Simple Closet Ideas to Upgrade Your Storage Space Quickly

Organized Interiors is renowned for our showpiece closets but that’s not the only type of closet design we specialize in.

Not every home has the space for a large walk-in closet with features like an island and decorative add-ons such as crown moulding, baseboard, sculpted edges, and glass cabinet doors.

And naturally, a more elaborate closet project doesn’t fit into every homeowner’s budget.

A custom reach-in closet or smaller walk-in closet with a simpler design can still work wonders for your bedroom’s storage functionality, while still providing high quality and stylish looks.

Advantages of choosing simple closet ideas

Transforming a closet space of any size with a smarter layout and features to maximize storage space is a great investment and comes with undeniable benefits.

Most importantly, you’ll streamline your daily routine by having a home for everything, which makes the closet easier to keep tidy.

Your closet’s old interior may have consisted of little more than a well-worn hanging rod, sagging top shelf, and poor lighting. A closet makeover will refresh the appearance of your wardrobe storage space.

There are also some specific benefits to using more simple closet ideas when you’re having a closet’s design put together by a professional:

  • they’re obviously more affordable, allowing homeowners with more modest budgets to still have a closet designed that fits their needs
  • your order will usually be able to be turned around in less time, so you can get your closet storage needs addressed quickly

Get inspired with these simple closet ideas

We wanted to show you some simple closet ideas that we’ve incorporated into some of our completed projects. 

The photos show that a less elaborate and modestly priced reach-in or walk-in closet makeover still projects a stylish, elegant, and very tidy look.

Take a look and maybe you’ll see a concept that based on some simple closet ideas that are right for your home.

Double reach-in closet with Chocolate Pear finish

Here is a double reach-in closet in a master bedroom. For this space, we used a melamine finish called Chocolate Pear that’s one of our most popular dark finishes.

Chocolate Pear’s rich, appealing look is one reason for the finish’s popularity. Another reason is it tends to be available in all the various materials (like thermo and formica/arborite in addition to melamine) we use when making our cabinetry on-site at Organized Interiors’ manufacturing facility.

We created a space within the closet that has useful access from both doorways. As you’ll see in the next image, this closet is completely open inside and there’s no dividing wall between the door openings.

The name “reach-in”, of course, is derived from the fact that the closet’s shallow depth typically doesn’t allow you to step inside of it. With this particular closet, you could technically walk between the interior space between the closets but for all intents and purposes, it’s a reach-in.

Double reach-in closet with a Chocolate Pear finish.

Utilizing a smart closet layout design is crucial

Two separate closet spaces with identical dimensions can deliver drastically different levels of functionality and storage space, purely because of how the layout was conceived.

Our design consultants always strive to devise creative and practical designs that enable each of our clients to get the most out of their remodelled closet.

With this closet, the absence of a dividing barrier between the closets allows for flexibility with the closet’s layout.

We set up the left side of the closet with double hanging rods for short clothes. The biggest part of any closet renovation is freeing up the “real estate” by doubling up closet rods and opening up the length of the space.

The right-hand side of the closet is split. On the left is a tower of shelves for folded clothes, handbags, shoes, etc. To its right is space for hanging long clothes.

Remember that long hanging does not mean just dresses. Oversized shirts and suit jackets typically need more vertical space than other short items. And if you prefer to hang your pants long by the pant cuff, they too will need more vertical clearance than shirts and blouses.

More simple reach-in closet ideas

This closet features a very common setup for a small reach-in closet design.

Trying to shoehorn drawers into a narrow closet such as this one isn’t always practical. Instead, a narrow bank of shelves can still accommodate plenty, whether it’s folded shirts, pants, sweaters, or even smaller items like socks in baskets on shelves.

Although it’s difficult to tell from the photo, the upper shelf in this closet is recessed. The shelf tower itself is a good depth (around 16″) for storing folded adults’ clothes. The top shelf is shallower at 12″. This choice was made to provide better access to the shelf, considering it’s at the same height as the doorway.

Once again, we’re showing a combination of double and long hanging for clothes – how that is split or not is entirely up to you.

If you don’t need to hang many items in the closet (such as with a guest closet), we can simply install a single rod. Don’t have anything long to hang? We can set your entire closet space up with double hanging rods.

A standard white closet never goes out of style.

Simple closet ideas for walk-ins

Here’s an example of a straightforward walk-in closet. Clothes on the left side of the photo below combine double short hanging with long hanging on the right for a bathrobe.

A shelf tower uses the wall as the back for the shelves. The closet rods are suspended between walls and gables.

You may prefer to use some of the space on the closet’s side for a full-length mirror. Perhaps you’d favour moving the placement of the shelf and drawer tower to another location in the closet’s design. Whatever your space allows for, Organized Interiors is all about meeting your specific storage needs.

Luxury walk-in closets feature lots of decorative detail that certainly enhances the appearance of the closet space. These additions don’t always serve a functional purpose.

Every inch counts when you’re striving to boost the functionality of your closet storage. Unless you have a particular look in mind for your closet, you don’t need to add extra decorative touches and features.

 

Don’t forget the linen closet!

The linen closet tends to get overlooked as a home storage space worthy of an upgrade.

Yes, it’s a utilitarian storage area but that doesn’t mean it can’t function better and look nicer. Simple closet ideas apply perfectly to a linen closet, which doesn’t require quite the same level of design detail as a bedroom closet.

This catch-all space for towels, bed sheets, blankets, and other linens can easily become overwhelmed and untidy.

Adding custom cabinetry with adjustable shelving will make the space function more efficiently. You can space your shelves close together to store soaps and other bath essentials or open up the spacing for thick blankets and pillows.

A linen closet in a Toronto condo.

Simple closet ideas for a unique closet space

“Simple” definitely doesn’t need to mean inferior or low quality when it comes to your closets. The simple closet ideas and designs featured here are unique projects that, we think you’ll agree, look great.

Organized Interiors specializes in closet makeover projects of all sizes that can accommodate any budget.

Whether you’re searching for an affordable simple closet design that you can have installed quicker or are looking to splurge on a dream closet, we have a solution for you.

Request your free in-home design consultation to get your closet project started.

Please share this post if you found it useful.

See also:

Space Solutions Joins Organized Interiors

Make space for living. It’s our tagline. Who knew it would have special meaning for us in 2019 as we make space for a new company?

We are thrilled to announce that Space Solutions has joined Organized Interiors so we can serve you better!

Barb Larocque opened Space Solutions in 1986, with innovation and dedication for the last 33 years, and will continue to ensure every customer’s organizational and space solutions are completed, “the right way, on time, for every project.”

The Space Solutions location in the Sunnybrook Plaza at 660 Eglinton Avenue East closed on March 29 and moved to Organized Interiors’ facilities. “Our commitment to outstanding service will continue. We are thrilled that we can now offer more selection, options, and features, with furnished room displays in a 10,000 square foot showroom space at the Organized Interiors”, Barb says.

Organized Interiors showroom in Vaughan.

President of Organized Interiors, Mike Albo says, “We are both pioneers in this business and we share the same passion, business integrity, and family values” he added, “Aligning our businesses will only help to better serve our clients with competitive pricing and continued, high-quality customer service”.

The continuing need for space solutions in the downtown condo market will benefit from this new business alliance.

Visit the Organized Interiors showroom in Vaughan.

7 Home Air Quality Tips to Freshen up Your Living Space

home air quality bed

With your spring cleaning efforts currently in full swing, it’s worth taking a little time to consider your home air quality.

Most of us take it for granted that our indoor air quality is fine. Scientific research, however, has found it to be an area we should be paying a lot more attention to.

Studies by the Environmental Protection Agency and other environmental health organizations show that the quality of most indoor air is actually worse than the air outdoors.

Air pollution levels in indoor spaces are typically 2-5 times higher than pollution levels outside. So how can that be?

What causes poor home air quality?

A big contributor to poor air quality in homes and other indoor spaces is, quite simply, that not enough time is spent cleaning them, especially when it comes to vacuuming and dusting.

The products we buy and the chemicals they contain are another major reason our home air quality suffers. Unless you’re ultra-vigilant about what’s being brought into your home and used there, it can be difficult to maintain a healthy level of indoor air quality.

Indoor airborne pollutants also come from things like cooking residue, pollen, mould, and pet dander.

The fact that we inhabit tightly sealed environments that don’t get much air flow exchange with the outdoors doesn’t help matters, either.

How to improve your home air quality

Because the average person spends about 80-90% of their time indoors, it’s important to do what you can in your living space to improve its air quality.

The spring time is typically when a home is most in need of a refresh. Those long Canadian winters keep us indoors a lot more and don’t give homeowners many opportunities to open some windows. That keeps stale air, allergens, and other pollutants trapped inside.

Of course, leaving screen doors and windows open can also bring in outdoor pollutants, particularly in high traffic areas, downtown areas, and during hot weather. It’s a tricky balance, to be sure.

Here are some tips to help you improve your home air quality by reducing the number of pollutants in your living space.

1. Clean your home regularly (and properly)

Finding the time to clean your home as much as it really needs it is always a challenge. But as you would expect, regular cleaning is one of the single-most impactful ways to reduce the number of toxins indoors.

It’s generally recommended that regularly used areas of your home should be vacuumed a minimum of once per week. Higher traffic areas should get a little more attention, perhaps two or three weekly vacuumings. Carpeted areas in your home will also need more vacuum maintenance than hard floor surfaces.

Cleaning properly is another key to make your cleaning efforts more effective. Avoid using dusters, for starters. They don’t actually remove dust, they merely disperse dust from one surface to another. Wipe shelves and other surfaces with a damp soft cloth or microfibre cloth.

Thorough cleaning is also important. You can’t realistically get to every single nook and cranny in your home every time you vacuum, dust, and mop. It is important, however, to occasionally attend to those areas of your home that aren’t the main floor surfaces, such as curtains, ceiling fans, baseboards, walls, and behind large appliances.

To eliminate the headache of vacuuming underneath beds and sucking up all those elusive dust bunnies, consider getting a bed surround. They replace all of that wasted empty space underneath beds with useful drawer storage and incorporate additional storage space around the bed.

home air quality woman mopping in kitchen

Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

2. Control home clutter

Let’s expand upon that “clean your home regularly” point and specifically address home clutter. You might not see a direct connection between excess clutter and poor home air quality, but it’s there.

To illustrate how clutter affects the air quality in your home, picture several stacks of boxes in the corner of a spare room that haven’t been touched in months.

Those stacks (and floor clutter in general) make it harder to vacuum the room, which gives you an excuse to not to do it.

Extra clutter also impedes the airflow in a room and gives dust more surface areas to rest on and accumulate.

Take advantage of the wealth of effective storage and organization products available to keep your home tidy with less effort.

3. Look closer at the products you buy

The most popular laundry and cleaning products boast about how fresh they’ll make your clothes smell and how immaculate and spotless they’ll leave the surfaces in your home.

The irony is that while these products may be effective at cleaning and eliminating germs and bacteria, most of them also add pollutants to your home’s air when used.

Even getting your dry cleaning done can bring pollutants into your home (from the chemicals used in the cleaning process).

Here are just a few more of the common household products that release chemicals into your home’s air:

  • beauty and grooming products
  • spray and plug-in air fresheners
  • certain types of clothing (including water-repellent apparel and some polyester and fleece fabrics)
  • many plastic products
  • building materials
  • home furnishings

It can take a big effort to make major changes to what you buy and to check on the environmental impact of every product you purchase. But controlling the source of indoor pollutants will help to improve your home air quality.

4. Get an air purifier

Adding a standalone air purifier (or two) to the areas of your home that are most frequently used is another solution for improving your home air quality.

Bedrooms, the kitchen, and the living room are ideal locations. If you don’t want to deal with moving a standalone air purifier from room to room, whole-house air cleaning systems are available which are integrated into your HVAC system.

Air purifiers remove contaminants from the air and can help improve the comfort level of those with allergy and asthma issues. Air purifiers are also recommended for homes with smokers.

Ionic and HEPA air purifiers are the two most popular types of standalone unit choices. Do your homework before buying, as features (such as whether the unit can remove odours, square footage covered, and operating volume levels) vary widely from model to model.

5. Change HVAC and kitchen air filters regularly

Dirty air filters that trap pollutants and allergens recirculate poor quality air indoors, so they need to be maintained to keep your home’s air quality healthy.

Timely air filter replacement on HVAC systems, range hoods, kitchen and bathroom air vents, and vacuums tends to get overlooked. Staying on top of this task is a cost-effective way to maintain healthy home air quality.

Energy Star recommends changing your HVAC filters monthly during the winter and summer seasons, when your furnace and air conditioner are being used most. Change them every three months at the very minimum, regardless of the time of year.

Unclogged air filters improve the efficiency of your home’s heating and cooling systems and can reduce your utility bill.

Energy Star also recommends a yearly tune-up for your HVAC equipment to keep them operating at peak efficiency and to prolong the life of your heating and cooling units.

You should also have your air ducts inspected and cleaned periodically. Whichever air duct cleaning company you use, ask them about their maintenance process. Some professionals use sealants and chemical products that kill and inhibit bacteria and mould growth, which you may wish to avoid.

6. Get home air quality-friendly plants

Adding several air purifying plants to your living space won’t just improve your home air quality, they also enhance a room with character and colour.

House plants convert carbon dioxide into fresh oxygen and certain plants are very efficient at eliminating or reducing household toxins like benzene and formaldehyde.

Here are some of the most effective plants for reducing toxins in the home:

  • Philodendron
  • Spider plant
  • Rubber plant
  • Dracaena
  • Snake plant
  • Ficus
  • Bamboo palm

Be mindful that even plants which are known for their air purifying benefits aren’t practical for every home. If one or more house occupants have sensitive allergies, some of these plants may not agree with them.

home air quality potted aloe plant

7. Prioritize the air quality in your bedrooms

Taking steps to improve the indoor air quality throughout your home is important, but it only makes sense to prioritize the quality of air in the room your family spends most of their time in – the bedroom.

A Statistics Canada study of the sleep habits of 10,000 Canadians between the ages of 18-79 found that they averaged 7.12 hours of sleep every night.

With approximately a third of our lives spent sleeping, your bedrooms should undoubtedly be one of the cleanest, most organized rooms in your house.

In addition to managing your bedroom clutter, using an air purifier, and adding some plants to the bedroom, consider changing your mattress.

Switiching to an eco-friendly mattress that’s chemical-free will be beneficial for your bedroom’s air quality. At the very least, vacuum your existing mattress regularly to get rid of dust mites and get anti-dust mite mattress and pillow covers.

Get organized to help improve your home air quality

Our lifestyles make eliminating 100% of indoor pollutants at home virtually impossible.

However, with simple regular maintenance, making changes to the products you buy, and investing in appliances to monitor and improve your home air quality, you’ll reduce your family’s exposure to indoor air contaminants.

Consider having your home air quality tested. An expert can help you gauge what areas of your home might benefit from some measures to reduce indoor toxins.

Organized Interiors can also help you to get your home organized so it’s easier to clean on a regular basis.

Schedule a complimentary in-home design consultation with us today.

Please share this post if you found it useful.

See also:

Makeup Table Ideas to Streamline Your Daily Beauty Routine

makeup table ideas open drawer

According to a recent survey done by AOL and The Today Show, women spend an average of 55 minutes each day on their hair and makeup.

That’s approximately 335 hours or two full weeks every year.

A look at various studies on the makeup habits of consumers indicates that anywhere from a third to half of the women surveyed never leave home without wearing some type of makeup.

With makeup application being such a staple of the daily routine of so many women, it makes a lot of sense to have a dedicated space like a makeup table in order to streamline a beauty routine.

Time-saving, comfort-enhancing makeup table ideas

Whether you call it a vanity, dressing table, makeup vanity, vanity table, cosmetics vanity, or cosmetics table, makeup tables have a lot of benefits.

Having a posh makeup area where your beauty routine occurs almost every day is certainly practical, as it helps you to stay organized.

It also allows you to have a personalized, comfortable space to complete your beauty ritual.

Let’s look at some makeup table ideas that get a little more in-depth about how useful they can be, as well as some considerations to make before buying one.

Keep your beauty products well-organized

A 2015 Poshly and Stowaway Cosmetics survey of 4,000 U.S. women found that the average woman owned just under 40 makeup products, but only regularly used five of them. 75% of those surveyed said they routinely never finish their makeup products.

With a plethora of cosmetic types and brands to choose from, keeping all of your beauty essentials and self-care products organized can be a challenge.

Having a dedicated space that’s set up to handle all of your makeup storage needs with an ample countertop, drawers with dividers, and cabinet storage will make a big difference in keeping your daily prep area well-organized.

With an organized makeup space, you will:

  • find things much easier
  • misplace fewer items
  • be less likely to make duplicate purchases
  • be able to keep better tabs on how fresh your makeup products are

Create a highly functional workspace

Having a dedicated and well-designed makeup application and removal space where everything is in one place and within easy reach will facilitate a consistent, efficient daily beauty routine.

That saves you time and minimizes the aggravation that comes with searching for items you can’t find.

Some elaborate makeup applications require a very precise touch and take more time, so the last thing you want to feel is rushed, scattered, and uncomfortable when applying your cosmetics.

And while some women are perfectly fine standing when applying their makeup or styling their hair, a lot of women find it easier and more efficient to sit down for these tasks.

You can have your makeup station designed just the way you prefer for maximum comfort. That includes choosing a comfy seat, having your countertop set at your preferred height, and picking the perfect task lighting and mirror for your makeup area.

Why a bespoke makeup table design is better

You could save a few bucks and buy a build-it-yourself makeup vanity online or from a big box store.

But if you want to add a makeup space with an elegant, high-end look that’s durable, well-built, and with more design options, a bespoke makeup table is the best choice.

You’ll have much more freedom to fully personalize your makeup table when working with a custom cabinet designer and manufacturer like Organized Interiors.

By having direct input into the furniture’s design and the ability to have a dialogue with the cabinet maker after everything is installed, you’re assured of complete satisfaction with your product.

Location flexibility with a small room footprint

Makeup tables are well-suited to several home spaces, which gives you some flexibility when it comes to choosing a location.

You don’t need a lot of space for a makeup table either, which gives you additional freedom when choosing a spot. If your available space allows for it, “going big” with your makeup table design is certainly an option, too.

Any of the following rooms are ideal for a makeup table:

You deserve to pamper yourself

We’ve established that there are several practical reasons to get a makeup table.

But if you’re looking for an additional reason to make such an investment, how about because it’s simply nice to pamper yourself once in awhile?

If you invest a lot of time and care into your daily beauty routine, a custom self-care space is the perfect way to treat yourself to something special that improves the quality of your “me time”.

Adding a makeup table also allows you to inject your décor with a luxurious aesthetic that improves the feel of your environment. That can help make your daily beauty routine feel less tedious.

Bring your makeup table ideas to life

Organized Interiors’ talented design consultants can take your makeup table ideas and bring them to life with creative and stylish bespoke designs.

Schedule a complimentary in-home design consultation with us to get a free quote and some expert advice and guidance on how to create your own unique makeup preparation space.

Please share this post if you found it useful.

See also:

7 Home Organization Projects for Spring

Longer days and warmer weather mean spring is here. Finally!

It’s time to get out of your winter funk, get motivated, and tackle some of those clutter areas in your home.

Here are seven spaces that can benefit from home organization projects this spring.

home organization projects, walk-in closet

Walk-in closet

By this time of year, your closets are overworked and overflowing with stuff you seldom wear. Bulkier winter clothing also tends to eat up more of your precious closet real estate.

If your closet space is bursting at the seams and failing to meet your storage needs, make use of that underutilized spare room in your home to significantly expand your wardrobe storage options.

Transform the spare room into a large walk-in closet (also known as a dressing room). Create a home for all of your clothing and accessories with wall-to-wall cabinetry. You can also add a makeup table and lounging area that’s personalized for your needs.

home organization projects, bed surround

Bed surround storage

If you’re constantly cleaning up clutter on your bedside table and around your bedroom, bed surround storage is a solution you may not have considered.

Get your bedroom organized with a bed surround that maximizes storage space. Underbed, overhead, nightstand, and wardrobe storage space can all be incorporated into the bed surround’s custom design.

A bed surround also nicely enhances your bedroom’s décor with its stylish, bespoke design.

home organization projects, laundry room

Laundry room

Laundry rooms can be dark, dreary rooms that lack nobody wants to spend time in. Why not improve the space with a laundry room makeover this spring?

Our designers can transform your laundry room into a modern-looking space that’s more comfortable and enjoyable to spend time in.

And as one of your home’s hardest working rooms, we can also increase the functionality and usability of your laundry room with improved storage that includes new cabinetry, pullouts, and accessories.

home organization projects, mudroom

Mudroom

Warmer weather means you and your kids will be spending more time doing outdoor activities. One effective way to stay organized with an increased level of traffic coming and going from your home during the spring and summer is to add a mudroom.

A mudroom is practical for any home and can be combined with a laundry room, be a small room near an entrance, or simply a dedicated space in the hall of a front entryway.

Add extra storage space for all of your family’s outdoor apparel and accessories to minimize clutter and keep muddy footwear in a contained, transitional area.

home organization projects, reach-in closet

Reach-in closet

Is getting dressed every day an exhausting, frustrating process due to the sad state of your closet? If budget or space limitations make a walk-in closet impractical, improving your reach-in closet with a closet organizer might be the solution for you.

Depending on your needs, the design of a reach-in closet can be really simple or quite extravagant. Either way, you will maximize the storage space in your closet and greatly reduce the clutter in your room.

home organization projects, home office

Home office

If you’ve been thinking about adding a workspace to your house, why not make it the home organization project you tackle this spring?

A home office creates a functional, private space that mom or dad can use for working and the kids can also use as a study space.

Organized Interiors’ bespoke home office designs can utilize a guest room or even use a corner carved out under a staircase.

home organization projects, wall bed

Wall bed

Another great spare room idea is to create a guest room that includes a space-saving wall bed (also known as a Murphy bed).

A pullout wall bed is much more comfortable for your guests than a futon, sofa bed, or inflatable mattress. The wall bed unit’s integrated storage systems and stylish design also create a more hospitable, welcoming space for overnight guests.

Make space for living this spring

These are just a few of the practical home organization projects worth taking on this spring.

Regardless of what area of your home needs help, Organized Interiors has a storage and organization solution that can be customized just for you.

Schedule a free design consultation to have an Organized Interiors designer come to your home and provide you with a detailed quote.

Please share this post if you found it useful.

See also: