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

Closet Accessories

All of our closet organizer accessories come in the most popular finishes including Oil Rubbed Bronze, Satin Nickel, and Polished Chrome. This makes it easy to accessorize your new or existing closet organizer design with additional features like a sliding tie rack, sliding belt rack and/or sliding valet rod. We also offer more advanced accessories like a fold away ironing board and a swivel mirror that are both functional and discreet at the same time. They install directly to your existing closet organizers and hide away when not in use.

Visit our closets accessories ideas on our custom closet and home office space website, http://www.closetsforlife.com.

Minnesota Custom Closet Manufacturing Facility

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.

All of our closet designs are professionally constructed in our Minneapolis closet manufacturing facility and installed according to what will benefit your individual lifestyle. By offering a variety of laminates, Closets For Life also offers garages, home office, media rooms, laundry rooms, pantries, mud rooms, Murphy beds and wine cellars.

Closets for Life -- Minneapolis Closet Manufacturing address:
220 26 th Avenue North, Minneapolis , MN 55411

Almost all closet installations take less than one day, and since we manufacture our own systems we can turn orders around quickly. This gives us an edge over our competition. There are no pre-made parts or sizes, our closest are TRULY custom and cut to size.

Learn more about custom closet manufacturing by Closets For Life on our website, http://www.closetsforlife.com.

Reward Youself With A Corner Home Office

Reward yourself with a corner office.

The space that you dedicate for a home office should be one in which you can find solace to reflect, and empowerment to be productive.

We can help you design a comfortable space that works for you and all of your storage and equipment needs, so that all you have to worry about is the task at hand.

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.

Visit our home office ideas on our custom closet and home office space website, http://www.closetsforlife.com.

A Reach-In Closet Custom Designed For You

Whether you need a simple solution for a reach-in closet or want to pamper yourself with a beautiful walk-in space, Closets For Life can create a custom design that's perfect for you. You will work with a trained, professional designer who will help you with every step.

The first step is to call to schedule a complimentary consultation in your own home or office. A designer will come to your home or office to take measurements of your space and discuss which storage solutions would best suit your needs. Since Closets For Life's products are all custom made, you get superior flexibility in the design process. You are truly in control. There is no inventory of 'components' to confine design decisions. After the consultation, your designer will draw up your plans and give you a cost estimate. Working with your designer, you will be able to approve the plans or make any necessary changes. Your designer arrange your installation at a time that is convenient for you.

Closets For Life prides itself on our top-notch installation teams. They receive extensive training in all areas of installation, from reading plans to installing closets, garages, and all our other cabinetry products. They are also trained in providing excellent service to our clients. Systems are normally installed in just one day. We ensure that we make every effort to keep your home clean throughout the entire process. After walking through your completed project, the installers are happy to accept final payment upon your approval of the finished work.

Visit our website to view more reach-in closet photos, http://closetsforlife.com/bedroom-reach-in-closets-minnesota.htm