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Design the Perfect Couple’s Closet With These 5 Tips

Sharing a closet with your spouse or partner is often a source of frustration. If there’s not enough space, items get lost, clothing is wrinkled, and your closet enters a perpetual state of messiness. Fortunately, it’s possible to have harmony in your home and your closet. Follow these five tips to design the perfect couple’s closet.

1. Add Built-In Wardrobes

If you’re working within a large walk-in closet, consider including two built-in wardrobes. That way, while you’re still sharing the same space, you’ll each have your own wardrobe within it. No matter how much you love your partner, it’s common to disagree on how to organize your closet. And if one partner is messier than the other, conflicts inevitably arise.

Separate wardrobes give you each your own designated space to use however you like. That means you can say goodbye to fights over hanging space, clothing on the floor, or scarves lost in the abyss. Sometimes, the key to getting along is holding on to a bit of your own autonomy, and that’s exactly what you get with matching built-in wardrobes.

2. Include an Island

Want to avoid piles of clothing on your chair or bed? Then, consider adding an island to your couple’s closet. An island can be as big or small as you’d like, ranging from a small folding table to a fully customized island built for your specific needs. Remember, having a designated space to set clothing and accessories while you change keeps clutter down and makes getting ready for the day easier on both of you.

So consider including drawers, shelves, and dividers for extra storage. Or opt to add a mirror and lighting so your island doubles as a vanity.  You’ll appreciate having extra space while keeping your floors clear.

3. Maximize Space With Custom-Sized Hanging Areas

Many couples wear clothing of significantly different size from one another. Hanging everything in the same area creates gaps around shorter items or leaves longer pieces potentially becoming bunched and wrinkled. Thankfully, custom-sized hanging areas offer a perfect solution.

Create separate hanging areas for long items, like suits and dresses, and shorter items, like shirts and skirts. Similarly, if one partner is significantly taller, creating individual hanging areas makes sense. You’ll get the most use out of your space, keep everything organized, and avoid squabbles over where to hang clothing.

4. Install a Shoe Rack

Make that jumble of shoes a thing of the past by adding a shoe rack to your couple’s closet. You’ll free up floor space and potentially keep shoes from being left strewn about your home or bedroom. Plus, having your shoes organized makes it easy to find the pair you need, saving you precious time.

Consider installing side-by-side shoe racks so you each have your own space. Alternatively, opt for a custom-built shoe rack designed to fit your shoes. With customized spaces for everything from boots and heels to flats and loafers, you’ll never have to worry about rummaging through your closet to find a matching pair again.

5. Make Use of Custom Organizers

Getting the most use out of your available space is the key to happily sharing a couple’s closet. Fortunately, custom closet organizers give you the ability to transform your closet into more storage space than you ever dreamed possible. Furthermore, with so many options, you’re limited only by your imagination.

For example, is your partner always dropping laundry on the floor? Then, add a pull-out laundry bin to stow it out of sight until laundry day. Or do you have tons of scarves, ties, and jewelry? Then, keep them accessible and neat with lazy Susans. Alternatively, perhaps what you really need is more space for smaller items. In that case, drawer organizers and behind-the-door storage are great options to maximize your space and create a place for everything you need.

Do you need assistance creating the perfect couple’s closet? Reach out today, and we’ll be happy to help.

 

 

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The Best Storage Ideas for Small Homes

Living in a small home presents some big storage challenges, particularly if you’ve just moved from a bigger space. Thankfully, you don’t have to resign yourself to parting with all of your posessions. You just need to find the right solutions for your space, and we’re here to help. Here are the best storage ideas for small homes.

Storage Benches

Space is at a premium in small homes, so make the most of it with dual-purpose items. Installing storage benches in your mudroom, entryway, library, or anywhere else you could use extra seating allows you to use that same space as storage. Instead of purchasing extra chairs, you’ll be able to use the top of the bench for seating while you store shoes, sports equipment, or linens within the bench. Your home will look neater, and you’ll have plenty of space to tuck items away out of sight.

Under-Stair Storage

The space under staircases frequently goes unused. If your home is small, utilizing the space under you stairs is a great way to gain more storage. Install slide-out shelves within each stair, or opt to create a small closet under the staircase. You can even include a safe to stash your valuables out of view. And since you probably aren’t currently using this space, turning it into a closet or drawers will greatly increase the storage capacity of your home.

Shelves

Adding shelves to a small home helps you stay organized and display some of your items. Since most small homes have limited floor space, floor-to-ceiling shelves are a great option for adding storage. That’s because they transform your walls into usable storage space while leaving the floors clear. Consider adding shelves above windows and doors, too. It’s a great way to add storage for knick-knacks, potted plants, or cookbooks to otherwise unused space.

Kitchen Island

If you’ve already maxed out the cabinet space in your kitchen, a custom kitchen island could be just what you need. Kitchen islands look great, and they can double as breakfast nooks. You’ll gain counter and storage space all in one. Plus, with countless custom options and accessories, like spice racks, drawer inserts, and cabinet organizers, you’ll finally have a space to store all your pans, utensils, and kitchen appliances.

Custom Closet Systems

Closet space always seems to run low, even in large homes. So if you have a small home, chances are you’re lamenting your lack of closet storage. Fortunately, you can multiply your usable space with a custom closet system. Instead of relying on a single rod and stacking boxes on the floor, you can create custom hanging areas that fit your clothing without wasting space. Add shoe racks, shelves, accessory drawers, and behind-the-door storage to create space for everything you need to store. You won’t believe how much space your closet truly had all this time!

Bathroom Vanity

Bathrooms in small homes frequently lack adequate storage space. One of the best ways to gain the space you need is by installing a new bathroom vanity. We can customize your vanity to fit your bathroom so there isn’t any wasted space. Don’t forget to add accessories like small appliance storage, slide-out laundry bins, towel racks, and organizers for even more storage.

Custom Entertainment Center

Entertainment centers from big box stores frequently take up a lot of space, while providing very little storage and functionality. Instead, opt for a custom entertainment center that’s built to fit your television and your home.  You’ll be able to add all the shelving, cabinets, and accessory storage you need. We can even build around fireplaces to maximize every inch of your space!

Are you ready to increase the storage in your small home? Contact us today to discuss your needs.

 

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9 Custom Features Every Closet Needs

If there’s one thing most homeowners agree upon, it’s that there’s never enough closet space. That’s a problem, because having adequate storage space in your closets helps you keep your wardrobe organized and helps the rest of your home stay tidy. Investing in a custom closet can ease your storage headaches, but what should you include? Here are nine custom features every closet needs.

1. Custom-Sized Hanging Areas

A lot of closet space is wasted with single rods or hanging areas that are all the same height. Custom-sized hanging areas allow you to use every inch of your space. And because you can customize the height to fit your needs, you won’t have to worry about long items bunching up or having tons of wasted space below your clothing. Create separate hanging ares for long items like dresses and coats, while hanging shorter items like pants and shirts on shorter racks. You’ll be able to neatly organize your entire wardrobe and free up space for additional features.

2. Shoe Racks

Shoes tend to pile up and create a mess when we don’t have adequate storage. And expensive shoes can be damaged if they’re not stored properly. Adding a custom shoe rack to your closet provides you with the space you need to keep all your shoes organized and protected. Plus, you can customize it to fit your shoes, so all your boots, flats, tennis shoes, and pumps will fit perfectly into your new shoe rack.

3. Custom Organizers

Custom organizers allow you to make the most out of your space. Features like dividers for seasonal clothing, drawer organizers, and filing bins for photos or special documents help you neatly store everything you need while also keeping it accessible. Instead of jumbles of clothing, accessories, and papers, you’ll have a perfectly organized space, and you’ll always be able to find what you need.

4. Lazy Susans

When it comes to storing items like ties, scarves, and jewelry, nothing beats a lazy Susan. They keep your accessories from tangling and rotate so you can easily see your entire collection and select what you want for the day. In larger closets, you can also use lazy Susans to create a rotating hanging system to more easily access your wardrobe. They’re especially nice for storing your coats!

5. Accessory Drawers

Accessory drawers are helpful for storing small items like socks, jewelry, scarves, and more. Accessory drawers also fit nicely in what may otherwise be unused or inaccessible space. Consider placing less frequently used items in high or low drawers, while keeping items you use regularly within easy reach.

6. Laundry Hamper

Including a built-in, slide-out hamper in your closet gives you a place to put laundry when you change so you’re not tempted to toss it aside until later. And it eliminates the need for unsightly plastic baskets. Your laundry will stay neatly tucked away until you’re ready to take it to the wash.

7. Shelves

If you’re used to a reach-in closet with a single rod and shelf, you’ve probably found yourself wishing you had more shelf space available. Adding custom shelves to your closet gives you a space to store seasonal clothing, sentimental items, hats, photo boxes, or anything else you’d like to keep in your closet.

8. Behind-the-Door Storage

If you think about it, you probably have empty space behind your closet door. Make that space work to your advantage by adding behind-the-door storage for small or lightweight items like hats, purses, or hair accessories.

9. Helpful Extras

Think about what would really help you use your closet better. In smaller closets, it might be something as simple as adding a mirror or an additional hook to hang clothing while you change. If you have a larger closet, maybe you’d like to add features like seating, a folding table, or even a vanity. Remember, custom closets are all about making your closet fit your personal needs, so choose the extras that work for you.

Ready to add custom features to your closet? Contact us today to get started.

 

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How To Makeover A Tiny Closet

How To Makeover A Tiny Closet

While it’d be a dream come true for every closet to be a massive walk-in, some are just tiny. But, you can still makeover a tiny closet to gain more space.

Sometimes, simply reorganizing and adding a few shelves or cabinets is all it takes to go from cluttered to neat and useful.

Instead of lamenting the small space, turn it into something you love. Some customization and organization make all the difference.

Transform Into A Pantry

A closet doesn’t always have to be for clothes. If you want to makeover a tiny closet that you’re not really using, transform it into a pantry. Everyone could always use a little more storage for food and other dry goods, such as paper plates and napkins.

No matter how tiny the closet is, there is always space to add shelves. You can even add smaller cabinets to keep anything from falling out when you open the closet door. Plus, this makes it easier to turn the inside of the door into storage for brooms and mops.

Adding small custom shelving or racks to the door also allows you to store spices, seasonings and other small items. Pull-out shelving makes everything easy to reach.

Create A Tiny Bar

No room for a bar in your kitchen? Makeover a tiny closet into a makeshift bar. While you won’t have any place to really sit, you will have a convenient place to make drinks. Plus, you can simply close and even lock the door if you want to keep kids and teens out of it.

Use custom cabinets to add spaces for bottles. Add a few shelves for storing glasses or you can even use sectioned drawers to store the glassware.

Ensure you have a counter area above any drawers or small lower cabinets. This gives you a place to mix drinks. You can keep any supplies in drawers or cabinets below the counter.

Make A Hidden Laundry Room

A tiny closet actually works well for a small laundry room. If you’re lucky enough to have enough space, you can place your washer and dryer side by side. Use the space above for a small rack to hang clothing. Add a fold out board to the door for ironing, folding and pre-treating.

Or, if you have a stackable set, use the extra space to the side to add a small rack for air drying clothing and a counter for ironing, folding and pre-treating stains.

Build A Home Office

While no one might call your home office glamorous when it’s in a closet, it’ll still be your own personal space. Makeover a tiny closet by creating a set of base cabinets with a space for your legs. This creates your desk. Then, add some shelving above the desk for storing extra supplies, books and equipment. Add a light and you’re ready to hide away and get some serious work done.

HGTV has some great home office closet ideas. Plus, they list a few other ideas, such as examples of laundry rooms and bars.

Make The Most Of Your Vertical Space

If you want to makeover a tiny closet to store more clothing and shoes, try to make the most of your vertical space. Often, closets just have one or two racks for hanging clothing. This doesn’t help much with organization. Consider adding custom floor to ceiling shelving for storing shoes and delicate items that need to be folded. In a kids’ closet, you can even add drawers in the bottom of the closet just for shoes and toys.

Another option is to place another rack or even custom cabinets or shelving in the back of your closet and keep your racks on the sides of the closet. This creates a better walk in space and gives you extra storage in the back.

Ready to makeover a tiny closet in your home? Contact Edgewood Cabinetry today to discuss how to go from tiny to amazing.

Image: Jordi pujadas

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7 Surprising Areas To Add Custom Cabinets

7 Surprising Areas To Add Custom Cabinets

Usually, you add custom cabinets to your kitchen, but that’s not the only room that deserves custom cabinetry. In fact, you can make over your entire home just by adding the right cabinets.

Since cabinets are all about helping your with storage and organization, imagine how nice it’d be to have cabinets throughout your home.

By opting for custom cabinets, you get the perfect size and storage you need for your exact space. With no compromises, you’re able to organize your home the way you want.

1. Living Room

Living rooms and family rooms are often overlooked with it comes to custom cabinetry. However, they’re the perfect place to add custom cabinets. Usually, you have magazines, electronics, remotes and maybe even kids’ toys. You might even want a place to store a few extra blankets or pillows to lounge on the couch while watching TV.

Turning your entertainment center into custom cabinets that perfectly fit your electronics, books, magazines and everything else makes your entire living room look more spacious and organized. You can also have cabinets behind your couch or along a wall.

2. Hallways

Hallways are probably one of the most surprising places to add custom cabinets. While you don’t have much space, thinner cabinets work well to give you easy access to coats, gloves and hats if you don’t have a hallway closet. You can also add small bins to store toys, blankets and more.

3. Garage

Often, people opt for pre-built cabinets in their garages or just shelving units. But, you can makeover your garage with custom cabinets. Get the perfect storage for all the random stuff that gets stored in the garage. You can create custom storage for tools, set up closed shelving to keep dirt and dust off of your holiday decorations and packed away keepsakes.

Instead of everything falling off of shelves, it’s neatly tucked away out of sight. Your garage looks nicer and you have the optimal storage. You could even turn part of your garage into a custom mudroom.

4. Laundry Room

Detergents, towels and your iron all deserve a nice place to stay. That’s why it’s a great idea to add custom cabinets to your laundry room. Instead of just a barebones washer and dryer with a shelf, get cabinets to store everything. You can even add a foldaway ironing board inside a cabinet and a drying rack between cabinets.

It’s also a great place to store extra towels and bedding. Or, use it as temporary storage for clean clothes for each member of the household to collect.

5. Closet

Closets don’t always have the most space. However, whether it’s a small coat closet or a large bedroom closet, custom cabinets make a good addition. With custom cabinets, you don’t have to worry about whether they’ll fit or not. In fact, you could even use cabinets to transfer a medium-sized closet into a home office. A few cabinets and a chair is all you really need to go from closet to office.

6. Dining Room

Usually, dining rooms get a hutch or no real storage at all. But, your dining room is a great place to display your fine china, store extra silverware, keep tablecloths or just have some extra space for larger countertop appliances you don’t use all that often. You can add custom cabinets along one wall or even use cabinets as a divider between your kitchen and dining room if they’re made together.

7. Bedroom

For bedroom furniture, you usually have a nightstand, chest of drawers and dresser. Most people don’t think about using cabinets, though. You can build a custom wardrobe or cabinets that serve as a chest of drawers, but fit your clothing better.

For a kid’s room, cabinets are the perfect addition. Kids can store their toys, shoes and more. They can even use the top of cabinets as a play area. Plus, their rooms might just look neater.

If you’re ready to add custom cabinets throughout your home, contact Edgewood Cabinetry today to discuss your projects.

Image: Curtis Adams

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7 Tips For Amazing Closet Cabinets

7 Tips For Amazing Closet Cabinets

Whether you have a small closet or a large walk-in, amazing closet cabinets help you completely reorganize the space the way you want.

By making the most of all available space, you’ll be able to find clothes, coats, shoes, accessories and anything else you need to look great for the day.

Take some time to envision your dream closet and then use cabinets to make it happen. With the right organization, all the clutter finally becomes manageable.

1. Use All Available Vertical Space

Vertical space is your best friend when it comes to amazing closet cabinets. Even if you have a smaller closet, floor to ceiling cabinets give you extra space to store everything neatly. Often, you even have free space above your clothing rack. Add a small cabinet or shelves above that to give you space to slide in shoes, purses or small boxes of keepsakes.

You can even use your corners with small corner cabinets to store smaller items, like shoes or wallets. You could even add small drawers to store jewelry, cuff links or other tiny items.

2. Have A Shoe Caddy

Typically, your stores are stored in the floor. Or, you might have them in boxes sitting underneath your clothes. This leaves you crawling around the floor to find what you need. Instead, add a shoe caddy to your closet. Create special cabinets designed to fit your shoes.

There are a variety of ways to add your own shoe caddy. These work great as a tall vertical cabinet or a small cabinet under an upper clothing rack. Some even add caddies to the outer edge of other closet cabinets to make it easier to reach the shoes.

3. Add A Pull Out Hamper

How often do dirty clothes get tossed here and there? Instead of letting your dirty laundry make a mess out of your nicely organized closet, add a pull out hamper. It can look like a normal cabinet, but pull out for you to dump your laundry. Have a lift-out basket to make it easy to take the clothes to the laundry room.

If you’re really tight on space, add a small hamper bag on the back of your closet door. This allows you to use your cabinets for other things.

4. Design Based On What You’re Storing

The single most important tip for getting amazing closet cabinets is to design them based on what you’re storing. If you have delicate sweaters that need to fold up, ensure you have ample drawers for them. If you need more space for shoes and purses, design around that.

Think about what’s most important to you and use that as starting point to designing better cabinets for your closet. This helps you create the best organization for your walk-in closet.

5. Use Drawers For Smaller Items

Often, closet cabinets only have shelves, caddies and standard cabinets. However, drawers are a great addition to your closet. You could even add smaller shoes, such as kids shoes or flats, in a drawer so they don’t get lost. Thinner shirts, such as camis, fit well in drawers without taking up space on your racks. Plus, a drawer makes it easier to get to what you need without digging through a cabinet.

Drawers also work well to store jewelry, wallets and other accessories. If you have a larger closet, consider designing a chest of drawers that fits inside your closet. This helps open up your bedroom more while better organizing your closet.

6. Use Pull Out Racks

If you’re worried about not being able to reach things on shelves or inside your cabinets, use pull out racks. Have a thin space between cabinets? Add a pull out scarf or belt rack. You can even have a rack that pulls out specifically for you to design the next day’s outfit, keeping it safe inside the closet until you’re ready to wear it.

7. Go Custom

Instead of going with one-size fits all closet systems, custom closet cabinets let you design your entire closet based around your needs. Pre-made systems never fit the way they should. Plus, you’re left with their organization strategy versus what you actually want and need.

Ready to transform your closet? Contact us today to discuss your closet cabinet needs today.

Image: bumiputra

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Mudroom

Closet Accessories: Why Every Home Needs A Mudroom

You might think a mudroom is only for larger homes, but every home needs a mudroom. It’s extra storage after all.

Thanks to custom closets and closet accessories, it’s easy to create a mudroom that fits your space. Every home needs an area for pulling off muddy shoes, hanging up raincoats and storing umbrellas.

The great thing is mudrooms fit any space. From a small storage bench to a large closet, get as creative as you want to store everything you need.

Why It’s A Necessity

How often have you come in only to leave your wet or muddy shoes drying in front of the door? Naturally, they get left there until you’re ready to go out again. Multiply that by the number of people in your family and suddenly, your front door is nothing but a pile of shoes.

A mudroom doesn’t have to a separate room. It’s just a designated area for storing things like frequently used coats, gloves, shoes, umbrellas, sports equipment and anything else you store in your house but is usually only used outside. The good news is you only need a limited amount of space to create one. The width of a wooden storage crate and some vertical space is more than enough to get started.

Starting From Scratch

If you don’t have anything resembling a mudroom, don’t worry. A few closet accessories are all you need to get started. As the Daily Gazette explains, you don’t need a dedicated room. Of course, if you want to place it near your front or back door, you want it to look nice and organized.

A few tips for getting started include:

  • Place an all-weather rug at the door to prevent tracking water or mud throughout the house
  • Buy or build a storage centerpiece, such as a wooden closet organizer that’s basically just a slim bookcase, an organizer filled with stiff baskets for storing different items or even a small bench with cubicles underneath
  • Place hooks on the wall or on the sides of taller storage units, such as custom floor-to-ceiling cabinets, to hang coats, scarves and other items
  • Hang a mirror for a last minute check as you walk out the door

Transforming A Hall Closet

If you happen to have a hall closet near your entryway, use that as part of your mudroom. Instead of making it the black hole where you toss everything, organize it. If you want to limit your mudroom to just the closet, consider adding a fold-out seat to the inside of the door to allow somewhere to sit to take off shoes.

Create a wall of bins, either open or as drawers, for storing smaller items such as shoes and gloves. Dedicate one side wall to hanging coats and jackets. The final wall may have shelves for storing sports equipment or other accessories.

Creating More Open Space

You may decide you don’t want a closed off mudroom. In this case, use closet accessories to create an open, inviting space. Much like the small mudroom featured with this post, you can use modular closet storage accessories to create a storage bench and add vertical storage. Hooks quickly add storage for hanging items. You could even add a decorative rod on the wall for hanging items at the end of the seating area.

A set of tall cabinets with a large drawer at the bottom of each works well to create a quick mudroom. Instead of shelves, the cabinets are open with hooks for hanging items. The deep drawers keep shoes and random items contained. If you have space, dedicate one to each family member.

Finding Inspiration

All of this might sound great, but how do you find your inspiration? Looking at other mudrooms of course. Remember, you don’t have to run all over the place looking for closet accessories that perfectly fit your space. You can get custom made accessories and cabinets in the correct size and using wood and colors that already match your home.

If you’re ready to get inspired, try the following to see what’s possible:

Ready to start creating the mudroom of your dreams? Contact us today to see how our custom solutions help you to create a stunning, highly organized mudroom.

Image: Douglas Sheppard

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Storage Shelves, Cabinets and Closets

Many modern homes come with open spaces, connected living areas, more windows and fewer walls separating rooms.  In addition, what used to be attic space is often being converted into additional rooms.  While the increased living space is a welcome advance, it does have a consequence.  Homeowners are having a harder time than ever finding adequate storage space.

If you have a need to add storage to your home, ask Edgewood Cabinetry how adding storage shelves, walk-in closet cabinetry, and other storage solutions can help.

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