We leave in the morning and come back at night, but in the end, there really is no place like home.

Organizing your entryway can make the transition from inside to outside and back again smooth and effortless.

An entryway is filled with things that aren’t really meant for show. Backpacks, boots, jackets, keys; everything is functional. Compare this to a media center which is more of a showpiece. An entryway needs to be designed for ease of use and to prevent the space from quickly becoming an eyesore.

It’s important to have the proper accessories to store the myriad of items that belong in an entryway.

- Baskets are perfect for gloves and hats in the winter and for boots all year long.

- Incorporate hooks for coats, jackets, backpacks and purses. Keep in mind that you should only see garments for the current season hanging near the doorway. Light windbreakers and heavy down jackets shouldn’t hang side by side. Store out of season things somewhere else.

- Drawers are good for keys and wallets.

- If you’ve got the space, you could even build in a seat so it’s easy to put on and remove your shoes.

Once you organize your entryway, you’ll find that it’s less stressful when you leave the house and more relaxing when you come back home.

Isn’t that a lovely thought?

*****

If you’ve found this post helpful or inspiring, please share it with your family and friends!

Ginny Snook Scott

 

 

Ginny Snook Scott is the chief design officer at California Closets. She has over 25 years experience with California Closets and has helped over 1,000 clients create custom closets and organize their home. Connect with Ginny on Google+.

 

Bon Voyage & Welcome Home: The Ideal Entryway

Jill is an accomplished marathon runner and mom. She was feeling like her spare room was being under utilized and at the same time was wanting a space that was her own.

Her vision for her room was very simple. She wanted wall space for a mirror and a place for her framed accomplishments to be displayed, as well as her medals from her marathons. She needed storage for her running gear would be necessary as well as having a space for her two canine training partners to be in the room as well.

Wall hooks were planned to hang the medals within the storage unit. Drawers and doors were used for hidden storage. Shoe shelves held her many running shoes. Floor space was planned for her dogs to wrestle on her yoga mat. A window bench was planned for a space for her dogs to look out the window while she is training in the room.

Once everything was organized in the new storage space, there was plenty of room for this:

To the victor go the spoils.

This is the third custom closet we’ve done for Jill.

*****

Do you have a room that you’d like to transform for yourself?

If you’ve found this post helpful or inspiring, please share it with your family and friends!

 

 

 

Megan Evans, a Design Consultant at California Closets Alberta, has always loved home design and architecture so becoming an interior designer was a natural step for her. She was an Interior Designer working as a Certified Lighting Specialist before joining California Closets.

Room To Move: Turning A Spare Bedroom Into A Runner’s Home Base

Halloween is the most last-minute holiday in North America. In our youth, we’d find an old sheet when we got back from school, cut out eye-holes and call ourselves ghosts.

These days, kids are a little more demanding, albeit no more decisive when it comes to picking out costumes. The closer we get to the holiday, the fewer store-bought options there are, meaning that the lion’s share of costume crafting may come down to DIY efforts.

At times like these, it pays to have a well-organized craft room.

• Lots of clear counter space gives you and the little ones room to create and experiment.
• Horizontal cubbies store construction paper, leftover fabric, sheets of felt and more.
• A slat wall with hanging hooks and storage cups keep things like scissors, glue sticks and markers within arm’s reach.
• Your sewing machine could live here, too, sitting on a lower counter, making it easier to follow the lines of intricate shapes.

When your craft room is organized like this, the only limits are those of your imaginations.

*****

Are you ready for Halloween? What costumes will you be making this year? Tell us in the comments!

If you’ve found this post helpful or inspiring, please share it with your family and friends!

Ginny Snook Scott

 

 

Ginny Snook Scott is the chief design officer at California Closets. She has over 25 years experience with California Closets and has helped over 1,000 clients create custom closets and organize their home. Connect with Ginny on Google+.

Halloween Craft Room Organization

Custom closets are an investment that can last a lifetime.

When it comes to kids’ closets it’s especially important to design a system that can transform over time. The needs of a toddler, a kid and a teen are different.

Ginny Snook Scott is our chief design officer but she’s also a mother of three, so she knows the secret to keeping kids organized. Here are her tips on how to design your kids’ closets to grow with them.

Keep baby’s items close by and visible with baskets and cubbies.

Q: What are the important elements of a nursery and its closet?

GSS: Newborns up to six months have a lot of little things – socks, pacifiers, hair bows – and if they’re all in a big drawer it becomes a mess. If you can’t find them, you don’t use them – and that’s a shame because they’re only useful for a short amount of time.

The key is to compartmentalize appropriately for the size of the items. Little items go in little drawers, little dividers, and little containers. Place these smaller compartments into big drawers.

Include cubbies for stacked items – diapers, diaper cloths, and onesies. A new parent will go through a lot of these items. Keep them within easy reach.

Babies move quick and aren’t always cooperative when it’s changing time, so think of where you’ll need to access items easily. For example, near a changing table you need diapers, wipes, and clean cloths.

Stay away from closed drawers as much as possible. With lots of little things floating around you won’t know what you have if they’re out of sight.

Q: What about closets and rooms young children who are past the baby phase?

Include low hanging rods and baskets so kids can easily access everyday items without making a mess.

GSS: The great thing about kids is that they’re starting to explore their independence and self-sufficiency. So this is a great time to teach them how to dress themselves and keep things neat and organized.

The secret is creating accessibility to the things that you want them to have accessibility to.

So in a closet, you can tier it. The things you want them to dress themselves in, put at the lower tier. Make sure there are drawers down low so they can see and reach for underwear and socks. That gorgeous dress that grandma purchased for the holiday party goes to the top tier so it doesn’t come out at playtime.

This creates independence and it starts teaching organization. When kids can find their clothing and dress themselves that accelerates their self-sufficiency.

Just remember that the closet design has to have a kid’s abilities in mind.

Create storage for toys and books. Some people think shelves are the way to go, but for kids, bins and baskets are a better idea. A child can take a basket, dump it out on the floor and have a wonderful day of play. When they’re finished, it all goes back in the basket and the basket gets tucked away. This makes it easier for the kids to understand how to clean up and it’s not so time consuming for the child or the parent.

Baskets are better than drawers because kids can see what’s in them. In a bank of drawers that’s over their eyeline  they stick their arms in and pull everything out and make a mess. In a basket they can easily see their favorite PJs, cowboy t-shirt, etc. Kids can get very headstrong – “I want this one shirt!” – and it turns into a frenzy looking through drawers to find it. In a basket they can easily see it.

Q: What about designing a teen’s closet?

A teen’s bedroom needs more functionality, privacy and unique personality than a young child’s room.

GSS: It has to reflect their personality. That independence continues to grow as they get older and it’s really important they have a place where they feel comfortable.

It’s important they’re not living in the room they lived in as a two year old. When you’re investing in furniture and cabinetry, it’s important that it can adapt. Every parent has had to repaint. A 15-year-old doesn’t like the cotton candy pink they loved when they were six.

Teenagers become more private. It’s important to provide drawers and cabinets as a place for personal items not exposed to world. They need privacy when inviting their friends over to spend time or do homework.

Where a small child will use their room as a play area, a teenager will need more functionality. Doing homework, watching TV, playing with their Xbox; you need to create spaces in their room so it doesn’t become cluttered with stuff from all these different activities.

Teenagers are using more and more technology and starting to think like an adult. Where is their charging station? Where are they going to store their book bag? Helping them to think about things that help them stay organized as an adult and giving them the tools to be able to do that will help them be successful.

Q: How can parents plan their children’s bedrooms and closets to easily and inexpensively grow and change with them?

Drawer faces, door inserts and hardware can be switched out to reflect your child’s growth and evolving personality.

GSS: With the California Closets  systems that we create, it’s really easy to do.

If you tell one of our design consultants, “Our intention is to be in this house for next 10 years – this baby will be 10 years old before we leave,” the design can incorporate adjustable features.

A  child or toddler can have three tiers of hanging because they have small clothes. Bigger kids can just have two tiers. Shelving needs to be adjustable. A child will go from dollhouses and big stuffed animals to iPads and laptops.

When you plan ahead in a space, you can think about next thing to fit in a certain area. An open space for a changing table can be converted to wire baskets for a toddler, and cabinetry or a desk once they are in school.

When designing for teenagers, ask them to be a part of that decision-making process. Changing out one or two doors or drawers is a very inexpensive way to change the entire look of the room. New drawer and door faces or new hardware is  an easy way to make it look more zingy.

When you allow for changes in a teenager’s room, it enhances their ability to present themselves to the world uniquely without having to dye their hair purple!

***

What do you think of Ginny’s kids closet design ideas? Tell us in the comments! And for more inspiration, check out our kids’ closets designs on our website.

If you’ve found this post helpful or inspiring, please share it with your family and friends!

Ginny Snook Scott

 

Ginny Snook Scott is the chief design officer at California Closets. She has over 25 years experience with California Closets and has helped over 1,000 clients create custom closets and organize their home. Connect with Ginny on Google+.

Ginny Q&A: Closet Design from Cradle to College

We owe it to ourselves to plan and renovate our homes in a manner that fits our lifestyles to perfection.

People who love movies should build the most spectacular media center they can afford. Folks who spend their days tinkering with cars or working on gardening projects need to build out and organize their garages to optimize their time doing the activities they love.

If you’re like this woman, acquiring and maintaining a wardrobe so you can look your absolute best is of paramount importance.

This closet design from our California Closets team in New York may seem impressive, but it’s really quite simple when you break it down. Every part of this walk-in closet serves a specific purpose:

- A large number of tall cabinets allow her to hang her myriad of dresses neatly without packing them in too tightly. The clothing is protected behind the glass-paneled doors, ensuring she can see all of her options at a glance. By putting her shoes along the bottom, she’s given herself the opportunity to see her shoes as others will see them.

- Sweaters are stacked neatly on the top shelves in full view. Accessories and items such as stockings, underwear, and scarves are stored in drawers for easy, top-down viewing.

- Bold design touches like blue LED lighting, a plus carpet, and reflective décor create a personal boutique feeling.

- Space for a large mirror was smartly incorporated into the design of the space, because the most important thing is to check your look before you head out the door.

Once you know what you need, designing the right custom closet is a breeze.

***

How do you like this walk-in closet – could you imagine it in your home? Tell me in the comments!

And if you’ve found this article helpful or inspiring, please share it with your family and friends.

Ginny Snook Scott

 

Ginny Snook Scott is the chief design officer at California Closets. She has over 25 years experience with California Closets and has helped over 1,000 clients create custom closets and organize their home. Connect with Ginny on Google+.

Living Well: Creating A Perfect Walk-In Closet

With the advent of flat-screen technology and the ability to stream music and video from a wide variety of devices, well-designed media centers have evolved into necessities for 21^st century homes.

A modern media or entertainment center should be the visual centerpiece of a room while performing the basic function of de-cluttering.

Design with those two principles in mind and you’ll have a gorgeous media center that you’ll love to use!

This California Closets media center combines contemporary design with thoughtful organization.

Cables, Components, and Controllers

A traditional design with a rich finish, this media center looks great while still hiding cords and gadgets.

Here’s a small sample of what most of us house in our media centers:

• Giant flat-screen TVs
• Stereo components
• DVD and Blu-Ray players
• Gaming consoles

On top of that, we’ve got receivers to stream video from our computers and wireless internet. Add in chargers for phones, tablets and controllers and you’ve got the potential for a rat’s nest of power cords and connecting cables.

A media center’s most important job is to create space for all of these components to give the room a clean, finished look (while still leaving some room for the next must-have gadget).

When we see a jumble of wires snaking this way and that, it discombobulates us and makes us feel uneasy. It’s must easier to relax and enjoy a room where everything is organized and messy wires are stowed safely out of sight.

Visual Impact

Our Bellissima White and Venetian Wenge textured finishes create a stunning contrast in this California Closets media center.

A great many entertainment centers organize well enough, but they don’t measure up when it comes to style.

Creating function is only half of the job.

A well-designed media center will match the current décor of a room and elevate the overall beauty at the same time. There are a lot of elements you can use to create a true centerpiece.

Here are a few of my favorite media center design ideas:

• Doors with Italian glass or Ecoresin panels hide components.
• LED lighting highlights photos, cherished knick-knacks, or prized pieces of art.
• Acoustic panels allow you to hear your speakers but not see them.
• Drawers store DVDs, Blu-Ray discs, videogames, remotes and all the little odds and ends that sometimes get strewn about because they have no home.

This sleek and contemporary design is the perfect fit for a tech-savvy but minimalist lifestyle.

While all of these functional features serve a practical purpose, when they are integrated into overall design concept, they work together to create a thing of beauty.

When working with your design consultant to create a custom design, make sure they understand the primary purpose of your media center and how it should integrate into your current décor.

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What do you think – could you picture this custom coffee and wine bar in your home? Tell me in the comments!

And if you’ve found this post helpful or inspiring, please share it with your family and friends.

Ginny Snook Scott

 

Ginny Snook Scott is the chief design officer at California Closets. She has over 25 years experience with California Closets and has helped over 1,000 clients create custom closets and organize their home. Connect with Ginny on Google+.

How to Create a Stunning Media Center Design

An entryway or mudroom system, like this California Closets design, can keep winter gear organized and accessible.

What difference does a season make when it comes to your home organization? A lot.

Fall and winter means different weather – which means different activities, clothing and gear. And that can lead to clutter if you’re not careful.

Luckily, Ginny’s here to help.

Q: What are the top mistakes people make when it comes to storage and organization in fall and winter?

GSS: One is bringing out scarves and gloves and hats and trying to throw them all into a gigantic basket. It turns into a nightmare when you’re trying to walk out the door.

Better to pair them off as a component of wardrobe, just like shoes. Store them together in a specific place just for each set. Don’t just jumble them up in big bin or big drawer, but instead  group hat, glove, and scarf sets separately.

The other issue is the coat closet.

A lot of times people look at a coat closet and think it’s meant to encapsulate everything from spring rain jackets to big bulky ski coats to nice business trench coats.

Hooks keep wet, snowy or muddy coats and backpacks off the floor and ready to dry.

Your coat closet should just be for items that you use on a daily basis. Think about transitioning items from spring to fall to winter. Most items have a specific season. If it’s not the season for a garment, store it somewhere until it’s time to bring it back out.

Q: What are the top storage accessory must-haves for fall and winter?

GSS: Hooks!

Hooks are fantastic for kids and adults because it makes it so easy to put items away and to grab them on the go.

They’re perfect for fall and winter weather, like rain or snow. For example, wet raincoats belong in mudroom or entryway with hooks so they won’t ruin other garments by hanging against them.

Q: What are your tips for an organized entryway during cold weather seasons?

Bins and baskets are smart ways to store fall and winter clothing.

GSS: People tend to stack up hockey sticks or snowboards in the corner, but just like gardening supplies, you want mounts for those things.

You don’t want kids yanking items out of a pile and making everything fall over.

Get gear mounted on racks for easy access.

And remember to take advantage of hooks, bins and baskets to keep all of the different cold weather items organized – and neat and clean!

***

What do you think? Can Ginny’s tips on fall and winter organization help you and your family? Tell us in the comments!

And if you’ve found this post helpful or inspiring, please share it with family and friends.

Ginny Snook Scott

 

Ginny Snook Scott is the chief design officer at California Closets. She has over 25 years experience with California Closets and has helped over 1,000 clients create custom closets and organize their home. Connect with Ginny on Google+.

Ginny Q&A: Closet Organization for Fall & Winter

Having lots of sports gear can be a good thing! It’s probably a sign that you and your family are taking time to be active and have fun.

But balls, bats, and boards can take up a lot of space and create clutter. Luckily, the right storage design can keep your sports gear neat and organized.

Let’s start with the big stuff.

Here are two different ways to create a “sports center” in your garage or mudroom to keep everything in its place – and easy to grab on the way to the big game or family picnic.

 

Of course, not everyone is an all-around athlete. Some of us like to specialize in our favorite sports. Simple, specialized designs are the perfect solution.

This storage accessory is perfect for tennis, racquetball or badminton players.

There’s nothing worse than a pile of skis! Keep them in good condition and easy to access with a wall-hanging system.

 

What do you think? Could these storage accessories help you organize sports gear in your home? Let me know in the comments!

And if you’ve found this post helpful or inspiring, please share it with your family and friends.

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Ginny Snook Scott

 

Ginny Snook Scott is the chief design officer at California Closets. She has over 25 years experience with California Closets and has helped over 1,000 clients create custom closets and organize their home. Connect with Ginny on Google+.

4 Ideas for Organizing Your Sports Gear

Shoes, shoes, shoes! Do you have a shoe collection that you adore?

Every well-designed custom closet creates beautiful spaces for your treasured footwear.

And there are so many options for organizing and displaying your shoes! (No more stacked shoeboxes, ahem.) Here are five smart ways to store your shoes:

Shoe shelves

The simple solution that’s popular for a reason. Off the floor and easy to see.

Tilted Shoe Shelves

The slight tilt makes it even easier to peruse your shoe collection and choose the pair you want. Fencing adds a decorative element and keeps your shoes from sliding off the shelves.

Shoe Rails

Another option for customizing your shoe storage – perfect for heels!

 

Shoe Bins

Consolidate each pair in its own mini bin or store them side by side in maxi bins.

 

Rotating Shoe Racks

Looking for your favorite pair? Just spin your shoe rack!

Which is your favorite way to store your shoes? Tell me in the comments!

And if you’ve found this post helpful or inspiring, please share it with your friends and family!

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Ginny Snook Scott

 

Ginny Snook Scott is the chief design officer at California Closets. She has over 25 years experience with California Closets and has helped over 1,000 clients create custom closets and organize their home. Connect with Ginny on Google+.

5 Smart Ways to Store Your Shoes

Custom closets aren’t just functional storage systems, they’re extensions of the style and personality of your home.

One of our most popular styles is the “boutique closet“. This is a walk-in closet that makes you feel like you’re entering your own personal boutique.

With a few simple touches and a smart design you can create your own boutique closet. I’ve highlighted five essential elements that you can choose from (or try them all!). Even just adding one of these elegant touches will change the experience you have when you use your closet.

Lighting 

You could do almost nothing else but hang a chandelier and you’d have a boutique closet. The sparkling lights give an immediate feeling of style and charm. Excellent lighting helps you see your wardrobe and accessories and plan your outfits accordingly.

Seating 

A custom bench, comfy sofa or plush chair in your closet adds an element of comfort that you’d expect from your favorite boutique. Take a seat to survey your choices when deciding on an outfit or trying on shoes.

Display

The beauty of a well-designed walk-in closet is that you see so much of your wardrobe without it looking cluttered or disorganized. You can arrange dresses, hats, shoes and jewelry just like your favorite chic shop.

Feel free to display scarves, jewelry and accessories – they add a touch of color and sparkle without looking messy.

Island

There’s a difference between feeling like you can “grab and go” from your closet and feeling like it’s your own private dressing room. When you add an island to your walk-in closet, that personal feeling is pronounced. You have room to work and play – whether it’s setting your briefcase down while you get changed, using the space to fold your sweaters, or arranging different outfits.

And don’t forget to add color!

You probably noticed in the above examples that touches of color, like pale pink, amethyst, and lavender, make a walk-in feel more like a room and less like a closet.

So, what do you think? Could you use some of these essential design elements to make your walk-in closet feel like a boutique? Tell me in the comments!

And if you’ve found this article helpful or inspiring, please share it with your family and friends.

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Ginny Snook Scott

 

Ginny Snook Scott is the chief design officer at California Closets. She has over 25 years experience with California Closets and has helped over 1,000 clients create custom closets and organize their home. Connect with Ginny on Google+.

 

The 5 Essential Elements of a Boutique Closet