We asked Chelsea Iantello of Closet Designs and More to give us closet tips for your new spring clothes and accessories – including those hats, belts and purses you splurged on. Here are her best tips for customized closets that work for your wardrobe — now get out there and treat yourself to something nice!
What is the origin of Closet Designs and More?
My dad, Bill Fletcher, started the business after building a custom closet for my daughter. He used real wood for her tiny sloped ceiling closet and realized there had to be a better way. The business started picking up pretty quickly, and my husband, Jason, joined him in doing most of the installs. My dad retired in 2018, and Jason and I took over.
It’s easy to make a closet beautiful. Most custom closets are beautiful. Our aim is to make your closet more functional, so that it saves you time and energy. We want to know how you want to live in your space and customize it to suit your wants and needs.
How do you approach a disorganized closet?
Messy closets are great for us! Most closets we see are messy because the storage is limited to a few wire shelves. When we do a consultation, we’ll measure how much short hang and long hang space you need and design the new layout accordingly. It’s very important that when you move your items back into the closet, there is a place for everything. Once everything has a place it’s easier to keep the closet neat. Every once in a while, we refer a client to an organizer to help review everything before installing a custom closet.
What closet accessories do you offer the hat lover, belt lover and purse lover?
We have tons of options for hat, belt and purse storage. We’ve done purse shelves behind glass doors, hook systems that slide out for hat and belt storage or stationary hooks installed on the closet material or the wall.
We recommend visiting our showroom by appointment to decide which styles and colors you prefer for your closet. Many clients stick with white materials because it’s timeless, but it's always nice to mix it up with a pop of color on the drawers or glam it up with matte gold hardware. There are so many options for dressing up a closet.
What other closet accessories do you recommend?
My favorite accessory is a valet bar. It’s a simple bar that pulls out to hang things on. It’s perfect for planning your outfit for a night out or when your hands are full of hangers from the dry cleaner or laundry room.
What are your own favorite methods for getting dressed?
You know how Steve Jobs wore jeans and a black turtleneck every day? I’m pretty similar, except I like white shirts and hoop earrings. I live in jeans because I float between job sites and client visits daily. I always have a sweater or light jacket for the morning.
For more information, visit closetdesignsandmore.com.