Summer Inspiration - Custom Closet Solutions To Suit Your Needs

Summer can be the ideal time to organize your closets. When it's hot and humid outside and your hiding inside your home in the air conditioned coolness, why not tackle a drawer or closet that has gotten out of control? 

Perhaps you have a closet that always seems out of control no matter how you try to keep it organized? Cookie cutter closet systems can't always rise to the challenge. Consider a custom closet organization solution from Closets For Life. Designed specifically to meet your needs, a custom closet will make staying organized as easy and pleasant as a summer breeze!

This advice doesn't just apply to closets, from garages to kitchen pantries to home offices, a custom storage solution from Closets For Life will help keep all areas of your home organized.

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Do you have a closet in need of some organization help? 
 Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Closets For Life is a custom organization company that works with residential clients as well as designers, builders and architects to create innovative solutions for all of your organizational needs including closets, garages, offices, Murphy Beds, wine cellars and more.

Whatever your organization need, Closets for Life will come out to your house for a free in-home consultation and help design an organization solution that perfectly fits your needs.

Contact Closets For Life by phone at 952-484-0416 or by email at rlyrek@closetsforlife.com. You can also visit our website at www.closetsforlife.com.

2015 Trends for Home and Organization

It's hard to believe but we are just few days away from 2015!   Whether you want to get ahead of the curve or are just looking to make interesting talk at the water cooler, here are some of the home trends in design, color and organization to expect in 2015.

2015 Pantone Color of the Year
Pantone announces its 2015 color of the year.  Drum roll please......!

How to Use the Pantone Color of the Year
Now that you know the 2015 Pantone of the Year (oops! better go back and find out what it is), check out this article on Houzz.com, about how to use the color in your home.

Three Home Trends to Expect in 2015
Predicting 2015 lifestyle trends based on popular pins, here are three home trends Pinterest anticipates will take off in the coming year.

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If you are interested in learning how Closets For Life can help you bring organization to your life, contact us by phone at 952-484-0416 or by email at rlyrek@closetsforlife.com for a free in-home consultation. We will come out to your home to discuss your needs, assess your existing space and then design a custom organization solution designed specifically for you.

Closets For Life is a custom organization company that works with residential clients as well as designers, builders and architects to create innovative storage solutions for all organizational needs including kitchens, pantries, closets, offices, garages, laundry rooms, wine cellars and Murphy beds. Closets For Life is a family owned and operated business.

Visit our website at www.closetsforlife.com to learn more.

Show Your Shoes Some Love...Shoe Organization Ideas

For those of us who love shoes, our love has a tendency to result in a lot of clutter!  A great shoe collection can overwhelm your closet...unless you find a way show your shoes some love.

Today, we bring to you 46 inspiring shoe organizations ideas from HGTV and Houzz plus photos of some shoe organization ideas we have designed for our clients.  No matter what the size of your shoe collection or closet, there is a perfect solution out there just for you!

Houzz - 21 Great Ways to Store Your Shoes      
HGTV - 25 Ways to Store Shoes in Your Closet

 

Show your shoes some love and contact Closets For Life for a free in-home consultation. We will come to your home to meet with you and discuss your space. After our meeting, we will design a custom storage solution tailored specifically to your needs and budget. Closets For Life can be reached by phone at 952-484-0416 or by email at rlyrek@closetsforlife.com.  You can also visit our website at www.closetsforlife.com.

 

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Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Closets For Life is a custom organization company that works with residential clients as well as designers, builders, remodelers and architects to create innovative solutions for all organizational needs including closets, mud rooms, craft rooms, kitchens, garages, home offices, Murphy beds, wine cellars and more.

 

 





Home Trends to Consider in 2014 for your Closet

A closet is just a closet, right?  Not necessarily.  Spaces designed to serve multiple purposes is a current home trend for 2014 and closets are an under-appreciated consideration to achieving this goal.  Think creatively when considering your needs for your home; your answer might just be waiting in your closet.  Here are just a few examples of recent Closets for Life projects that transformed closets into other uses.

Have you always dreamed of having a wrapping or craft station?  We recently transformed a client's under utilized closet into the craft and wrapping station she has always dreamed of. 

 

 

Do you wish your office had more storage for files and supplies?  A custom design featuring shelves and drawers will keep everything organized and, better yet, out of site.

This client's multi-purpose mud room and laundry room lacked easily accessible shelving and counter space for folding. Installation of a cabinet unit and shelving in a closet space gave the homeowners exactly what they wanted without disrupting the flow of the room.

 

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If you are interesting in seeing how Closets For Life can help you transform your closets, contact us by phone at 952-484-0416 or by email at rlyrek@closetsforlife.com for a free in-home consultation. We will come out to your home to discuss your needs, assess your existing space and then design a custom organization solution designed specifically for you.

Closets For Life is a custom organization company that works with residential clients as well as designers, builders and architects to create innovative storage solutions for all organizational needs including kitchens, pantries, closets, offices, garages, laundry rooms, wine cellars and Murphy beds. Closets For Life is a family owned and operated business. Visit our website at www.closetsforlife.com.

'Organizing' Your Lawn and Garden For Winter

Here in Minnesota, the leaves are beginning to change as the beautiful season of Fall is upon us.  Along with changing leaf colors and cooler temps, Fall brings a chance for us to 'organize' our lawn and gardens to ensure a successful lawn and garden for next spring.

While most of the organization Closets For Life does happens inside the home or garage, we are always happy to encourage organization in all areas of life.  That is why we are bringing to you today some helpful links on preparing your yard for winter.  Happy fall and happy organizing everyone!


Helpful Links to Information on Preparing Your Yard and Garden for Winter

From the Minnesota State Horticulture Society, their article on getting your garden ready for winter has some unique ideas (like planting spinach now for an early spring crop) that we haven't seen before.
Link to Minnesota State Horticulture Society Article

Star Tribune's 'Digging In' feature writer, Deb Brown, provides some simple steps for getting your lawn ready for winter including when to fertilize your lawn and mulch perennials.
Link to Star Tribune Article

This article from the University of Minnesota Extension Services talks about how to protect your trees and shrubs from winter damage.
University of Minnesota Extension Link

A task not to be forgotten is getting your lawn mower ready for winter.  This link from Consumer Reports features a step by step video on winterizing your lawn mower.
Link to Consumer Reports Video

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Closets For Life is a custom organization company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Locally owned and operated, Closets For Life works with homeowners as well as designers, builders, remodelers and architects to create innovative solutions for all organizational needs including closets, garages, wine cellars, kitchens, home offices, Murphy beds and more.  Contact Closets For Life for a free in-home consultation by phone at 952-484-0416 or by email at rlyrek@closetsforlife.com. You can also visit our website at www.closetsforlife.com.

Ideas for a Better Coat Closet

If you are the owner of a home built before 1980 or a condo, chances are you have an entry way coat closet rather than a mudroom for storing your outerwear, shoes and so on. 

It is also likely that you wish your coat closet was about 5 times larger that it is.  That is not surprising.  The coat closet is often the dumping station for everything when we get home and the last stop when trying to get out the door.  Because of the coat closet's integral role in our daily lives, organization is vital.  Who wants to be greeted with chaos when you get home?  Or worse, who wants to spend an extra 10 minutes looking for a pair of gloves when trying to leave?

While you may think expanding your coat closet space is the only answer, we have some great tips for maximizing the potential of your existing closet space.

Use Your Space Wisely-

In no other area of your home can a custom organization system have a bigger impact than a coat closet.  A custom design is tailored to fit your specific needs.  Another great benefit to a custom system is the design options offered.  Thinking beyond the traditional closet design of a closet rod at eye height with a shelf above it will have a truly transformational impact on your closet's storage potential and organizational upkeep.  Custom features like shoe racks, pull out drawers and cubbies will not only increase storage space but help keep your closet organized and it's appearance tidy.

Don't Ask Your Coat Closet For More Than It Can Give
Even with a custom organization system, there are limits to what your closet can hold.  Trying to cram too much into your coat closet will only make it harder to keep organized.  Store out of season gear somewhere else and switch it out when the seasons change.  Also, analyze whether each item in your coat closet really needs to be there.  Does it have to do with entering or leaving your home?  If not, move it somewhere else that makes more sense.  For example, coats and gloves belong in a coat closet but bulky sports equipment is probably better off stored in the garage where it can easily be loaded into your vehicle.

There's No Better Medicine than Prevention
What is good for the body is also good for our closets.  Give your coat closet a bi-annual closet check-up.  At least twice a year, take everything out of your coat closet and assess your belonging to clear out items that are no longer used or belong somewhere else.  After your assessment, reorganize your items as you put them back in.  We recommend doing this when switching out seasonal gear.

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Interested in a custom organization system for your coat closet?  Contact Closets For Life for a free in-home consultation by phone at 952-484-0416 or by email at rlyrek@closetsforlife.com. You can also visit our website at www.closetsforlife.com.

Closets For Life is a custom organization company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Locally owned and operated, Closets For Life works with homeowners as well as designers, builders, remodelers and architects to create innovative solutions for all organizational needs including closets, garages, wine cellars, kitchens, home offices, Murphy beds and more.











  

Why We Love Angie's List and You Should Too

At Closets For Life, we love an informed customer.  Angie's List, a consumer driven review site, is a great tool for homeowners to evaluate companies based on actual service experiences.  Companies cannot pay to be be on Angie's List and all reviews are from real clients, not anonymous users.

Okay, Angie's List is great for you, but why do we love it?  Angie's List members reward companies that provide excellent customer service with great reviews and an 'A' rating.  With over 20 positive reviews and an overall 'A' rating on Angie's List, homeowners can easily see what makes us better than our competition and that makes us happy!

Closets For Life has an overall rating of 'A' on Angie's List. 

Here are just a few of our customer reviews on Angie's List.

 

Review from Deb in Apple Valley on 4/4/2013

Rick from Closets For Life made the best use of every bit of space we have available in the closet. . . . We couldn't be happier with the results or with Rick himself.  I highly recommend this company for custom closets.

 

Review from Steve in Mpls on 5/1/2013

Closets for Life owner, Rick, came out to my home and discussed my requirements for a walk-in closet.   It was obvious from his 3D drawings that he really listened to my preferences as he designed the space, not to mention he turned around the rendering in less than 2 days. . . . The closet was installed 2 weeks after Rick received the signed agreement, just as he had committed.  I quoted two companies for this work and, in my opinion, Rick's design was FAR superior.   He really listened and came up with something that perfectly fits the space - even though the room is not a perfect rectangle.  The entire process was easy and timely, and Rick delivered on all of his commitments.  Closets for Life definitely exceeded my expectations. Thank you Rick!

 

Review from Barbara in Andover on 11/3/2012

Rick was very helpful throughout the process.  He completed an initial design.  He modified the design until I was completely happy with the plan.  The install was perfect.  Rick was very pleasant, clean and willing to make sure I was 100% satisfied.

 

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Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Closets For Life is a custom organization company that works with residential clients as well as designers, builders, remodelers and architects to create innovative solutions for all organizational needs including closets, kitchens, garages, home offices, wine cellars and more.

 

For a free in-home consultation on your next project, contact Closets For Life by phone at 952-484-04165 or by email at rlyrek@closetsforlife.com.  You can also visit the Closets For Life website at www.closetsforlife.com.



 



 



Three Tips for Falling Back in Love with your Closet

Has your 'relationship' with your closet deteriorated over time? Perhaps once perfectly organized by color with ample space to spare, is your closet now jumbled, overfilled and unorganized?

 

This Valentine's Day, rekindle your relationship with your closet.  Here are 3 tips to help you fall back in love with your closet and keep the spark alive.

Tip #1:  Declutter
Every closet (and relationship) has its limits.  You simply cannot keep adding clothes every season with out clearing it out on occasion.  Every 6 months, go through your closet and clean out items you no longer use.  If you can't bear to part with them yet, box them up and revisit them in 6 months when it's time to declutter again.  If you haven't missed it, chances are you don't need it.

Tip #2: Accessorize
Sometimes all you need to rekindle a relationship is a little change to spice things up.  Adding an accessory or two to your closet can make your closet feel new and interesting again.  There are many great closet accessories available that are designed to maximize the storage potential of your closet.  Pull out belt and tie organizers, pull down closet rods and pant organizers are just the beginning. 

Tip #3:  Know When to Call it Quits
Although it is hard to face, sometimes you have to know when it is time to call it quits.  Your closet simply might not be able to meet your needs in its present state.  If this is the case, it is probably time to consider a closet organization makeover.   A custom closet organization system can truly transform your closet space into something with far more storage potential.  Even in the case of a small closet, you have many options.  A closet organization
professional can help you determine your goals and the best design to meet these goals.

We hope you have found these ideas helpful.  For more inspiration and ideas regarding your closet, check out the Closets For Life website at www.closetsforlife.com.

Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Closets For Life is a custom organization company that works with residential clients as well as designers, builders, remodelers and architects to create innovative solutions for all organizational needs including closets, kitchens, garages, home offices, wine cellars and more.

Contact Closets For Life for a free in-home consultation by phone at 952-484-0416 or by email at rlyrek@closetsforlife.com.

Enjoy The End of Summer - Closet For Life Style

Sure, we could be writing right now about some great project idea meant to inspire and motivate you into starting your next organization project. We could, but we're not going to because......

We are down to the last few weeks before Labor Day weekend people! The official end of summer.  We say go out and enjoy it! 

Have some friends over for a barbecue and relax.  We'll even provide you with some closet humour to amuse your guests with.  Who doesn't love a good closet joke?  You'll be the hit of the party (well, maybe) and when your done relaxing you'll be refreshed and ready to tackle your next organization project.

Joke #1:

Chuck Norris doesn't check his closet for the bogeyman. The bogeyman checks his closet for Chuck Norris.

Joke #2:

What do you call a skeleton in a closet?
The winner of last year's game of hide and seek.

Joke #3:

Any closet is a walk-in closet if you try hard enough.

Joke #4:

A man and woman had been married for more than 60 years. They had shared everything. They had talked about everything. They had kept no secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoebox in the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about. For all of these years, he had never thought about the box, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor said she would not recover. In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the shoebox and took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed that it was time that he should know what was in the box. When he opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totaling $25,000.

He asked her about the contents. "When we were to be married," she said, "my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just keep quiet and crochet a doll."

The little old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears. Only two precious dolls were in the box. She had only been angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving.

He almost burst with happiness. "Honey," he said, "that explains the doll, but what about all of this money? Where did it come from?"

"Oh," she said, "that's the money I made from selling the dolls."

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When you ready to tackle your next organization project, contact Closets For Life for a free in-home consultation. 

Closets For Life is a custom closet company that works with residential clients as well as designers, builders and architects to create innovative storage solutions for all organizational needs including closets, offices, garages, laundry rooms, pantries, wine cellars and Murphy beds. Closets For Life is a family owned and operated business. 

Contact Closets For Life by phone at 952-484-0416 or by email at rlyrek@closetsforlife.com. You can also visit our website at www.closetsforlife.com.

3 Great Organizing Tips - Little Changes, Big Impact

People tend to believe that an effort to be more organized involves elaborate overhauls of our existing routines or houses.  In truth, little changes can have a big impact.  Here are 3 easy-to-implement tips that can save you time and have your household running smoother.

The Many Fabulous Uses for Hooks
Our first tip comes from a talented professional organizer, Sheila Dingels of Successful Simplicity.  We love her idea of using 3M’s Decorative Command Hooks as a functional yet attractive solution to many of your organizing dilemmas. 

Shelia recommends hanging a series of hooks on the back of your bedroom closet door to hold those once-worn clothes that are still clean enough to wear again, but you don’t want to put away.  Or hang one hook on the wall next to your child’s closet for the clothes they want to wear to school tomorrow, so they don’t waste oodles of time getting ready.  Or why not us Command Hooks to make a decorative display on a bedroom wall of your favorite accessories like necklaces, handbags, or hats? 


Bread Tags Make The Perfect Cord Labels
Another great professional organizer and fellow blogger, Andrea Brandt of Smiling Spaces, recently posted a great tip on her blog that is so simple and cheap, it's brilliant.

Use plastic bread tags to label and organize cord labels.  Nothing is more frustrating that trying to wade through a cluster of cords while trying to figure out which cord belongs to the printer, scanner, TV, DVD player, modem...the list goes on forever.  Take Andrea's tip and use your left over plastic bread tags to label the cords.  You'll never have to guess again!

Check out Andrea's Smiling Spaces blog, for more great ideas.

Keep Track of Children's Clothing With Dots
From the website, www.thriftyfun.com, is a great way to keep track of kids clothing.
 

When you have 2 or more children all the same sex and close in age it can be difficult to keep underwear, socks and other clothes sorted and in the correct drawers.  We all know about "Hand-me-Downs".  Dealing with them can be helpful if you use a permanent marker and put 1 dot it in the waistband or tag of the article of clothing for the oldest child.  When they pass it down to the second child, you add another dot.  Add a third dot for the third child, and if they are still not worn out you can keep passing it down just adding a dot to indicate which child's pile and drawer each item would go to.  Socks can be marked on the bottom.  Makes life in the laundry room much easier!

Make it Easy
We hope these tips inspired you to look for little changes that can make your day run smoother.  We all get overwhelmed at times looking at everything that needs to be done.  Sometimes it helps to figure out how to work smarter, not harder.  Good luck!

Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Closets For Life is a custom closet company that works with residential clients as well as designers, builders, remodelers and architects to create innovative solutions for all of your organizational needs including closets, garages, Murphy beds, offices and wine cellars.

For a free in-home consultation, contact Closets For Life by phone at 952-484-0416 or by email at rlyrek@closetsforlife.com. You can also visit our website at www.closetsforlife.com.

Shawnessy Schwartz
Closets for Life Aficionado

3D Closet Drawings So Real You Might Try To Grab For a Hanger



3D CAD Drawing of a Walk-in Closet

A couple from Minnetonka recently had us come out to their home for a free in-home consultation for their master bedroom walk-in closet.  When we met, the couple had a pretty firm grasp of what organization components they wanted on each of three walls. 

As with all of our free in-home consultations, the following day we sent the couple detailed 3D drawings of the proposed closet design along with the price quote.  The detailed 3D CAD drawing included a design of the whole room and a breakdown of drawings that showed the components on each wall.

We asked the couple to hang each separate drawing on the appropriate wall for a couple of days to see how they felt the flow would work.  The couple was very certain that they liked the design as is but agreed to hang the drawings up and get back to us.

Two days later, the couple called to say that they had three changes based on looking at the drawings as they were using the closet.  For example, they decided they wanted the pull-out tie hanger at the front of the closet rather than the back after realizing the husband frequently tries on a few ties before deciding on one and it would be less steps to hang them back up if they are closer to the front.

Ultimately, hanging the 3D CAD designs up resulted in a better flowing closet and a happier client.  Our 3D CAD design drawings are just one of the many reasons to have Closets For Life come to your home for a free in-home custom organization consultation.  We will listen to your needs and then design a custom solution that you can see in detail beforehand.  No surprises, just great results.

Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Closets For Life is a custom closet company that works with residential clients as well as designers, builders, remodelers and architects to create innovative solutions for all of your organizational needs including closet, garage and office organization systems, Murphy beds and wine cellars.

For your free in-home consultation, contact Closets For Life by phone at 952-484-0416 or by email at rlyrek@closetsforlife.com. You can also visit our website at www.closetsforlife.com.

Shawnessy Schwartz
Closets for Life Aficionado

A Grown-up's Letter to Santa

Dear Santa,

I am writing to you with the hope that you can help me. I can't find the Christmas presents I bought and hid earlier this month. It is great that the kids didn't find them but now I can't either.
 

Could you please send an elf to my house to give me a clue as to their location? Are they hidden in the linen closet behind the disorganized heap of sheets? Or perhaps in garage behind the pile of gardening tools? Any help would be much appreciated.

Oh, and Santa, for Christmas can you please bring me a professional organizer and a new custom organization system for my closets? I have been a good girl this year.

Sincerely,

Susan in Eden Prairie

Get yourself the perfect gift this year, the gift of organization. Get started by contacting Closets For Life for a free in-home consultation. We will listen to your needs and design the closet or garage organization system you have always wanted. Santa will be so proud.

For a free in-home consultation, contact Closets For Life
by phone at 952-484-0416 or by email at rlyrek@closetsforlife.com.  You can also visit our website at www.closetsforlife.com.

Great Closet Accessories

If you haven't ever peeked into the world of closet accessories, we understand. It's not something the average person thinks about (unless you are us). However, we are here to tell you that once you start to look at all the fun and functional closet accessory options available, you won't be able to stop dreaming about what to add next to your own closet!

Closet accessories are like icing on a cake. Whether added to an existing closet or incorporated into a new custom closet design, closet accessories can transform even the most basic closet and greatly maximize its storage potential in a fun and functional way.

At Closets For Life, we frequently incorporate closet accessories from Rev-A-Shelf into our custom closet designs.  Below are just a few of the many options available. If these peak your interest, check out the Rev-A-Shelf website www.rev-a-shelf.com to see more.

Clockwise, starting at upper left:
pull out hamper, pants rack, pull down closet rod, pull out belt rack

Whether you are looking to add just a few closet accessories to your existing closet or want a whole new custom closet design, Closets For Life can help. Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Closets For Life is a custom closet company that works with residential clients as well as designers, builders and architects to create innovative solutions to all of your organizational needs. Closets For Life is a family owned and operated business.

For a free in-home consultation, contact Closets For Life by phone at 952-484-0416 or by email at rlyrek@closetsforlife.com. You can also visit our website at www.closetsforlife.com.

Shawnessy Schwartz
Closets For Life Aficionado

Custom Closet in Edina

We were recently contacted by a former client, Becky from Edina, for whom we had designed and installed a custom walk-in closet organization system. Becky was contacting us to say she had sold her house and the saddest part about her move was leaving her closets behind!

She wanted us to come out to her new home to design another closet organization system for her new walk-in closet. As a service company, there is no bigger compliment than having a client say they love your work so much they would like you to come back for another project. A huge thank you to Becky and our other clients for choosing Closets For Life for their home organization project

At Closets For Life, we make every effort to listen to our clients wants and needs. We give them a plan that will simplify their lives and increase the enjoyment of their home. As a local and family owned company, every job, no matter how big or small is important to us.

So, if you sold your home, what would you miss? If your answer is nothing, let Closets For Life help you change that by reinventing your closet, garage or wine cellar. Visit us at www.closetsforlife.com to get inspired and sign up for a free in-home consultation. Closets For Life can also be reached by phone at 952-484-0416 or email at rlyrek@closetsforlife.com.

Shawnessy Schwartz

Closet Aficionado

If You Have Skeletons In Your Closet, Teach Them to Dance

If you have skeletons in your closet, you better teach them to dance! Huh, you say? Keep reading…

Halloween officially kicks off the holiday season marathon which means, for most of us, heaps of holiday decorations. You probably have a collection of decorations for Halloween, a collection for Thanksgiving and an extra-large collection for Christmas or Hanukkah.

Which leads us to ask (if we may be so bold!)......

What did you find when you went to pull out the skeletons from your closet to hang on the front door for Halloween? Did you find an organized storage system protecting your decorations from damage and making them easy to set up? Or, did you find a jumbled heap of holiday items, perhaps mixed together, making decorating your house an even bigger job?

If you answered a jumbled heap, you are not alone. When the holidays are over, it is hard to muster up the ambition to tackle organizing everything. So, here is your call to action! Right now, before we delve too far into the holiday season, is the perfect time do something about organizing your holiday decorations. Having an organized system and a designated space to store your holiday decorations will make putting them up and taking them down easier, faster and more enjoyable.

Teach those skeletons in your closet to dance, meaning take back control of the chaos! Start out your holiday season by giving your first gift to yourself.

If your looking for somewhere to start, check out this article from the DIY Network, Tips on Organizing Holiday Decorations.

And, if you find out don’t have a great closet system to store your newly organized decorations, check out the Closets For Life website and sign up for a free in-home consultation. Closets For Life can also be reached by phone at 952-484-0416 or email at rlyrek@closetsforlife.com.

Happy Halloween everyone!

And The Award Goes To.....

A little known fact....Closets For Life is a member of NAPO Minnesota.

What is NAPO? Well, want to find an experienced and helpful professional to help you create organization amongst your clutter? Check out the members of NAPO Minnesota, the National Association of Professional Organizers. This association is a coalition of professional organizers committed to creating calm, promoting productivity, and bringing balance into the lives of their corporate and residential clients.

Closets For Life is a Corporate Associate Member of the organization. Corporate Associate Members are companies that offer products or services that are complementary to those of professional organizers. This partnership results in a relationship where both parties are educated and up-to-date on what can best help their customers become and stay organized.

Rick Lyrek, owner of Closets For Life, was recently recognized at a NAPO meeting with the Member Support Award. The award is given to a member of NAPO who actively participates and contributes to the organization in a positive and informative manner. That's Rick on the far right in the photo above with other award winners.

Check out the NAPO Minnesota site to learn more about NAPO or find a professional organizer. Then, when your ready to implement your new organizational goals, check out the Closets For Life website and sign up for a free in-home consultation. Closets For Life can also be reached by phone at 952-484-0416 or email at rlyrek@closetsforlife.com.


Shawnessy Schwartz
Closets For Life Aficionado

How to Create Usable Space in your Closet

Some realtors refer to the master bedroom closet as prime real estate. Why? Think about it - we ask our closets to hold and do a lot!

It's a room that is a vital part of our daily routine. We use our closets at least two times a day if not more. So, why then do so few of us ever branch out past the standard single bar with a shelf above? This is an area that has potential with a capital P! Your closet has the capacity to give you so much more in the way of storage and ease of access...its just waiting for you to take the first step!

There are so many options that can be used together in countless designs to gain more usable closet space. We can't go over them all but here is a sneak peek.

Dual closet rods

More than half of the clothes in an average closet are shirts which take up only a third of the vertical space in a closet. Think of all of that unused vertical real estate! Adding a second closet rod in your closet is a great way to maximize your closet space.

Shoe racks

Built vertically or stacked horizontally, shoe racks protect your shoes and keep them organized and easy to find.

Shelving with pull out drawers

Are your sweaters currently in a hard to reach jumbled pile on your top shelf. Adding vertical shelving with drawers or bins that pull out keeps sweaters and other hard to hang items in perfect condition and within easy reach.

Jewelry trays and built in vanities

Always fighting for bathroom space with family members? A walk-in closet is a great space to add a vanity. Create your own private oasis where you can get ready without interruptions.

Cabinet Island:

If you have the space, adding a cabinet island in your walk-in closet will have a huge impact. Use the island for folding clothes, additional clothes storage or tuck away a laundry basket in the cabinet for a cleaner closet look.

Dual closet bars and built in vanities are just some of the many storage options you have to unlock your closets' potential when you have Closets For Life design a custom closet for your reach-in or walk-in closet. With a free consultation we can help you identify your needs and design a custom closet that will turn your fixer-upper closet into prime real estate.

Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Closets For Life is a custom closet company that works with residential clients as well as designers, builders and architects to create innovative solutions to all of your organizational needs. Closets For Life is a family owned and operated business.

Contact Closets For Life for a free in-home consultation for your new closet,
Ph: 952-484-0416, Email: rlyrek@closetsforlife.com
Shawnessy Schwartz

Closets For Life Aficionado

Famous Shoes

One Shoe Can Change Your Life....
Who said this? Why Cinderella of course! We recently installed a beautiful custom walk-in closet system for a client. When we returned to photograph the closet, the home owners had hung a sign with this quote in the closet. What a perfect quote for a dressing room closet and how true that sometimes something small, like a shoe, can be the catalyst for big changes!

That got us to thinking...... what other famous shoes are out there?

3000 Pairs of Shoes .....
Former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos is the wife of Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos who ruled from 1965-86. When Ferdinand and his wife, Imelda, fled the country in exile, countrymen found Imelda's collection of shoes in the presidential palace. The collection of shoes was estimated at 3,000 pairs. If Imelda Marcos changed her shoes three times a day, and never wore the same pair twice, it would take her more than two years and a half years to work through her shoe supply.


Click Your Heels Three Times....
You probably know that Dorothy, played by Judy Garland in the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, wore ruby red slippers that she clicked three times to get home from the land of Oz. These slippers are one of the most famous and treasured film memorabilia in film history. They are so famous that one of the five known pairs can now be found at the National Museum of American History in Washington D.C..

What you may not know is that in L. Frank Baum's original novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy wore silver shoes. The movie's creators changed them to ruby to take advantage of the new Technicolor film process(Dwight Blocker Bowers, January2010, "The Ruby Slippers: Inventing an American Icon"). I wonder those shoes would have had the same iconic impact if they had been silver!

You Never Know....
So, if your shoes are currently sitting in jumbled heap in your closet, think about what kind of closet organization you can add to take better care of them. After all, you never know which pair might change your life!

Shawnessy Schwartz

Closets For Life Aficionado

5 Steps to an Organized Closet

Summer is over, the kids are back in school and suddenly you look around your house and realize that while you were out frolicking in the summer sun, your house and especially your closets are a disaster! Never fear, here are five steps to get you back on track to an organized closet (and hopefully keep you there!). This approach can work with any closet, from your mudroom to your bedroom closet.

Step 1: Purge & Sort
Once you begin this part of the process, it’s best to just plow through without stopping so make sure you have some uninterrupted time to dedicate to this step. It will be well worth it in the end, I promise!

Remove everything from your closet (yup, I mean everything!) and start sorting your belongings into 4 piles:

1) Items to keep,
2) items that belong somewhere else,
3) items that can be donated and
4) items that should be thrown.

The easiest task to tackle is items that really don’t belong in the closet. The box of Christmas lights that you shoved in your mudroom closet last January really doesn’t belong there! These items should be moved to their appropriate locations to free up more space. Likewise, if you are cleaning a bedroom closet and have extra storage space, move out of season clothing into storage until you need them again.

The hardest task to tackle in this step is identifying the items that are never used or are worn out and should be donated or thrown away. We all own a sweater or a pair of shoes that we have never worn but swear we will, once we have the perfect pants to wear with it of course! If you haven’t worn or used an item in 2 years you probably never will, so donate it. Someone will find that sweater and give it a good home where it is loved! If you find you simply can’t bear to give the item away, put it back in your closet for 6 months and if it hasn’t been used when the 6 months expire, donate the item.

The opposite end of the spectrum is items that have been used or worn to death and now are in disrepair. If it is broken or has holes or stains or rips, throw it out!

Step 2: Clean

After you have sorted through everything, take some time to clean your closet. Vacuum or sweep, wipe down the walls and dust the trim. Closets are rarely cleaned from top to bottom and a clean slate will feel great!

Step 3: Have a Strategy

You have done a fabulous job of sorting through and cleaning your closet. Now, before putting everything back in, take some time to think about how you use the space in your closet and what you can do to maximize it. A few closet organizers from the local store can make a big difference on a tight budget. If this is a closet that faces more challenges like space constraints or use by multiple family members, a custom closet is a great option to really maximize your closets potential.

The key here is using your wall space to its full potential and making sure that everything has a home where it can be found and put away easily. Adding vertical shelving space that holds sweaters or other items is a great way to add usable surface in a closet. Likewise, a shoe organizer can transform a jumbled pile of shoes into an organized and tidy space that protects your shoes and makes them easier to find.

Step 4: Move back in

Once you have installed your new organizational components, move your items back in! Again, take your time to think about how you use your items and put them back into the closet in ways that can make your life easier. For example, in a bedroom closet, sorting your clothes by color can ease the process of picking out your outfits in the morning. For mudroom closets, sorting jackets and other items by user can make getting out the door much faster.

Step 5: Maintenance

This is the most important step! A great closet organization system can do wonders for keeping your closets in tip top shape. However, a once or twice yearly purging and sorting of items in your closet will ensure that you never again reach the end of summer and wonder what happened to your house while you were out playing in the sun!

For more ideas on closet organization, check out the Closets For Life website. Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Closets For Life is a custom closet company that works with residential clients as well as designers, builders and architects to create innovative solutions to all of your organizational needs. Closets For Life is a family owned and operated business.

Contact Closets For Life for a free in-home consultation for your new closet,
Ph: 952-484-0416, Email: rlyrek@closetsforlife.com

Shawnessy Schwartz

Closets For Life Aficionado

How Women (or Anyone!) Can Build a Closet Organizer

So you have decided you need to add some kind of organization to your closet? You are lucky in that there are many different options available to bring organization to your closet and your life. Keep reading for an easy guide to determining how to design and install a great closet organization system.

First Make Your Closet Wish List

Before hastily running off to the store, first take some time to make your closet wish list.

• What could you do with your closet to make your life easier? For example, eye level shelving can make finding your sweaters much easier and extend the life of your garments.
• Analyse the contents of your closet. For example, if you own multiple dress shirts, a dual closet bar would be a great way to double your usable space.
• Go online to look at examples of closets like yours to get ideas of the different options available to you.
• A great way to visualize possible options is to draw it out. Good old fashioned graph paper will work just fine.

Next Look At Your Options

Once you have an idea of what you want, the next step is to research the different closet organization systems available to you. There are basically three choices in closet organization: build it yourself closet organizers, off-the-shelf closet organizers and custom closet systems.
Build It Yourself - If you are a handy person, this option can be the most economical way to go. There are several great websites out there such as these Home Depot and Better Homes and Garden sites. Both sites give shopping lists and step by step instructions on how to build a closet organizer.
Off the Shelf Systems - Assuming an arsenal of tools and handyman experience is not at your disposal, then an off-the-shelf system or custom closet organization system may be the best option for you. There are many different brands of off-the-shelf options available at stores. On a tight budget, an off-the-shelf system can be a great choice, especially for reach-in or small walk-in closets. They offer flexibility, choices and easy installation. Some involve nothing more than hanging something from your existing closet rod. Others offer a more 'permanent' installation.
Custom Closet Design and Installation - Perhaps at the end of this process you find yourself overwhelmed by the choices, intimidated by installation or unsure that an off-the-shelf system can meet your needs. Then the custom closet option may be the best fit for you. Typically, custom closet companies will come to your house, assess your needs, design a system to meet those needs and professionally install it for you. The result is a closet organization system that will most likely last a life time and increase your home value.

In The End, Any Step Toward Organization Is Always a Great Choice!

Whatever choice you decide, you won't regret the decision or the time invested to add organization to your life. Good luck!
To see examples of closet organization, check out the Closets For Life website. Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Closets For Life is a custom closet company that works with residential clients as well as designers, builders and architects to create innovative solutions for all your organizational needs. Closets For Life is a family owned and operated business.

Contact Closets For Life for a free in-home consultation for your new closet,
Ph: 952-484-0416, Email: rlyrek@closetsforlife.com