Create a Closet Makeover in the New Year

Happy New Year! The holidays are over and it’s time to think about new goals and projects you want to tackle for the year. A great personal project in your home to tackle at the beginning of the year is your closet. Closets are an essential part of a home. I want to spend time sharing particularly about the closets in our bedroom. They are the enclosed spaces where everything is stored, most importantly our clothes. Having a well designed and organized closet can create ease in our daily lives.

Closet makeover

Know Your Closet Type. Depending on the type of closet that you have your design and organization may be different but the overall concept is the same.

• Reach-In Closets. These closets are usually found in apartments and older homes. Reach-ins are versatile in design and can easily be tucked away in corner of a room with a single door or can take up a complete wall with sliding or pocket doors. They have a rod pole with a shelf above for additional storage. If customized or designed successfully these closets can offer maximum storage with minimum space.

• Wardrobe or Armoires. These are probably the oldest form of closets and are still used today as additional forms of storage. Wardrobes can be found in lofts or modern homes as built-ins or large pieces of furniture. They usually have doors and drawers with rods and compartments inside including mirrors, hooks, and pull-outs.

• Walk-In Closets. Walk-ins are a room within themselves. They are often considered luxurious and found in master suites. In order to not waste space, I recommend a proper closet system design, lighting fixture(s), and even a seating area (if possible). A successful walk-in closet in my opinion is one that blends with the overall decor of a master bedroom.

Organize Your Closet. Whether you have a reach-in, wardrobe or walk-in closet without organization your closet is just a space full of stuff everywhere. You should open the door(s) to your closet and know what you need and where to find it. Depending on your closet type, amount of clothing, and your budget you may want to consider purchasing or custom designing a full closet system. Even a small reach-in closet can benefit from a closet system with additional shelves and drawers. Tracey Evelyn, a wardrobe stylist expert recommends categorizing your closet. She says that by grouping all your blouses together, your skirts together and dresses together they make moving through your closet such a breeze. Tracey helps her clients organize their clothing in their closets to make getting dressed easy and quick through her personal Closet Edit service.

group your clothing

Decorate Your Closet. Just like any space the functional component is essential but so is the aesthetic. As I mentioned earlier, your closet should blend in with the overall decor of your bedroom. For example, if your bedroom is rustic with a neutral color palette be sure that look is carried into your closet. Also, don’t be afraid to accessorize with the space you have. Check out my post on Must Haves for Decorating your Closet for tips and inspiration.

Let’s start the new year fresh and organized! Share below what home projects you are hoping to tackle this year.

Bonne année ! Happy New Year!

How to Get the Look of a Luxury Hotel Room

Ever wish your bedroom could look and feel like a clean, relaxing getaway? With just a few decor essentials you can transform your bedroom into a hotel-style bedroom. 

The key to creating a hotel-style bedroom is to remove clutter. You have to make your bedroom a space where you can be yourself and feel pampered. If you have clutter in your bedroom, it's not going to feel like a peaceful oasis. 

Upholstered Headboard. The bed is the focal point of the bedroom. An upholstered headboard can add texture and softness to your bedroom. If you are going to use an upholstered headboard, I would recommend a neutral color (i.e. cream, beige, brown, grey, etc.) to allow for versatility.

Coverlet. Often times in a luxury hotel room the bedding is layered with a duvet, bed sheets and standard pillows in crisp white. The coverlet is the layer that usually is folded and tucked at the foot of the bed and provides the accent to the white base layers. Design Tip: If you have a white base, add a tone-on-tone solid color or pattern print coverlet for interest.

Accent Pillows. Pillows in a bedroom are essential in a bedroom. I personally encourage clients to incorporate 2-3 euro shams and 2-3 different sized decorative pillows for a final touch to setting a bed. This will add dimension, texture and color to your bedding. 

"Pillows are to a room what jewelry is to an outfit." - S. Hayes

Nightstand. Your nightstand is one of the most used table surfaces in the bedroom. Therefore it has to be functional, durable and stylish. The style and design has to shine next to your bed. Design Tip: For a unique look choose a nightstand that contrast with your bed. Just make sure it is proportioned and balanced properly to your bed frame.

Lighting. Lighting is key to any space. Luxury hotel rooms use layers of light sources in each room for efficient, focused and accent lighting such as table lamps, wall sconces and floor lamps. Wall sconces beside the bed frame are a great alternative to table lamps on nightstands. Wall sconces can serve as both task and accent lighting. 

Lastly, hotel rooms use neutral wall colors combined with textured wallpaper like grasscloth to add depth. Neutral wall colors create a fresh and clean base to your color palette. This allows for colorful and interchangeable accessories. 

Creating a luxury hotel style bedroom is all about the details and quality. With the right placement, accents, and finishing touches you can turn your busy and tired bedroom into a relaxing hotel style room. To add a little luxury details to your room contact me today at sabine@georgettemarise.com to get started today. 

Here's to creating a relaxing oasis!