Walk-In Closets

I must admit, I am an aficionado of clothes, shoes, handbags, and accessories! I once saw a sign that read, “You can never be too rich, too thin, or have too many clothes.” Oh, how I love wearing a variety of clothing. I may be a Montana cowgirl, but that doesn’t mean jeans are the only thing to wear! My mom once said that buying clothes “is like your hobby!” My husband certainly wouldn’t approve of this comment! Bottom line, my closet is one of the most important things for me when designing a new home. When we start a new home for ourselves, my closet is on the priority list!

The Importance of a Walk-In Closet

In my opinion, the walk-in closet is the only way to go—and a girl needs her own space. I have an extra-large walk-in closet, and my husband has his own walk-in closet. There just isn’t enough room for both of us in one!

Getting Started: Planning and Organization

Organization was huge for me. I wanted shoe shelves, handbag storage, drawers, loads of hanging racks, and a center island where I could lay out outfits, de-lint clothes, fold, etc. I also imagined a chandelier, a giant mirror, and an old English/shabby chic décor. Basically, my goal was to create a fashion “command center,” but without a bunch of clutter.

Customizing Your Space

My advice to any woman who gets to build the closet of her dreams is to start with several considerations. What is your lifestyle—do you have a huge work ensemble but head to the barn on weekends? Do you work out every chance you get? Are you a frequent traveler? You get the idea. Your closet should help you organize and manage your daily routines. It helps to have work clothes organized in one area, jeans in another, workout apparel, formal attire, athleisure, etc. Then, within those categories, you can arrange by color and style. For example, blouses from white to dark, then suits from light to dark, etc.

Tips for Organizing Your Closet

There are countless ways to hang and fold everything, from jeans to sweaters. If you don’t want to take up space in your “long clothes” area, there are great tutorials on the internet for jeans hanging hacks, like looping the hanger into the front belt loops and flipping the legs over the hanger bar. When it comes to folding, there are many methods out there that both save space and look organized—one of the most popular is the KonMari Method, but you can find endless suggestions on YouTube.

Shelving is great for sweaters, sweatshirts, and items that don’t hang well. One side of my closet shelving is dedicated to sweaters from light to dark, and the other side to sweatshirts and sweatpants from light to dark. Across the room from these are my shoe shelves. Tennis shoes are grouped together, and dress shoes are in a separate area. I find that boots are best arranged under my bottom hanging bar since height often doesn’t work with the shelving. For the sake of organization, keeping boots together is preferable.

The Center Island

My center island features a granite top over two sides of drawers. I have drawers for underwear and bras, socks, leggings, swimsuits, etc. I think you would need a gigantic closet to hold all of one’s clothes, so items like pajamas, t-shirts, shorts, and tank tops are kept in dressers. But my closet houses the foundations for building outfits.

Creative Storage Solutions

There are so many ways to organize from here on. Tie and belt holders, baseball cap hangers, pull-out baskets, over-the-door organizers, shoe slots, and vertical dividers for drawers are all great options. If you want to take organization to the next level, you can even find smart storage options!

I found that extra-large rope baskets are great for storing handbags, totes, and wallets. Rather than having a million bags lined up on the top shelves of my hanging areas, the rope baskets create a less-cluttered look. In keeping with the shabby chic design, I found decorative wood boxes on Etsy Shop Restore2Beauty, where they were able to custom design exactly what I was looking for. Another fun idea is customized hat boxes, and you can find some on Etsy that are absolutely stunning. If you want to display your bags as art, you can stage them above using blocks to position some above others for maximum effect. Adding coordinating scarves or flowers around the bags adds to the “showcase” effect.

Lighting and Design Elements

Lighting is a very important consideration. LED lights help to bring out colors, while fixtures like a chandelier create style and theme. Track and can lighting are also excellent options!

Once you have a layout, you can begin to visualize your “theme” and “design elements.” Consider color; accents like patterned wallpaper and fancy woodwork (rosettes, plinth blocks, batten, rope molding, etc.); artwork; rugs; drawer pulls; door knobs, and more. In terms of paint, you want to ensure your colors won’t affect your ability to see the true hues of your clothes. Some great colors are white, beige, or tan. These colors are reflective enough to highlight your wardrobe. Although the most ideal is white, as it is a pure neutral, meaning it has no color and will thus agree with any other.

The Essential Mirror

A mirror (or mirrors) is essential. I found an antique armoire door mirror. It is an amazing piece with so much character, and I chose to place it above the center island. However, I do miss a full-length mirror. I end up going elsewhere in the house or standing on a chair—not sure how to put a laughing emoji here.

The Final Touches

The bottom line is that a closet is no longer just a bedroom closet. It is a room that can facilitate your wardrobe and also express your style and creativity. I had so much fun creating my closet, and an even bigger bonus was decorating it for Christmas! In a nod to the Shabby Chic pink blush theme, I added Rachel Zoe Christmas elves and décor. Whether you like black and white or fluff and feathers, there’s a closet design that has your name on it!

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