a. Wear to Start – www.wear2start.com

b. WIN-www.womeninneed.ca

c. Salvation Army-www.salvationarmy.ca

d. Canadian Diabetes-www.diabetes.ca/get-involved/supporting-us/clothesline/

e. Big Brothers Big Sister-www.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca

2. Organize – Organize your stuff into different groups; long term vs short term, group by season or occasion, casual vs formal etc. Take inventory of each group. This will help you to be able to identify how much hanging or shelving and what kind of accessories do you need.

3. Imagine- Visualize your dream closet. Think about what is important for you to have in your closet. Imagine how you are going to use the room when it’s done. Is it going to be your main closets or just for long term storage. Would you like to incorporate another function such as an office or extra bed?

4. Research- This helps to prepare you to work better with the professional that you are going to hire because you will have a good understanding of the service, product and your own need. You will be able to ask the right questions and give the right information to the professional

a. Research for professional-you are looking for someone who will listen to you. Ask for a reference or testimonial from their customers. Look beyond the design process. Make sure that their installation crews are professional and competent. Good professional companies offer a warranty on their products and services.

b. Research for product-there are different materials used to build closet organizers; wire, wood-look melamine and natural wood. Wire is the least expensive choice but also the least esthetic. Natural wood is the most expensive. Melamine is somewhere in between, depending on the grade. It is durable and esthetic and won’t break your bank.

c. Research for price- Most of the companies offer a free in-home consultation and estimates. If you do comparison shopping, it is important that you compare apples to apples. The quality of material and design should be taken into consideration.

d. Research for ideas-the internet and magazines are a good resource for ideas. Some companies have showroom that display their products; it is a good idea to visit their showroom to familiarize yourself with the products and ask questions.

5. Get help from professional-if the esthetic and function are important to you, you will be better off using a professional to help with your project. Consider a specialist. There are many companies that can build closet organizer. However, if there are ones who specialize in closets only, they will probably have more knowledge with closets because that is what they do every day.

6. Organize-once your dream closets installed, it’s time for you to get your stuff back on the display! This process is probably the most fun and rewarding experience as you get to see your imagination come to life!

7. Enjoy and maintain-it’s time to enjoy the result of your good investment and maintain a good organizing habit and review your inventory every once in a while to get rid of things that you are no longer use.

Hope this article helps inspire you. Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Share with us your idea and thoughts on this subject. If you have pictures of your project, we would love to see them as well.

Do you have an extra room in the house? (now that the kids moved out!)  Or maybe another room in the house that is under-utilized?

Why don’t you use the extra/ under-utilized room to create a “Closet Heaven” for you?  After all, you deserve it!

If this idea appeals to you then read on.  Planning is the most important part of this project.  On an average the installation of the closet will take about 4-8 hours depending on the design.   However, the planning and design can take days and weeks depending on the scope of the job. 

How much does it cost? Well, that depends on the design.  A hanging unit is the least expensive system.  Doors and drawers will add to the price tag.  On average, you are looking at about 4,000-5,000 dollars.  The best way to get an accurate price is to have our professionals give you an estimate.  Most closet organizer companies offer a free in-home consultation.  If you take advantage of this service, you will then be able to set a more accurate budget and get help with design that will address your need.

So, for about 5,000 dollars and within 6 weeks, you can reward yourself with this Incredible Closet that will eliminate your frustration with storage space and perhaps you can even show it off!

Stay tuned for 7 steps to turn an extra bedroom to a “Walk in wonder”

I am also a shoe lover but personally I still can’t quite connect to the reason one would own 1,000 pairs, especially, when you have to house them in a 12,000 sq.ft. space.  It is a total luxury for those who can afford it.

Despite not being able to find a good enough reason to own that many shoes, I do like this closet.  The light colour makes this room look clean and features the shoes nicely.  Each shelving unit has its own lighting that will help make shoe searching easier, especially in a room with no natural light.  It is also smart to have a chair in the room and a full size mirror would also be nice.  (I’m sure she’s  got it somewhere in this very large closet) 

If you also own many pair of shoe and handbags, there are a few systems that you can use to organize them.

Option 1 – Angle shoe shelves (Mariah uses this system);  This is a system that is commonly seen in high-end closets.  The angle helps showcasing the shoes quite nicely.  The downside is that they consume more space so you will basically pay more for less shelves.  But if space and money is not an object, then you will likely to be happy with the outcome.

Option 2 – Pull out shelves; This system is for deeper units.  Each shelf can accommodate 2 rows of shoes, a great way to save space.  They can be pulled out for easy access to your favorite pair.

Option 3 – Adjustable shelves; The most economical system that makes most use of space without having to pay a premium price.   Shelves can be adjusted easier than the angle shelves.  The sacrifice is that you won’t be able to view your shoes quite as easily as the angle system.

Those are the choices and you can choose what works best for your situation.  Keep in mind that the system works only as well as the person who uses it.  So, enjoy dreaming and planning your ‘shoe heaven’

According to InStyle.com, “all her outfits and coordinating accessories are numbered with tags so she can easily pack for trips and events.”

What’s your tip for organizing your walk-in closet? We like to suggest petit folks like Paula use a pull-out valet rod to make good use (and easy access) of high spaces.

We’re thinking it’s looking a little crowded in Paula’s closet.  When you’re ready for something truly incredible, Paula, call us!