With all of fall’s fabulous fashions, one needs the perfect closet in which to store them. Enter Lisa Adams, founder of the luxury closet design company LA Closet Design (LAClosetDesign.com), who combines her passion for organization, design, and fashion to address an often overlooked room within a home—the closet.
Adams is the guru of closets, which is why clients, including several Kardashians, Christina Aguilera, Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, Ray Romano, Fergi, Giuliana Rancic, Tyra Banks, and so many others, have called upon her expertise.
Adams, who has worked on many homes here in the Valley, says that the space where many start and end their days often falls victim to several universal issues such as clutter and lack of organization. To address these challenges, she looks at both her client’s closet and lifestyle, and then creates a space of peace, beauty, and even glamour.
Her projects span from masculine, sophisticated, and streamlined to feminine and high fashion, and each closet she designs becomes a high-functioning, natural extension of the home and an enjoyable space for living.
Here, she takes us on a tour of four of her designs.
“Melissa Rivers tasked us with the design of what she called her ‘grown-up’ closet! She recounted as a child watching her iconic mother get ready in her glamorous dressing room, and wanted a space that reflected these special memories. Since the closet is open to her bathroom, we covered all the clothes with mirrored doors for a tidy, traditional look! An heirloom chandelier, personal mementos, and a collection of her mother’s vintage handbags make this space all the more unique for her.”
“This colorful closet was part of a ground-up custom build, so the client really got to design her dream dressing room from scratch! The space has a transitional aesthetic, with many custom features throughout. She is a big collector of Hermès bags and wanted these to take center stage. We created a mirrored handbag display, flanked by suede-lined staging cabinets, for her to merchandise some of her favorite looks. The design incorporates touches of satin brass, smoked acrylic hardware, a marble waterfall island, and a striking Hermès wallpaper on the ceiling!”
“Model and former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo approached us to transform a corner of her Hollywood loft into a much-needed dressing space! Here, the challenge was to create a closet that was functional for her, while flowing seamlessly with the rest of the loft, as there were no walls, and the closet would be visible from every space in the home. We opted to incorporate mirrored doors that draw light into the loft, while keeping her clothes hidden. Her favorite accessories are displayed on open shelves, styled as artwork for the space. A tufted ottoman, fur accents, and crystal hardware create a sense of Old Hollywood glamour in keeping with the historic building.”
“Artist Beau Dunn was in need of a proper dressing space in her Beverly Hills bungalow. Previously, the space was a spare bedroom, lined with rolling racks of clothing, where she struggled to find anything in her wardrobe! We worked together to design a space around one of her iconic neon pieces — ‘Need Money For Love.’ The space is whimsical, showcasing her colorful and glitzy personal style. Antique bronze hardware, a tufted ottoman, and a French crystal chandelier make this closet a dream come true for playing dress up every day.”
Lisa Adam’s Top Closet Tips
1. Purge regularly. You want to make sure that the items you bring into your dream dressing room are truly the pieces you love and will wear! If something doesn’t fit or isn’t being worn, take action. Tailor it, donate it, or consign it!
2. Invest in the right hangers! This is an easy way to instantly elevate the look of your closet, and using proper hangers for sweaters, suits, and outerwear will extend the life of your clothes.
3. Customize your drawers. Outfitting drawers with appropriate compartments makes your life so much easier. You can find smaller items like jewelry, wallets, clutches, and matching socks SO much faster. Partitioning deeper drawers for folded tees, sweaters, and sweats means never having to dig.
4. Have a system. I like to organize clients’ clothing by style and color, so finding the piece you’re looking for is always easy! Whatever your system is, stick to it.
5. Protect your investments. Often, accessories are the most valuable pieces in our closets, and they end up overlooked! Care for your designer bags with properly-sized purse pillows, and appropriate shelf heights, so nothing gets crushed or creased. Incorporate safes, watch winders, and suede jewelry inserts so all your valuables are taken care of.