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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Brio is a word that describes something with vigor and vivaciousness. That’s just what you get with the Brio Collection! This closet collection combines the best of sleek, modernist design with bold textures to immediately add some extra panache and elegance to any room.

Learn more about the Brio Collection from Closets by Design and how you can turn any room into the modern masterpiece of your dreams.

Sleek Storage that Stands the Test of Time

Storage is one of the biggest selling points when people are looking for a home. The Brio Collection is the perfect closet, whether you’re upgrading a chic downtown apartment or want to add some modern flair to your cozy family cottage. Whatever your style might be, you can give your home the look it deserves with these incredible, classy closets.

The Brio Collection takes everything you love about sleek, modern design and turns it into a sophisticated and convenient organizational system that can complete the look of any home. The modern design of this collection never goes out of style, and it’s always sure to make an impression now and in the future.

Clean Design Gives Your Clothes the Spotlight

You’ve worked hard building your clothing collection. Each item is carefully curated for maximum style and impact. It’s no wonder you want to show off your wardrobe! That’s why you need a closet system designed to perfectly complement your clothes.

Just like how the perfect picture frame brings out the best in the artwork, the Brio Collection does the same thing for your clothes.

Find the Right Finish for Your Home

Not only does the subtle style of the Brio Collection complement your clothes, it also comes in a wide range of finishes to perfectly match your home. Choose from a light and softer color to add a classic feel to your closet or opt for a darker finish for a more modern, daring look.

When you work with one of our professional closet designers to create your custom closet system, you know you’re getting a closet that has been carefully crafted to pair perfectly with your home and style. Thanks to the variety of styles and finishes, you’re sure to find the right closet for you. You could even add a beautiful island to spice up the texture and feel of your closet with a luxurious look you’ll love.

Brio Collection is a Closet as Chic and Sophisticated as You

Don’t let the same old boring molding and cramped closet that came with your home keep you down. Upgrade with the stylish and sophisticated Brio Collection from Closets by Design and fall in love with your wardrobe all over again. Schedule your in-home design consultation today!

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It turns out that the colors and shades we surround ourselves with can have a profound impact on our lives. In fact, the colors in your home do more than reveal your personality traits; they can affect the mood and behavior of you and your guests.

Depending on the room and how you use it, you may want to adjust the color of your cabinets and closets to better reflect what you want from your space.

Here is what you need to know about what your cabinet color is saying and how you can pick the right color to perfectly complement your home.

Browns and Woodgrains Convey Security and Sincerity

Brown is a popular color when it comes to cabinets and closets. However, this isn’t just because of the materials! Brown is a color people find in nature, so wood grains and browns can communicate feelings of security and reliability. This is a big reason why browns go a long way to helping your house feel like home!

Decorating your home with a lighter woodgrain can help conjure a feeling of genuineness in your room. Meanwhile, darker browns evoke a natural warmth in the home that also communicates comfort. Be sure to balance browns with other, brighter colors to create a room that feels both positive and protective.

Use Warm Colors to Create Cheerful Rooms

When planning a color scheme for your home, it’s important to consider what you want to achieve with each room. Is this a room for quiet and relaxation or a lively living room where people gather and talk? Make sure you’re choosing the right color for your cabinets to send the right message.

For example, if you spend a lot of time in your kitchen, especially with your family, then you may want to opt for a motif that is bright, cheerful, and conducive to happy and positive attitudes while cooking and eating.

Lighter and brighter colors on the warmer end of the spectrum convey a sense of happiness and well-being that can extend to both you and your guests. These include reds, yellows, and oranges to help you feel active and alert.

Bold Black Represents Elegance and Perfection

Black is always a bold choice when it comes to colors. There’s no question that black is always a strong statement, but the choice to go with black also reveals a lot about you and your own personality. If you love the look of a sleek black finish for your cabinets, then you may be a powerful perfectionist at heart!

While some people may view black with negative connotations, many people see black as symbolizing power, elegance, and formality. Another great thing about black is that it goes with everything! Just like how your “little black dress” is the most versatile piece of clothing in your closet, black cabinets and doors are the perfect complement to any room.

White is a Blank Canvas for Purity and Goodness

White is another option that says a lot with a minimalist look. Traditionally, white has come to symbolize purity and innocence in Western culture. This is a major reason why the color is so associated with wedding dresses. But it wasn’t always that way!

Actually, white wasn’t a popular color for wedding dresses until 1840, when Queen Victoria wore a white dress when she married Prince Albert. At the time, white was worn as a color for mourning. Of course, once the royals started a new trend, everyone wanted to get on board, just like today!

And white does more than represent a world of possibilities and a fresh start for every room. White also has a practical application by making rooms feel larger and more spacious. This is especially helpful if you’re dealing with an apartment or smaller room.

Connect with a Designer to Find the Right Color For You!

What do you think you want your cabinets and closets to say about you? Do you already have an idea of the kinds of colors you want to work with on your next upgrade? That means it’s time to speak with a professional Designer at Closets by Design! Schedule your free design consultation and find the perfect palette for your home today!

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Kaszmeir was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (or COPD) in September 2018. COPD is a chronic, life-threatening lung disease that compromises her lung function. The condition is rarely seen in someone so young. The Mayo Clinic says most people are at least 35 to 40 years old when they experience the first symptoms of COPD.

A Need to Help Those in Need

Constant breathing tests, blood work, X-rays, and medication are the new normal for Kaszmeir. She also needs an oxygen tank by her side 24/7 to help her breathe. Because of this, she spends a lot of time at home – and like most teens, in her bedroom.

“When we first heard about Kaszmeir’s wish, we immediately wanted to help,” says Doug Gauert, owner of Closets by Design of Milwaukee. “She is struggling with a difficult disease. We knew we could design something to make her happier and more comfortable at home.”

Gauert and his team went right to work. The Closets by Design team installed not one but two closets in the small home where Kaszmeir lives with her grandmother, a sister, an uncle and a cousin. The room was then decorated with vintage pieces that Kaszmeir helped pick out.

A Custom Closet to Bring Paris Home

“This doesn’t even look like my room,” exclaimed Kaszmeir when she walked into her new Parisian themed bedroom for the first time. “I’m truly stunned. Everything is perfect.”

Kaszmeir loves history, old-school music and reading. Her favorite movie stars are Julie Andrews, Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor. She enjoys watching “Casablanca” and episodes of “I Love Lucy.” Since Kaszmeir is a bit of an “old soul” and has very particular tastes, the old-fashioned Parisian style room compliments her favorite things.

Supporting Family for their Sacrifices

Closets by Design also surprised Kaszmeir’s grandmother with a new closet. The surprise was to honor all the sacrifices she has made for her granddaughter.

“It’s very important to me personally to give back to my community. I’m proud of my team at Closets by Design for all their hard work on this project,” adds Gauert. “Also, the look on Kaszmeir’s face when she saw her room for the first time will forever be imprinted in my heart.”

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Meet an Inspiring Spirit

When we first heard about Jenna’s wish for a new closet, we knew we had to make it come true. The courageous seven-year-old girl was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (type 2) when she was only 18 months old. The disease is characterized by progressive muscle weakness that has left Jenna with limited arm strength and almost no leg strength. Her diagnosis also comes with its own regular battery of tests. In addition to blood work, Jenna also receives spinal tap injections. These injections are part of a drug trial to further slow down the progression of her disease.

Of course, Jenna is far too tough to let her disease slow her down. This vibrant girl enjoys an active life and brightens up the room wherever she goes. Jenna has plenty of friends and is active in playing wheelchair soccer. When she isn’t busy zooming across the court, she uses her power wheelchair to zip through her family’s home. But even with her tenacity, Jenna’s life isn’t without its struggles.

Creating Independence Through Custom Closets

Because of her disease, Jenna is unable to move freely around her room. She is even unable to reach the clothes in her closet. Her wish, to the surprise of everyone, was for a custom closet makeover. All Jenna wanted was to reach and pick out her own outfits without the help of anyone else. Her mother was surprised she didn’t ask for a horse or a dog, but all Jenna wanted was to be independent.

Closets by Design in St. Louis went right to work. Our team installed a complete custom closet as part of her room makeover that was designed for maximum accessibility. With pull-down rods and custom shelving, everything in Jenna’s closet is now within arm’s reach. Today, she is putting together her own outfits and picking out her clothes for school all on her own. It’s Jenna’s unstoppable spirit that makes her such a force to be reckoned with, we’re just happy to have had a part in helping her along the way.

Sharing Jenna’s Inspiring Story with the World

Our work with Make-A-Wish was documented by 919 Marketing, a national content marketing agency in North Carolina, to share Jenna’s story with the world. Jenna was an absolute joy to work with. She is easily one of the most incredible people we’ve ever met. In fact, we have a hard time watching the video without tearing up with joy. We were just so happy to make Jenna’s wish come true, but we couldn’t believe what happened next.

The powerful video of Jenna’s closet transformation went far beyond even our wildest dreams. The story of Jenna’s independence was so impactful and affecting that it earned a coveted award. The Telly Awards are a prestigious honor that recognize excellence in the world of video and television. Our work with Jenna took home a Bronze Telly Award in the General-Public Relations for Non-Broadcast category. Working with Jenna and her wonderful family was so fulfilling, but we’re beyond thrilled to see her inspiring story reach an even wider audience.

Making Dreams Come True, One Closet at a Time

Our dedication to dreamers is never done. The experience of teaming up with the Make-A-Wish Foundation was so positive and encouraging that we can’t wait for the next opportunity to make someone’s dreams come true. Schedule your free, in-home consultation to know more about what we did for Jenna, and how we can do the same for you and your family.

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Getting organized is second only to losing weight as the top 2014 resolution, according to statisticbrain.com, citing a study conducted Jan. 1 at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania.
If you’re a clothing, shoes and accessories hoarder and one of your resolutions is to get rid of closet clutter, help has arrived.

We asked wardrobe and design experts to offer tips on the best ways to keep the clutter at bay. All you have to do is decide on the strategies that work best for you, and then hop to it.

Housecleaning and Design

Fashion enthusiasts hire Sarah Eppard of Closets by Design of Minneapolis/St. Paul (800-293-3744; minneapolis.closetsbydesign.com) to organize and build their dream closets. Whether hiring a pro or going it alone, Eppard offers plenty of design ideas for making life, and finding buried shoes, easier:

• Dump the dust bunnies. At least once a year, give your closet a complete cleaning. Wash or vacuum the floor and dust shelving and walls. It’s a way to bring you face-to-face with your belongings and motivate you to get organized.
• Find the right home for your stuff. Find a place other than the bedroom to store such items as photo albums, exercise equipment, outdoor coats and vacuums. It’s also important to discard things you no longer want or need. If you haven’t worn it in a year, you probably won’t wear it anytime soon. Donate items to a good cause or take newer, gently -used clothing to resale shops for some extra cash.
• Create space with a closet organizer. You’d be amazed at how much you can fit into a space by installing an organization system. With more shelving, extra drawers and shoe racks, clothing for all seasons can fit neatly into one closet. Consider clear front drawers and shelf containers to make it easy to find pieces. Label containers, boxes and shelves for quick reference for remembering where everything belongs.
• Make the most of vertical space. Especially with small closets, installing slanted shoe shelves, double hanging rods and other storage features allows you to maximize space.
• Utilize the walls. If shelving does not work well for a section of a wall, consider a Slatwall paneling system. Hooks, baskets and other attachments can be added to Slatwalls according to your needs.

Editing Your Wardrobe

Senior stylist Tim Creagan of Minneapolis-based Style-Architects (tim@style-architects.com; 952-956-2621; style-architechs.com) offers these tips for getting your closet and wardrobe in shape.

• Edit for clarity. Scrutinize every item in your closets, drawers and wherever else you put your clothes. Ask yourself why it’s in your wardrobe. If items are in poor condition, do not fit, need repair or are something you don’t wear, pull them out of the pile and place them in bags labeled according to destination: donation, resale, a person who likes your hand-me-downs or a tailor.
• Organize for simplicity. Group clothing together by style: T-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, skirts, pants, dresses. Then organize by color: light to dark, left to right. It will make finding pieces and getting ready much easier.
• Keep what you need close at hand. If you store wardrobe pieces in multiple places, take what you wear most often and keep it close to where you get ready every day. Store items you rarely wear farther away. For example, formal wear you might need only once year can be kept in another part of the house. This will free space in your primary closet.
• Have “looks” at the ready. Take time to put together a few fresh looks. Hang them together by outfit. Then, on those days when you are in a rush, you will have a complete look with accessories ready to go. This is also a great way to start using pieces you might not wear as much as you’d like.
• Use proper hangers. Store knits on padded hangers, clip pants at the waist, and keep jackets on wood hangers. That way, you won’t be running for an iron or putting a jacket over a sweater with stretched-out shoulders.

by Nancy Ngo

Originally printed in the St. Paul Pioneer Press | January 24, 2014

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