Creating the Perfect Custom Closet for Your Apartment

I found tons of cute ideas on Pinterest, and used them as inspo on this ClosetMaid system I found at Home Depot —it fit perfectly in the space AND the budget. 🙌The kit was pretty simple to put together and has add-on options like the decorative wooden drawer I installed at the bottom to store shoes.

Who says you have to be a Real Housewife of City-Name-Here to have a custom closet? We may have downsized, and renting is sooo much more convenient for us right now, but... clothes. And shoes. And purses. I have them. I store them in the closet. It’s a space I see (and use!) many times a day. And if it’s a mess... so am I.

So, it was Home Depot to the rescue, at a tiny fraction of the price of typical custom closets. I found the absolute perfect solution with the ClosetMaid Selectives collection. Just $200, a few hours, and a quick assist from dad later, everything’s organized and I’m actually excited to hang up my clothes! Possible exaggeration for dramatic effect, but you get the point.

Here are some things I kept in mind while creating the space: 

Color and Depth

Custom storage solutions will typically be white, but adding some color or texture to the walls first will make the space feel absolutely luxe. I love the idea of bright colors behind shelving, but a cool grey or rich caramel make a better backdrop for clothing, IMHO. But if you’re feeling a bright coral or deep indigo, well, hue do hue!

Height and Orientation

Lots of maxi dresses? More of a separates kind of person? Plan your hanging spaces accordingly. Same goes for horizontal storage - think about how you want to organize your stuff. I like to keep hats up top, jeans hung on a lower bar. Y’know, basic “use height” (is that a thing?). Though if I had enough shoes to reach eye level I might feel differently...

Types of Storage

Most of us need a mix of hanging rods, shelves, and drawers. Do you have tons of sweaters? Denim for every mood? All The Shoes and Boots? Piles of accessories? Extra baskets and clear containers can help make sure everything’s where you promised yourself you’d put it (and actually did because life is so much easier with well-organized closets). 

Seating

Even if your space is tiny, treat yourself to a moment of R+R in the middle of getting ready, getting changed, getting it together. A small stool or cube ottoman (hello, bonus storage) is a reminder to just STAHP for a bit. I’m not above putting myself in time out. In fact, I encourage it. 

Personalize

Your closet isn’t just your stuff. Even the most Kondo’d of us have a whole lot of life tucked away in there. Why not keep a pic of you with your crew, in one of the one of you fave ensembles - you know, the ones that are now perfectly stored and ready for your next adventure, or just tomorrow morning?