then, rather than shuffling it from one pile to another. This decluttering tip works particularly well where mail and paperwork are concerned. Toss junk mail and promotional items into the recycling bin or trash can as soon as you receive them. When possible, pay bills as soon as they arrive, rather than leaving them piled on a desk or countertop until the due date. If you are unable to pay them right away, have a system to put your bills in order by the due date so you know where they all are, and they are easy to find. For paperwork that you need to keep (such as receipts for work or taxes), create file folders, and use them. If you don’t already have a home office or if your current one isn’t working well, it may be time for an upgrade. Closets by Design offers custom desks designed with efficiency and taste in mind, and the desks can be combined with wall shelving and cabinets to create the ultimate home office. Once you have a place to organize all the paperwork that flows into your home, it is much simpler to follow the OHIO Rule.

Decluttering Tips – Out With the Old 

While this decluttering tip can be applied to everything from outdated electronics to toys, it is especially applicable to shoes and clothing. Most of us have clothes in our closets that we never wear because they don’t fit, they’re damaged, or we simply don’t like or need them. If you have items in your wardrobe that you have not worn in the last year, it is time to get rid of them. You will be amazed at the space you free up, and you can then begin to organize the clothes you regularly wear. Not ready to donate these items? Put them in a box with the date on it. If, after six months, you have not been tempted to get something out of the box, you can feel confident you will not miss it when it is permanently gone. Another great way to manage the clutter in your closet is to have a dedicated space for everything in it. Closets by Design can customize your walk-in closet with adjustable shelves, cubbies, tie or jewelry drawers, and more. If you don’t have a walk-in, don’t worry — even a small closet can be carefully organized and customized with hanging bars, shoe racks, and adjustable shelving.

Utilize Your Garage

Once you have gotten rid of things that you no longer need or want, move on to the next decluttering tips: designate places for frequently used items (such as your yoga mat or chargers for electronic devices). Store any overflow items (like camping gear or beach toys) in see-through bins in your garage. To make the most of the storage space in your garage, let Closets by Design create a unique garage organizer to meet your specific needs. It is much easier to store your belongings with our combination of cabinets, shelving, countertops, and more.

Contact Closets by Design for a Free In-Home Consultation

Since 1982, Closets by Design has been helping people organize their homes. We offer the highest quality, value, and service in the industry. Contact us today to schedule your free in-home consultation. It’s the best decluttering tip of all!

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Here’s a look at the best way to design a media room to make the most of your available space.

The Right Room for Your Media Room

It might be a spare bedroom, a basement, or even an upstairs landing. The best location would be one that’s removed from the main areas of the house, so it won’t be noisy. You need to consider how much light the room gets and if it will cause a glare on the television, and if so, you’ll need to purchase blackout curtains. If you are repainting, you might want to consider a darker color to minimize light reflection, and you should avoid any gloss or semi-gloss paint. The shape of the room, square or rectangular, will impact the acoustics and carpeting will help muffle ambient noise, but if you don’t have a carpet, an area rug can serve the same purpose.

Screen Size

It may be tempting to buy the biggest TV you can afford, but you need to take the room’s dimensions into consideration. In order to calculate the right size, measure the distance from your seating area to where the television will be. Divide that number in half to get the size of the TV that will best fit the size of the room.

Now Hear This

Whether you’re watching television or listening to music, you’re going to want it to sound great. Consider the least obtrusive spots to put the speakers without sacrificing the audio quality. You may want to consider installing them in the ceiling if possible.

Take a Seat

Watching sports or movies will likely be a common pastime in your media room, so you want to make sure you have the right furniture to fit your needs.  Do you need a sofa, loveseat or recliners? If you are planning to purchase new furniture, be sure to measure the room prior to heading out to your favorite furniture store to ensure the items will fit. And don’t forget to add space for walking around and make sure your room isn’t too crowded.

Media Room Snack Station

When you are entertaining, you’ll find it helpful to have drinks and snacks handy, so you don’t have to constantly run to the kitchen to get what you need. A small dorm-size fridge may be a nice addition to your space. Having a place to put your snacks so you and your guests can easily access them from the room will be an important part of your planning.

Out of Sight

Leaving cable boxes, video game controllers, and all those wires in sight will take away room the sleek look of your media room. You’ll want to have cabinets designed to keep all the electronics you’ll need out of sight, yet still accessible.

Closets by Design can design a streamlined media center for you, no matter how much space you have to work with. Their entertainment centers can be designed with drawers and shelves to easily hide cables and other components of your media system. Our designers will come to your house and work with you to find the best space for your media center, and then custom design it to meet your needs.

At Closets by Design, we’re passionate about maximizing home storage while enhancing the beauty of your interior. You’ll get to choose from many choices of different materials, colors, and feature upgrades such as deco-style doors and drawers, and decorative handles. The many options ensure it will fit into your current décor, whether that’s traditional, modern, or something in between.

If you would like Closets by Design to help you design the perfect media room before your next party, schedule your free design consultation today.

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Here are a few of our favorite ideas.

Create More Space in the Garage with Custom Cabinets

Adding custom cabinets can create more space in the garage by increasing the storage potential from floor to ceiling. Garage cabinets aren’t just any cabinet. They are made from a durable material designed to withstand the temperature fluctuations and storage challenges that come with a garage.

A Closets by Design professional will measure your space precisely and help you determine which units will suit your storage needs best. You can choose exposed shelves and cubbies for your most frequently used items or place your shelving behind doors to hide any unsightly items.  Pull-out trays Slatwall with various accessories are perfect for assuring easy access to tools and sliding wire baskets are a great spot to toss tape, glue, and other small items. Extra deep upper cabinets provide an out-of-the-way place to stow seasonal items, such as holiday decorations or camping gear. Our garage cabinets offer so many storage possibilities it’s best to work with a design expert so they can assess your needs and provide the best solution.

Include a Workstation

If you enjoy tinkering in your garage, then you’ll definitely want to add a functional workbench. Closets by Design has multiple options. A workbench can create more space in the garage by providing a simple but elegant place to repot plants or rewire a lamp. And if you don’t like working in one place, add a pull-out island on wheels. This innovative feature saves on space because it fits below the counter, but it comes with drawers and a countertop so you can roll your supplies and your workstation anywhere in the garage.

Utilize Wall Space

Vertical space often gets overlooked, but with the right wall organizing system, you can easily create more space in the garage and maximize your storage potential. With Designwall™ from Closets by Design, an entire wall (or a designated portion) is fitted with panels that secure lock-in hooks, shelves, baskets, and more. Get bulky items off the garage floor with wall mounts designed specifically for bikes, skis, and other sports accessories. Specialized hooks allow you to hang your shovel, rake, and hoe and store your garden hose and outdoor extension cord in neat coils. You can mix and match various sizes of wire baskets and shelves, and with several types of bins to choose from, you can find the perfect containers for all of your screws and nails. In fact, you’ll probably be surprised by just how many things you can hang on one wall.

Schedule Your Free In-Home Consultation

Whether your garage is massive or small, Closets by Design can help you create more space in the garage by making the most of the space you have. We’ve been innovators in our industry for decades and offer the highest quality products for the best value. Schedule a free in-home consultation with one of our design professionals today.

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