It’s gotten so difficult to shop for significant others in recent years that many households are skipping gifts altogether. Call us old-fashioned, but we still love receiving something special during the holidays. Even better, we have some great ideas for how you can surprise that special someone in your life.

Instead of racking your brain trying to think of the perfect gift for your partner, you should seriously consider giving them somewhere to put all those incredible gifts!

We’re talking about upgrading your storage space for the holidays with a new closet, pantry, or organizational system to bring peace on Earth to your home — and your relationship!

Find out how you can win this holiday season by giving the gift of organization!

Give Them the Closet They’ve Always Dreamed Of

It’s been reported that people will give up some wild things to have more space in their closets. Thankfully, you don’t have to make any drastic sacrifices to upgrade your closet with Closets by Design.

Even without a full closet remodel, there are all kinds of changes you can make that can maximize your space to make your closet seem bigger and more efficient.

Not only do people want more space in their closet, couples also fight about sharing closet space. A custom closet system could be just the thing to give your partner the space they deserve. It might even improve your relationship!

It has been shown that a tidier home leads to a happier relationship. Maybe some organization is just the spark your relationship needs. See how you can upgrade your closet this holiday season to give your partner a surprise that keeps on giving.

Install the Perfect Pantry for the Foodie in Your Life

If you or your partner love cooking, baking, or just eating, then you’ve probably given plenty of kitchen gadgets and cookbooks as gifts. These can be thoughtful, but what if you already have a stand mixer with too many attachments?

Instead of adding more clutter to the kitchen, you could find a way for your partner to store and organize all their stuff! If there’s one thing that foodies love, it’s an organized kitchen with everything at arm’s reach. The same goes for your pantry.

Consider adding custom shelving solutions to your pantry to find the perfect place for ingredients, spices, and more. Improving your pantry and kitchen storage is a terrific way to make this room one of the coziest and well-organized rooms in your house. That’s not to mention finding a place to put all those holiday sweets and treats!

A Place to Put Those Special Holiday Bottles

If the market trends are to be believed, then there’s a good chance that many people may be giving out a different kind of holiday cheer for gifts this year. Alcohol sales are up more than 25 percent, and sales traditionally double during the holidays. With so much cheer flowing around the table, where are you going to keep it all?

Even the nicest and most well-meaning bottles take up space on the shelf. If you plan on saving some of the nicer bottles from friends and family, then you’re going to need a place to store them.

If it’s a particularly rare or valuable bottle, you may want to show it off in a special light. Installing a custom wine rack and organization system is a wonderful way to store your wine. It also lets you add much-needed organization to show off that special bottle for your holiday feast.

Schedule Your Consultation to Make Your Season Bright!

Do you have a special someone in your life that could use a new closet? Give them the gift of organization to simplify their life during a stressful time and help them go into the new year with style!

Schedule your free consultation today and learn how you can give a gift that will keep on giving long after the holidays are done.

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Even people with adequate physical storage space — including closets, pantries, and garages — may find that these spaces themselves can become the source of chaos. This is especially true if they are ill-designed. Are your closets stuffed to the max? Can’t find anything in your packed pantry? Then you might need a little professional help!

Closets by Design provides custom solutions for organization — including reach-in and walk-in closets, pantries, laundry spaces, home offices, and garage storage. We also provide all the accessories necessary to furnish a functional space — including cabinetry, shelving, cubbies, drawers, racks, jewelry trays, tilt-out hampers, and wall organizers. If you can imagine what your perfect space would be, we can build it. And if you cannot imagine what it needs to be? That is why we have professionals who can help you personally evaluate your comprehensive needs and what designs will best serve you.

If you are truly stuck, you might even want to make a call to us your first step in canceling the clutter in your home. Meanwhile, here are some tips to get you started.

Closets

If you have not done a thorough purge of your bedroom closet lately, it will make your decluttering project a little longer but more productive in the end. You will be able to really assess your space and what it lacks.

• Get rid of whatever you do not wear. To help you truly determine what you do not wear, try this trick. Face hangers in one direction and turn them around when you wear what is on them. After six months, clothes on hangers facing the original direction can be put in the donation pile.
• Hang tops and skirts over built-in shelves or drawers and hang long dresses and pants on higher rods where there is nothing underneath.
• Consider installing a system with slanted shoe shelves. A hanging shoe storage system is a temporary option, but shelves will help shoes last longer and keep them out of the way (yet on display).
• It is easy to make a mess if you do not have designated spots for smaller items, like ties, belts, and jewelry. Pros can install a tie drawer, jewelry drawer, and a sliding belt rack to help keep such items organized.
• Look for unnecessary items that may have intruded on the space, like unused sporting gear or electronics. Move these to garage or living room storage areas.

Pantry

You may turn your pantry inventory over quickly, but most of us have those jars and cans that seem to remain untouched.

• Remove everything from the pantry and purge! Check the expiration dates and toss everything that is past its prime. If you have food items that are still good, but you know you will never use them — consider donating to a local food pantry.
• After a quick wipe down, begin to put things back in an organized way. Clear containers and bins are helpful for corralling things by type, such as a bin for snack bars, one for chips, etcetera.
• Consider decanting pasta, rice, and cereal and baking items like flour and sugar for a more streamlined look.
• One of the benefits of having a custom pantry installed from Closets by Design is NOT dealing with wire shelving. It is so much easier to organize items on flat shelving.
• Some of the trends we are installing in home pantries include drawers with acrylic fronts so you can easily see what’s inside and wire baskets that pull out. These are great for storing vegetables.

Garage

If your car is in the driveway all the time because it will not fit in the garage, you are going to need a lot more than a broom and dustpan. Make a plan and pace yourself!

• Dedicate a full day or weekend to decluttering and organizing the garage. You can even make it a family project.
• Sort items into piles — Keep, Donate, Sell or Toss — with those “toss” items, be sure to identify the items that can be recycled.
• Keep items that you use frequently, such as pet leashes, within easy reach — perhaps on hooks by the door.
• Create zones for groups of things such as auto care, gardening, and sports equipment, so that like items are stored together.
• Place rarely used items, such as holiday decorations, on shelves or in cabinets. We install a line of extremely study cabinetry and shelving units specifically designed for garages.
• Tools like shovels and rakes as well as bicycles are best stored by hanging on the wall. Our slatwall system is perfect for these items. You can move the hooks around and even pop on baskets and bins to hold smaller items.

Imagine having a garage where there is also room for your car. Closets by Design can not only provide garage organizational solutions but also help you outfit custom work areas for carpentry or other hobbies.

Let Us Help!

Decluttering would be less of a chore for many people if they did not feel like they were just moving “stuff” from one place to another. Having a custom home organization system might seem like too much of a luxury, but quality, affordable options are available to you. Contact our professionals today for a free consultation.

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With nowhere to go and little to do, alcohol sales have also seen a marked increase during 2020. In fact, sales of alcohol are up 27 percent, with wine sales alone increasing 26 percent. Of course, with all these extra bottles comes a need to find somewhere to store them all in a way that is both functional and looks great!

This where those home improvement projects and Zoom wine dates with the girls combine! Learn what you need to know about how to display your wine the right way and make your pantry and winebar more functional and fashionable than ever.

Dedicated Space for Bottles Makes Room for Other Things

The first step in upgrading your pantry is finding a dedicated space to store your food, bottles, pots and pans, and other kitchen items. Space in your pantry fills up fast, which is why you deserve space devoted to bulky items.

Bottles can take up a lot of space if not stored properly. Worse, you could accidentally knock a bottle of wine off a pantry shelf and break it while searching for dinner.

Adding a wine rack to your pantry system helps provide a place for everything and keep everything in its place. This ensures everything in your pantry has ample room so that it’s easy to store and access.

Where You Store Your Wine Matters

A big part of making space for your wine rack is finding the perfect place to put it. It turns out that where you store your wine is as important to how it tastes as the brand itself.

A beautiful wine rack with bottles shining in the sunlight may look pretty, but it’s actually terrible for your wine. Remember that people store their wine in cellars and caves for a reason.

Sunlight and UV rays are bad for your wine by making amino acids in your wine oxidize, which can impact the taste and flavor of your wine. When you pick a place for your wine rack, be sure to keep it away from windows and natural light.

Don’t Let Wine Get Too Hot

Just like how you don’t want your wine to be exposed to too much sun, you also don’t want your wine to be too hot either. They say that the best temperature to store wine at is a brisk 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, 55 degrees can get chilly awfully fast. You’ll probably need a wine refrigerator or an actual cellar to keep wine this cold.

For the rest of us, your wine should be fine as long as the temperature stays around the 60s or 70s. As long as you avoid storing your wine in a part of your home that’s too warm, such as a laundry room, you should be just fine.

The Right Rack Stores Your Bottles Sideways

This tip is more practical for those of you storing wine in your home for the long haul. If you plan on drinking a bottle in the next few weeks, then you don’t need to worry as much about long term storage. However, how you store wine matters for those special bottles you plan on holding onto for a few years, like a bottle you are saving for your wedding anniversary.

Just like the professionals, you should seriously consider storing your wine sideways rather than upright, at least, if the wine has a cork. The reason for this, beyond it looking impressive in your home, is that storing wine on its side keeps the wine in contact with the cork, which prevents it from drying out. Because the cork doesn’t dry out, it remains expanded and prevents oxygen from entering the bottle and spoiling your wine.

That’s why incorporating wine racks or pull out shelves with lips into your pantry is a wonderful way to ensure your wine is stored properly while also saving space and helping your home look great.

Bars are for More Than Just Alcohol

While storing liquor and wine bottles is the purview of many pantries, you can take advantage of this space for much more than just alcohol. With a little creativity, you can transform your pantry into a beautiful display to complement any room.

Use your bar or pantry to accent the rest of your room and put your favorite things on display. Try storing cookbooks, art, flowers, pictures, and more fun things to brighten your room and add some extra personality to your pantry.

Let Closets by Design Improve Your Pantry

It’s time to put your pantry to good use with an upgrade from the professionals at Closets by Design. Learn how you can transform any space into the wine cellar of your dreams. Schedule your free consultation with Closets by Design today!

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For example, some of our pantry features can provide you with quick access to your most commonly used tools. The spacious and wide shelving can easily store an infrequently used crockpot, clearing valuable space on your counters. Vertical storage becomes the perfect home for baking sheets and muffin tins.

Upgrade Your Pantry for Easy Access

Don’t have a pantry and need more storage space in your kitchen? Our attractive Butler’s Pantry design offers spacious drawers for additional storage. And, who says it needs to be in your kitchen? A Butler’s Pantry looks great in a living room, or it could add some pizzazz to your utility room or garage.

A pantry from Closets by Design could have wide and deep shelving custom designed to meet your needs. Add pull-out shelves to make accessing all your items even easier. You might even consider adding slanted can shelves with lips on the front to keep items from tumbling to the floor— and onto your toe!

Sleek Shelving Keeps You Organized

And there’s nothing worse than getting halfway through a recipe only to find that you’re missing some of the ingredients. Our shelf design does more than help you stay organized. You’ll also see exactly what you have in stock, so your shopping becomes a breeze. A quick glance before a trip to the store is all it takes when you have a pantry organized by Closets by Design.

Our Lucite Shelf Dividers allow you to corral canned goods on one side of the shelf while pasta and rice are stored on the other. Plus, you’ll never have bottles of wine taking up valuable real estate on your counters when you have a built-in wine rack in your pantry. Closets by Design offers two wine rack options to make storing your favorite bottles easy — and out of the way!

Call for a Pantry You Can Be Proud Of

When it comes to cooking, quick access to items in your kitchen is priceless. It can turn a chore into a pleasure, and when that happens, you’re more likely to eat at home and eat healthier. Closets by Design can help develop a pantry plan for you that will work perfectly in your space and help streamline your life.

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The solution could be right in your own pantry — or at least inspired by it! You may already have many of the items needed to make your own gifts, and if not, you can take a quick trip to the grocery store. Read on for gift ideas to suit everyone from your child’s piano teacher to your neighborhood postal carrier.

Mason Jar Gifts
Mason jar gifts are always a hit among anyone who likes to cook. Recipients will enjoy not only making the recipes, but also saving the jars for reuse.

Here are a few ideas for fun mason jar gifts you can make. Simply layer the ingredients in the jar, attach a printed recipe on a nice card, add a bow, and voila! You’ve got a simple, inexpensive gift that needs no gift bag or box. The jar itself is presentation enough!

• Hot chocolate mix with cocoa, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips and peppermint (tutorial here)
• Quick bread, cookie or brownie ingredients (here’s one for chocolate chip oatmeal quick bread)
• Sauce, dip or soup ingredients (bean soup mix, anyone?)
• And of course, for the foodie who works with her hands so often, how about a manicure kit with polish, nail art and manicure tools?

Lunchbox Kits
Similar to mason jar gifts, lunchbox kits allow you to include the ingredients for all kinds of recipes and DIY projects. The larger size of a lunchbox lets you squeeze in more items than you could fit in a jar. A few ideas for lunchbox kits include:

• Cupcake kit for friends who love to bake, with baking cups, sprinkles, icing, a frosting spatula and a small recipe booklet
• S’mores kit for outdoorsy types
• Martini kit for your bartender friends, with mini alcohol bottles, olives and a martini class
• Set of homemade seasonings for foodies

You’ll find more food-themed gift ideas here.

Homemade Anything
Whether it’s cookies, jam, sauces or preserves, you can’t go wrong with anything delicious you prepare in the kitchen yourself. This one is great in a pinch, too, when you think you’ve checked off every person on your list and suddenly remember your neighbor three doors down.

Whip up your favorite recipe, and present it in a nice bag, jar, bottle, gift box, basket or tin dressed up with a ribbon and a homemade card. If you want to get fancy, you can make your own label using chalkboard stickers, or simply print one from your computer.

And remember, next time you’re canning peaches or making your famous spaghetti sauce, store away a few extra jars. You’ll be glad you did the next time you need to give a gift! For even more pantry-inspired gift ideas, click here.

Pantry Prep
Once you’ve decided which gifts you’d like to make, take a peek inside your pantry. Can you easily find the ingredients you need? Now is a good time to get organized so your gift-making process goes smoothly. From there, make a grocery list with any items you need.

If you find yourself in need of a custom solution to organize your pantry, please contact us to schedule a free in-home design consultation. We’ll be happy to recommend the best systems to help you ring in the new year with an orderly kitchen.

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Although the holiday rush can get overwhelming, there’s lots you can do to make sure things run smoothly without sacrificing your sanity. Pour yourself a cup of spiced apple cider, settle into your favorite armchair with a paper and pen, and begin mapping out your game plan using our tips below.

Start With a System
First, create a system for managing all of the holiday details, from holiday recipes to your shopping list and budget. We love this holiday binder idea for keeping everything in one place. It might take some time to put the binder together, but once you do, you’ll be able to store it on a bookshelf and reference it year after year.

Next Up: The Pantry
Now that you have your recipes in mind, it’s time to do some holiday meal planning. Save yourself from endless trips to the grocery store by writing out the ingredients you’ll need for main dishes, side dishes, desserts, drinks and snacks. Next, take an inventory of what you do and don’t have on hand in your pantry. As you visit the grocery store in the coming weeks, start stocking up on anything you need.

Don’t forget to include extras of anything you know you’ll run out of quickly, such as sugar, flour and oils. It’s also a good idea to check with guests about any dietary restrictions so you can do your best to accommodate them when they visit. In the meantime, you also can set aside a bag of canned goods to donate to a local food bank.

Are you in need of a custom solution to organize your pantry? We have a variety of space-saving, attractive options to suit your needs.

Keep Them Entertained With an Organized Media Center
As you and your guests gather to play games, sip cocoa and watch movies and sports, you’ll want a comfortable space where everyone can relax. An organized media center makes it easy for family and guests to locate favorite movies and games. Meanwhile, it keeps them occupied and out of the kitchen as you’re busy preparing meals!

Prepare Guest Rooms
Whether your guests are staying in a spare bedroom or on a pull-out sofa, they’ll need a place to store their belongings while they’re visiting. Consider clearing out a section of a closet, getting rid of any excess clutter, and preparing extra towels and washcloths for your guests. An extra storage trunk or cabinet is a great way to keep items organized and accessible. Your guests will feel right at home!

Set Up a Gift-Wrap Station
Having a dedicated space for gift wrap, boxes, ribbon, tape, scissors and other supplies makes wrapping a cinch. Rather than having to clean up and put away materials after wrapping a gift or two, you can simply keep everything in easy reach. Check out our great ideas for a hobby center with a built-in gift-wrap station.

Encourage Everyone to Pitch In
Many hands make light work! Encourage your family members to pick up after themselves throughout this hectic time. If everyone does their fair share of tidying up, your home will stay not only orderly, but welcoming and cozy as well.

Last but not least, remember to take time to enjoy this precious time with loved ones. If you need an extra pair of helping hands to get your home prepped for the holidays, please contact us to schedule a free in-home design consultation. We have lots of great solutions to help you stay organized all year long.

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Step 1: Plan, Plan, Plan

A few minutes of careful planning can save you hours of work later on. Ask yourself the important questions. What items will you need the most this holiday season? They should be easy to see and reach. Are there any items you only use from time to time? Things you want to keep away from tiny hands? While you are planning, keep your daily habits in mind. If your pantry isn’t easy to use, then odds are, your organization efforts won’t stick.

Step 2: Install Space-Saving Shelving

Add rolling shelves to deep pantries so you can store cans and jars all the way in the back. Custom shelving can create spaces for oddly shaped items. Horizontal cubbies are great for cutting boards or baking pans. If you want to maximize your storage space, take a look at our custom pantry options!

Step 3: Organize Your Food Into Fun Containers

Look for clear containers to store your food. These let you see when supplies are running low, so you can restock before a holiday meal.

Give these creative containers a try:

Tall glass jars for pasta

• Plastic tubs for flour, sugar and rice
• Wire baskets for potatoes, bread, onions and more
• Lined baskets or wooden boxes to hold heavier items like cans, olive oil or pasta sauce
• Rolling boxes on the floor for heavy, bulky items

Step 4: Get Rid of Bulky Boxes

Boxes take up space you can’t afford to lose! Pull things like cereal and crackers out of their boxes and store them in baskets instead. Alternately, put binder clips on those bags and hang them from hooks.

Step 5: Label Everything!

Good labels help you and your family keep things organized, which means you can actually find your ingredients when it’s time to get cooking. Custom labels add some personal flare.

Try some of these unique labels:

• Chalkboard paper makes for creative and rewritable labels
• Print out labels on sticker paper for full-color designs
• Chalkboard or whiteboard paint is great for wooden boxes
• Write on clothespins for movable labels
• Magic decals are dishwater-safe; use this tutorial to make them

Step 6: List Space Inside the Pantry Door

Paint the inside of your pantry doors with chalkboard or whiteboard paint. Use this writable space to plan holiday meals and make grocery lists early so you can buy food on sale. You save money and have peace of mind, knowing your pantry is well-stocked and ready for the holiday festivities to begin!

We are always ready to help you get organized! Call 1-888-500-9215 or a location near you or go online to www.closetsbydesign.com to see our virtual showrooms and to find a designer near you.

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Since 1982, we’ve built a reputation of integrity as the industry leader in customer service and total customer satisfaction. Our commitment to quality, value and beauty makes Closets by Design the right choice for all your storage and organizational needs.

From our no obligation in-home consultation to installation (and everything in between!), our custom-tailored designs provide highest quality construction, giving you the best value available.

We Start and Complete Every Single Project

No step in the production of your system is ever out of our control. Every unit we sell is constructed in one of our own state-of-the art factories, regionally located to provide great local service.

• We never outsource any portion of the project; all work is done by our specially trained employees, guaranteeing consistent quality.
• Every unit is built as a fine piece of furniture, made to customer specifications, ensuring that the finished product will blend seamlessly with your home’s existing décor.
• All materials, finishes and hardware are high quality and meant to last.
• No middleman to increase costs.

You Always Deal Directly with Closets by Design

We take seriously the responsibility of being in your home, and everyone you deal with is a bonded, licensed and insured company employee of Closets by Design. This means that at every step of the process you can be assured of our commitment to excellence with your project.

• Our designers take the time to get to know you intimately, by listening carefully to your dreams, needs and preferences.
• Designs are custom-tailored to your wants and needs, with all materials, finishes, hardware, accessories and additional touches included in the written estimate.
• Detailed measurements are confirmed and final designs are approved with your designer before any construction begins.
• All installation is done by our own experienced installers.

Floor Based Construction for Permanent Stability

Closets by Design offers three floor based closet storage systems: Everyday, Classic and Regency. Each system has multiple custom options and features that can be added to the basic design so you get exactly what you want in order to maximize function, style and flexibility.

Floor based design allows for full-size doors, deeper panels and larger drawers than are available with wall mounted units. With the weight resting on the floor, you get greater stability than with a wall mounted system for closet interiors.

A floor based system also creates a more beautiful, built-in look with matching backing and crown and base moldings. It’s customized storage furniture you will love for years to come.

If you need new closets or other storage systems and are thinking about doing it yourself (DIY), you might want to reconsider:

• Most DIY systems have very limited warranties, dependent upon “proper” installation. (If you install it incorrectly, warranty could become null and void.)
• Our installations generally take only one day, unless it’s a very large or complex project. Chances are a handyman, your husband or you won’t get perfection in a one-day installation.
• Many DIY systems are wall mounted, with a much shorter lifespan than our floor based systems.

We are always ready to help you get organized! Call 1-888-500-9215 or a location near you or go online to www.closetsbydesign.com to see our virtual showrooms and to find a designer near you.

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Pull Out Shelving

Make sure all items are within reach. A popular feature that allows for easy access of hard-to-reach items is a pull-out shelf with a lip. The lip prevents food or appliances from falling off the shelves when you’re reaching for them.

Don’t store food items directly on the floor. This can attract rodents and other pests.  Instead, install shelves at least a couple of inches above the ground or make sure perishables are in tightly closed containers.

For a section of wall that will not accommodate shelving, consider adding Slatwall.  Hooks, baskets and other attachments can be added to Slatwall to personalize the storage area to meet any need and maximize the storage in a small space.

Don’t forget to make use of the back of your pantry door. Mini shelves on the doors take up hardly any space and can serve as an easily accessible spice rack.

If your shelves are jam-packed and you can’t find the things you need, consider shelf dividers. Although these dividers don’t save space, it’s a simple way to categorize everything on your shelves so you know where to look. Lucite shelf dividers are clear and easy to install.

Homeowners who are still limited on space even after organizing the pantry can consider the addition of a Butler’s Pantry. A cabinet can be built along the space of any unused wall to fit storage needs and match existing kitchen décor.

About Closets by Design

Since 1982, Closets by Design has built a reputation as the nation’s leader in the closet organizing and storage remodeling industry. The company offers customers comprehensive solutions to all their organizational needs in a short and simple process of designing, building and installing custom home offices, closets, garage cabinets, wall units, laundries, pantries, wardrobe mirror doors and other home organization systems. Closets by Design offers a wide selection of finishes, accessories and hardware. There are currently 33 franchise locations serving major markets across the country. To schedule a FREE in-home consultation or inquire about franchise opportunities, please visit www.closetsbydesign.com or call 800-293-3744.

Originally posted on Fab and Fit Living | January 2013

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