As a professional realtor and lifestyle expert I have seen many, many real-life “closet cases:” closets that desperately require both love and attention. In my view, having a well appointed closet is not just a luxury but rather an essential for today’s life. Today’s buyers and renovators demand closets that offer functionality, beauty and style. Truth be told, I have never seen a closet case I have not been able to solve both aesthetically and functionally.
When I wrote my second book, LIFE ON MAR’S; Creating Casual Luxury, I gave readers a visual tour of my home and even my existing previously designed closets that have served me well for several decades. Everything has a place and every place has a purpose. Great design is punctuated when functionality meets maximum capacity, underscored by great design.
For the fourth season of my Home Makeover Show, I recently challenged myself with the task to create a closet that infused all of those things, this time for my own master bedroom. But rather than just a place to store all the clothing, I wanted it to have visual interest and be part of the overall decor of the space, inspired by the great department stores around the globe. I was motivated by the greatest spaces dedicated to displaying clothing and my memories of them during my travels around the world: Selfridges in London, Bergdorf’s in New York, Galleries Lafayette in Paris, and so many wonderful boutiques in every major city.
On my check list were the things I felt made displays truly special: lighting, proper display spaces, combinations of drawers and rods, and a folding station that tucks away. Knowing what I wanted made it easy to create the design thanks to my buddies at Sterling Cabinetry. Although I had the vision, they for sure had the experience and the ability to take my concept and make it functional and beautiful. They even helped me maximize space by creating a section that rolls out of the way to reveal access to the adjacent furnace area–something that traditionally meant sacrificing storage to favor access.
In the end I got everything I could ever ask for. Some may say, “Who needs such a closet for one person?” but I’m always thinking of my future. I know that scaling back my wardrobe would be easy for the right person to share the space. In the meantime, it’s all mine.
Watch the complete transformation, installation dilemmas (no, I didn’t even mention those!) and the big reveal in season four premiering in September 2021. In the meanwhile, enjoy an insider peek to the overall design.
