Barbie B., a Malibu Realtor wrote us the following question recently and agreed to have us feature her on the OrganizingLA "Organizing Emergency" section.
"Is it okay to store clothing garments in dry cleaner bags? And for garments that aren’t worn often and are prone to dust or are delicate and need some TLC, what type of bags do you prefer? I would love to use something clear."
Closet organizing nirvana can be achieved with careful editing, thoughtful closet shelving and rod placement and selecting a blend of functional and stylish accessories.
Closets are an expression of your personal style, no matter who you are. Why not invest a little more and pamper your Pradas? We've always believed that if you choose your accessories somewhat carefully, your final look will be luxurious and accommodating to the needs of modern man. Here are a few interesting higher-end closet organizing accessories. Can you add any of your favorites?
Bell'occhio in San Francisco offers these Maison boxes shimmering in matelasse' paper with a "snappy" red trim. Petite boxes start at $18 and love letter boxes $34.
Chevron gold metallic drawer liners from Hammocks & High Tea. come in the scene of jasmine and bitter orange. $25 for six 12" x 18" sheets.
Quintessence Paris crafts scented tubes designed to be placed inside drawers and through the hooks of hangers to imbue your apparel with a redolence of freshness and spice. Available for $100 through Bridal Guide.
We've written before about these Clearly Glam luxury shoe boxes from Brazilian designer Gracienne. Stack-able and fashionable, the clear boxes with chic black lid come in packages of 12 for $9.95 each. Available here.
Kirby Allison's "Hanger Project" offers luxury wooden hangers that eliminate dimpling and collapsed shoulders. Kirby is a former investment banker who virtually re-invented hangers using better components and a signature no-slip purple or brown flocking, brass hardware, birch wood satin finish. About $55.50 for 12 shirt hangers.
Lisa Adams, an LA-based high-end closet designer offers these decadent hanger clovers on her website, LA Closet Design. Not only will your clothes be protected from dust, but they'll have the lovely scent of French lavender. $54.00
If all of this is confusing and you just need the basics of closet organization, you can pick up our book: The Experts Guide To Doing Things Faster: 100 Ways To Make Life More Efficient. Or, download it onto your Kindle. We contributed Chapter 9, "How to organize your closet" with a 7-step process to clear the clutter and bring beauty and functionality to your closet no matter your budget.
What products have helped you organize your closet? Do you have any tips for luxury on a budget? We want you to share.
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Does your personality dictate the way you organize your closet?
Three top organizing experts including Lorie Marrero of the Clutter Diet (Austin, Texas), Meryl Starr (New York, New York) and yours truly answer this question by addressing three different "closet personalities" in the November issue of Better Homes and Gardens.
The 6-page article (pages 78-86) features advice tailored to women who either fold or hang their clothes or a woman with shoes on center stage. Along with our friends at Closet Maid, Hanger City, the Container Store, Organize.com, Caldrea, KangaRoom Storage, OrganizeIt, Hammocks and High Tea, Agraria Home and Elizabeth W, our segment "Shoe Lover" ticked off ideas for maximizing the passion of a "shoe hog" while minimizing the clutter. Closet Maid's shoe cubby inserts helped us maintain a sense of order and accessibility. Did you know the average mature woman owns between 40-60 pairs of shoes?
"If you adore your shoes, put them front and center in cubbies. Plan enough of them to house every pair you own in a season."
There are lots more tips from Marrero and Starr, along with some excellent organizational products the talented editors discovered. Get your copy of the November BHG on newsstands nationwide now.
What kind of closet personality do you have? How many pairs of shoes do you own? Share with us by writing a comment below.
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Vanity Fair – John featured in March 2008 issue of BHG
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Sometimes we discover an organizing product so great we drop everything to tell you about it…
If you're looking for a higher-end shoe storage system with advanced "shoe-vue technology", drop what you're doing and get on over Brazilian designer's Gracienne website for her Clearly Glam shoe storage boxes.
Hollywood Variety's Stylephile profiled them today, which means the boxes are flying off the virtual shelves. It doesn't hurt that the designer's clients include Fergie, Jennifer Aniston, Paris Hilton and Demi Moore. A quick inquiry to the Blast boutique in Beverly Hills was welcomed with a big question mark. But they're sure calling Gracienne to inquire about the boxes.
Not a bad idea to have shoe stores carry storage systems for their customers. What do you think about it? Stylephile says the boxes are made out recycled PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) and they're priced affordably at $9.95/each in packages of 12. Lids are midnight black with a classic designer logo.
Is advanced "show-vue technology" something you're in the market for to store your Marc Jacobs?
Source: Stylephile and Gracienne
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Hollywood Costumer needs storage bin labeling help
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If you’re feeling lucky, Los Angeles organizing expert Chris McKenry can help you.
Chris is part of an advertisement in O-Magazine this month for Microsoft’s HP Pavilion IQ 770 TouchSmart Computer. Our colleague offers great tips for organizing your kitchen, home office, wardrobe, mail and time– many of those tips includes ways you can incorporate technology into your daily life (like we continue to do) by using the TouchSmart.
The HP Pavilion IQ 770 TouchSmart Computer helps plan your family’s schedule, manage events and leave personal messages – all at your fingertips, on a touch screen.
Here’s a sample Conquer Your Clutter tip we love:
"Another key to staying organized is keeping items where they are used. You normally don’t leave the milk, fish, and eggs sitting on the dining room table when returning home from the grocery after a difficult day. Think of the mail as perishable and keep those surfaces uncluttered. No matter how tired you are, get in the habit of placing the mail on your desk.
Record events in your TouchSmart calendar and recycle the invitations."
To read more of Chris’ Get It Together LA! organizing tricks, check out this month’s O magazine on newsstands now. You can also read the online version and enter to win a variety of prizes (including a TouchSmart and a visit by a professional organizer), by clicking here.
For the past week, my assistant and I have been organizing in La Canada Flintridge, a beautiful city just north of the hassle and bustle of Los Angeles.
We’ve met this wonderful woman named Bee who works at the deli counter at the local market. Bee and her netted beehive hairdo have been celebrating their 27th year at the store. Boy, does she give great customer service. We’ve been leaving with a smile on our faces every visit.
Also at the house in La Canada, we’ve been working in and out of several closets and thinking about space planning and accessories. We found out this week that Hanger’s Direct, a supplier of closet hangers and accessories has announced plans to launch a closet division.
Hanger’s Direct will soon be offering a variety of wood, metal and plastic products designed to cater and complement the many different colors and designs of today’s custom and prefabricated closets.
This new venture with Hanger’s Direct is encouraging because the company offers terrific service and a great product. So we’re excited to see what they’ll unveil. We think even Dee at the local market would be proud.
Photo courtesy of city of La Canada Flintridge
[5.17.07 – We have updated this post so there is no confusion as to who is starting this venture. We apologize for any inconvenience! — John]
“John Trosko offers creative solutions for clearing cluttered spaces while spilling Hollywood habitués’ domestic obsessions.”
– Cristina Tudino, Self Magazine
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