How I Made My Closet the Happiest Room in My House
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When we moved into our house, we marked key “wants” off our list: an additional bedroom for out-of-town guests, another bathroom (no more sharing, kids!), a finished basement for our son and daughter to host friends. However, what we gained in square footage (almost double) sadly did not apply to the primary closets. At less than 20 square feet each, two tiny his and hers closets held only a fraction of our belongings. Cluttered chaos ensued—sweaters in storage tubs, rolling racks tucked into corners, clothes that should be hanging stuffed in drawers, not knowing what I have or where to find it.
Meanwhile, what to do with a 200-square-foot landing space adjacent to the primary suite was a regular topic of conversation. It was serving as part office-part wrapping station-part closet, as home to one of the aforementioned rolling racks. Wait, closet.
My husband deserves full credit for this ‘aha’ moment—“We could build walls here and here and turn this into your dream closet.” I needed no convincing. Soon his idea came to life with the help of our contractor, Kelley Lyle, senior design consultant for California Closets in Birmingham, Alabama, and a pretty layer of decorating.
Before meeting with Kelley, I made a list of what I needed to organize my clothes, shoes, and accessories: racks for hanging long items like coats and dresses (I had none), a stack of soft-close drawers all my own, maybe some shelves for folded sweaters.
Kelley listened, incorporating all my needs into the design plan, expertly working with the awkward slanted walls to maximize every inch of space. But she also helped me realize what I didn’t know I needed—a velvet-lined jewelry drawer, a tall tower with adjustable shelves that holds almost 30 pairs of shoes, sleek acrylic drawer dividers, feminine gold hardware.
Kelley's most genius suggestion: Connect the two taller hanging banks with a shelf unit that serves as a window seat, a sweet focal point that completes the space so perfectly. Her deep knowledge of the top California Closets products that would work best for my personal needs resulted in a design I never could have—or would have—dreamed up on my own.
One thing I didn’t want was for my closet to look like a department store. I craved order, which I achieved from simple solutions like assigning sections (jackets, coats and long sweaters, dresses, shirts, pants, athleisure) and trading chunky plastic hangers for all matching slim velvet hangers and wood suit hangers for heavier items.
However, I wanted this space to exude the same warmth as other rooms in my house. Because the architecture of the closet is all new—racks, shelves, even walls—I brought in furniture and items with a little age to help soften things up.
The round table base is made from chippy antique corbels; the writing desk is a flea market find; the cane back chair upholstered in a favorite flame stitch pattern was brought out of storage; the antique rug is from my dear friend Elizabeth’s gorgeous rug shop, Hazel House in Birmingham.
Together with a Roman shade in a chic ikat pattern (Lee Jofa Mallorcan Ikat in camel), a solid terra-cotta–pink linen window seat cushion, a crystal and brass light fixture, and handsome green paint (Privilege Green by Sherwin-Williams), it’s as pretty as any other room in our house. Personal treasures, like the Beverly Buchanan artwork she sent me as a thank-you for writing a profile, cherished family photos, collected jewelry and scarves, finally have a place to land.
Now walking into my closet is so satisfying, and not just because everything is wonderfully displayed, but because it isn’t just a closet—it's the happiest room in my house.
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