A STYLIST’S GUIDE TO CREATING YOUR DREAM CLOSET

It’s time for my closet reveal! I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long, and I’m so excited to share my space and my tips for how you can make your own! As a stylist and a fashion blogger it’s always been a dream of mine to have my own customized closet, and I’ve been patiently waiting until I was finally able to do it. This is my anniversary gift, my Valentine’s gift, my Christmas gift, and everything I’ve wanted for years. I worked with Devon Grace Interiors and Closet Works to create my closet, but even if working with a designer isn’t in your budget right now, this guide is full of tips to re-organize your closet and keep it feeling new and glamorous. Read the end of the post for a little gift!

In addition to this guide, I had to show you the actual space, so in this video you’ll get the full closet tour, and see my tips and ideas in action:

Now it’s time to look at your space! In this guide, I’ll start with who I worked with, how I prepared, and how I created my vision. Then I’ll go into the action: DIY ideas to redo your space, and how I organize all my clothes. And finally, how to keep your space fresh, and the finishing touches that pull the whole space together. 

COMPANIES TO WORK WITH

I worked with Devon Grace Interiors on my whole home renovation and Devon, my designer, helped make my dream closet a reality. We worked with Closet Works, which had all of the shelves, rods, and other supplies we needed. I worked with Patti Powers specifically, and she was amazing. We worked together so well, and she really knows how to put together functional closets. 

HOW I PREPARED

Although I had help designing my closet, I did a lot of homework beforehand. This is super important to make sure that the space exactly what you want and that it works for you. I counted my entire inventory and I had to purge a lot because I always wanted to have a capsule closet. No matter how fabulous my space is, it’s still not a huge closet, and I wanted everything to fit really nicely. 

MY VISION

As someone who does people’s closets all the time, I learn a lot from helping people to look stylish and fabulous. I have learned that I’m much more drawn to closets that are minimalistic. I knew that I wanted my closet to have a capsule collection of some really good basics, with a few trendy pieces. People often ask me if they should have an open closet or a closed closet, and I personally wanted my closet to be open. That way you can see everything, because if things are behind a door, it’s much easier to forget about them. 

DIVIDING YOUR SPACE

Closet Works was amazing to work with because of all the options with their adjustable shelves and rods. I would really recommend using a system like this because you can make different sized spaces (like a tall one for dresses and a short one for skirts) and it leaves you the opportunity to rearrange and refresh your closet in the future 

DIY

Not everyone is looking to spend the money on a whole new closet, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t reinvent your space. Here are just a few ideas: 

1. New Hangers: This won’t be a huge expense, but it can make all the difference. I use velvet hangers from Amazon because they’re easy to use. Your clothes won’t fall off them and they’re really thin so you can fit a lot of things in the closet. 
2. DIY Shoe Closet: before I had my own shoe closet built in, I took a bookshelf and made a shoe closet out of it. It’s easy and definitely won’t break the bank, but it’ll give your shoes their own space to shine and stay beautiful. 
3. Redo the little things: It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Doing something as small as replacing the handles on your drawers or the hooks in your closet can really make all the difference. 
4. Fresh paint: Again, not a huge project, but repainting your drawers, walls, or another part of your space can make it look fresh and new again, and even give you the opportunity to try a new color if you’re feeling creative. 
5. Reorganize: You don’t need to buy anything new for this, but reorganizing the wardrobe you already have can make all the difference. 

ORGANIZING YOUR CLOTHES

1. Let’s start with the basics. I always organize my clothes by category: a section for pants, one for dresses, one for jackets, and each other type of item. 
2. Once I have my categories, I arrange my clothes by color. That way it’s really easy on the eye and makes your closet look like a clothing store every time you walk in. 
3. My jeans, sweaters, and T-shirts get folded and stored on the shelves. I don’t have anything covering them so I can see my pieces in the open and get outfit inspiration. 
4. My shoes stay organized based on category, like sneakers, heels, or boots. I always put my shoes on different sized shelves based on the height, but never on the floor. Nothing should be on the floor. 
5. People always ask me how to store hats. I love the idea of putting hats on the wall, but I didn’t have a wall in my closet (I already kicked Jason out of my closet, so he didn’t want to give me a wall from his closet!) But, sometimes you’ve got to adapt, so instead of putting my hats on the wall, I put them on the shelves which works really well. 
6. Storing jewelry is also a big question for a lot of people. I have jewelry drawers with velvet inserts and dividers for different sized things. I got everything from Closet Works, and it was really life-changing because now everything is organized, and I can see it all in front of me. 
7. I also get a lot of questions about belts. For me, it depends on the belt. I have a belt rack in my closet, so some of the belts go on there, but not all of my belts work well when they’re hanging. So for the rest of the belts I circle them and put them in little drawers or trays that I can put in the little empty spaces in my closet. 
8. Everything has its own space, even my clutch bags! I invested in acrylic dividers that I got from Amazon for my clutches. They help me keep a lot of bags in a small space, and line them up vertically so they don’t slide, and I can see all of them in a row. 

HOW TO KEEP YOUR CLOSET FRESH AND FABULOUS

Once you finish your closet, it’s not over! Your closet won’t stay nice unless you keep it nice, so here are my top tips to keep your space looking fresh: 

Rearrange: I rearrange my clothes very often in the closet, because I feel like every time I rearrange them it’s almost like walking into a new boutique! Not to mention that every time I rearrange I find new pieces and get inspired to put together new outfits. Seriously, try it, it can make all the difference. 

Purge: I try to stick to the rule of one item in, one out. This means that I purge my closet a lot, but it’s an absolute must if you want to keep your space from getting cluttered and messy. 

Keep it Clean: One tip that I recommend is to have a little packet of wipes in your closet so that every time you put a shoe or a bag back you can give them a little wipe. It only takes a second, but it will keep your stuff looking fresh and new.

FINISHING TOUCHES

One thing that was really big for me was the selfie mirror. This is so important to me because I’m always taking selfies in my closet to post my outfits on instagram, and plus, who doesn’t want to look fabulous in a fabulous mirror? My epic mirror was made especially for me by Lilian Gurbachinski, who is an extraordinarily talented and gorgeous designer from New York who works in glass. The mirror really completed my closet perfectly, and it pulls everything together. 

I also have a chandelier in the closet. Having a pretty chandelier really adds a sense of luxury to every closet and it’s easy to add because you can pick any chandelier that fits your style, and it doesn’t have to be crazy expensive. 

And that’s it–you’re ready to create your dream closet! Every day it’s like I wake up in a clothing boutique and it’s really a dream come true. My closet is my favorite space in my home. I post my outfits and take my selfies there, and I get lost there often. It’s really just my perfect little happy place. 

The best part is, I am giving a little gift to you guys! If you clean out your closet and find a piece you love but don’t know how to style, email me with a photo and my team will help you style it. Have fun and don’t forget to share!

SHOP MY CLOSET:

SHOP MY OUTFIT:

BLAZER and PANTS from Aritzia