Our Master Closet Before and After

Thank you California Closets for sponsoring this post.

Back in January, when we moved into our new home, I was excited beyond words about the master bedroom closet. It's not a huge space but any means, and it just came with a simple hanging bar and a shelf above it, but after many years of sharing a tiny closet with my husband, the thought of a walk-in was absolutely thrilling. I had all sorts of big ideas about how I'd organize it, fueled by perfectly styled Pinterest photos. But in reality, once I got everything in it, it was a hot mess. And because it wasn't organized well and we didn't really know how to best utilize the space, over time it just got more and more cluttered and less functional. In all honesty, it was starting to bum me out that we had finally had a walk-in closet that looked so terrible and was so difficult to navigate. It was time to get some help.

I decided to reach out to California Closets for advice, and also to learn more about their services for future spaces in our home. I'd heard great things about them, and knew that their professional design consultants collaborate with their clients to create custom designs that not only work with their needs, but also incorporate personal style and budget. My consultant, Jessica, was like my organizational guardian angel. She not only explained to me in detail the different services California Closets offers, she also gave me invaluable tips and suggestions for my own space. Robbie and I ended up  taking a couple of days to use these suggestions to completely redo our closets. And the results were pretty incredible.

But before we get into all of this, feast your eyes on these glorious before photos...

See? It wasn't a very inviting space. In fact, it genuinely gave me anxiety to walk in there.

I'm going to share the after photos in a minute, but first I want to tell you more about what a typical at home consultation with my California Closets consultant Jessica entails. First is an introductory call or email to confirm time, day, address, and details of the meeting. On consultation day, Jessica shows up with a clip board and begins jotting down notes right away, asks whether the client has worked with California Closets before, and talks a little more about what to expect during the meeting. Then she gets to work checking out the space, taking specific measurements, asking a variety of questions, and trying to determined what is most important to the client. When working on a closet project, she usually measures how much hanging space the client is currently using, and the quantity of things like shoes, hand bags, drawers etc. She then takes a round of before photos for her portfolio. After this, she does a recap and goes over everything with the client - from their specific wants and needs to timing to budget. She then uses her iPad and the California Closets app to share examples of similar spaces they've installed, possible accessory and design enhancements, and presents a box of wood samples to see what color scheme the client prefers. She then refers to budget examples in the app, comes up with a preliminary design, and she and the client review it together and make adjustments. Sometimes Jessica also sets up a follow up appointment at the nearest California Closets showroom to present more detailed time and costs. Once designs have been presented and costs have been discussed, she sends the clients the 3D images of their design and asks how they would like to proceed. Pretty cool, right?

As for the specific tips Jessica gave me based on my closet (as seen in two images above), the first thing she suggested was to look into adding more shelving and drawers. We didn't have a lot hanging from the beginning, so she felt that there was still plenty of space to maximize the closet with double hanging sections, full height shelving units, and deeper drawers along the back wall. She also suggested either hanging all of our clothes along the back wall or at least gathered in the same vicinity, like the back left corner, instead of behind the door swing. (You couldn't even open the door the whole way because the shelf/clothing bar was behind it!) She also recommended that we get some smaller canvas lined storage bins to store and categorize items, and get rid of the big tubs and boxes to create a cleaner, crisper overall appearance. And finally, Jessica encouraged us to practice The KonMari Method of organization. This entails removing all clothing from your closet, going through each piece, only keeping the pieces that spark joy, and donating the rest. (I love this!) It also entails hanging heavier/longer garments on the left to lighter/shorter garments on the right. She also recommended trying The KonMari folding technique (which is amazing, you guys.)




And now, our completed closet:

Massive difference, right? And it looks even better in person. It has such a clean, airy feel, and we've been able to keep it neat because it's so much easier to locate and grab what we need. If you have a closet or space that needs a makeover, I highly suggesting scheduling your own California Closets consultation. California Closets offers custom organizational solutions in closets like ours, but they also help throughout the home. So even if you have pantry, media center, mudroom, or garages that needs some help, they can work with you to enhance both purpose and storage potential, and make the space look beautiful. And many locations offer seasonal promotions and financing options (contact your local California Closets for details). They're the best.

Now that our closet has been whipped into shape, I want to reorganize my entire house. I see a California Closets garage consultation in my near future...

Thank you for supporting the brands that help make Bubby and Bean possible.. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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