If you’re anything like me, the more hectic my life has become with jobs, kids and activities, the less my closet looks like an organized oasis, and the more it looks like a jungle of clothes and shoes. That’s why I need the help of professionals like Holly Lewis, design consultant with The Tailored Closet of Indy, and Rachel Davis, owner of Big and Small Spaces Professional Organizing.
“My goal is to bring harmony and organization by optimizing spaces, enhancing functionality and elevating the appearance of your home,” says Lewis. “We tailor solutions to your specific needs and preferences to ensure your living environment is a seamless extension of your lifestyle”
At The Tailored Closet, all projects start with a complimentary design consultation of around 60-minutes where an expert helps you take inventory and consider style, aesthetic, budget and what’s most important in the space.
“It’s a streamlined and easy process,” Lewis says. “I create a 3D design with the client at their kitchen table. It’s collaborative and fun, and they can see their selections come to life in real time.”
Although the classic white finish is a client favorite in many closets Lewis designs, The Tailored Closet also carries a wide variety of wood grain finishes, like the dark tones featured here in this new home build-in collaboration with interior designer Joey Kempler.
"Color is definitely back,” Lewis says. “We have green and blue finishes along with custom colors that people are choosing for laundry rooms, mud rooms, office spaces and butler’s pantries as well as closets.”
Yes, butler’s pantries are making a comeback, as are wet and dry bars.
Lewis says another trend in closets is lighting.
“When you add lighting, it elevates the space and creates an upscale ambiance,” she says. “Transforming your closet into your own personal boutique gives you the feeling of walking into your favorite store every day”.
And for hardware, Lewis says gold is shining again, only it’s a muted matte gold tone adding a luxurious touch.
“The hardware and accessories are the bells and whistles that really bring a design together aesthetically as well as adding function as we maximize the space,” Lewis says.
And, if Lewis is an expert at creating a place for everything, Davis is an expert at putting everything in its place.
“I really try to meet people where they’re at and create a system that is realistic and attainable for them,” Davis says. “My favorite part is that when you get ready to pick up you’ve already gone through the process of finding a home for every item. This reduces the time it takes to tidy up and eliminates the beginning stages of clutter corners.”
For Davis, getting started on decluttering and organizing is as easy as one, two, three.
Step 1. Using bags, boxes or bins for sorting, create four zones: donate, trash, keep and relocate. (The “relocate” zone is for items you want to keep, just not in the current space.)
“There is a big difference between cleaning and organizing,” Davis says. “When people are trying to declutter and organize themselves, they tend to create miscellaneous or “I don’t know yet” piles. With my process, I eliminate these types of piles by helping my clients assess each item so that the space stays well kept and most of all, makes sense."
Step 2. Begin pulling items out of the closet, pantry or space you want to declutter and reorganize and sort them into one of the four zones. Keep going until that space is clear.
Davis warns against skipping any drawer or cabinet. She once had a client who was certain she knew what was stored in a piece of furniture, yet when Davis insisted on pulling out every item, they rediscovered a stack of precious photo albums the client thought had been lost in her most recent move.
Step 3. Immediately take out trash, move donation items to your car and find a home for the items you intend to keep or relocate to another space.
“Donating is very important to me,” Davis says. “It allows me to bless others while blessing myself with a clutter-free and peaceful home. If you don’t wear it or use it often, chances are someone else would—someone who may not otherwise have been able to afford it. So when the opportunity arises, donate generously.”
In fact, Davis has written a children’s book entitled Cameron’s Clutter, which teaches young ones about donating their toys in order to help others and demonstrates that downsizing can be practiced at any age. Find it on Amazon.