Designing Your Dream Closet With California Closets

This post is in collaboration with California Closets. All opinions remain my own. 

Can someone pinch me? No, seriously. I really feel like I’m walking into a dream every time I step into my master closet. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve stopped smiling ever since California Closets finished the install (which took them all of a day and a half by the way). Join me on a peek inside my master closet and looking back on the process of designing it from start to finish.

Many of you know that Eric and I tackle a lot of renovations and home projects. It seems like we’re always taking on something. So when we decided to tackle a full home renovation, I knew the master closet was something that needed major help. It was a standard dark closet with white wire racks that lacked any type of character. For me, I always knew having a dream closet was something I envisioned. Let me backtrack for a second. Eric and I have lived in older homes, I’m talking 1820’s historic homes that had no closet space what so ever. If we wanted any type of closet space we were converting other rooms or building a closet just to have some storage space. It’s just not very common in older homes to have a lot of closets. Having the opportunity to have any type of workable space to maximize our potential and achieve what we hoped for was a huge blessing.

I’m all about natural light in our home and making sure I had that in my closet was no exception. We put our heads together to figure out how to achieve that daylight shine I was longing for. We thought about cutting into the house to add in a window but that would have resulted in losing part of a wall that would have been valuable closet space. Luckily our attic is right above the closet and Eric came up with the idea to add in a skylight and vault the ceiling. In that moment I might have fallen in love with that man all over again, because, all the yes to that!

We began demo on the closet and getting it prepped for dream closet goals. Adding in that natural light and opening up the ceiling made a huge difference. After all of that was said and done, it was on to the fun part—the design phase! I’ve always been a huge admirer of California Closets and the work they do to transformer spaces. I was so excited to work with designer Leigh Heagney to take this blank canvas and turn it into a space that was perfect for me. Leigh came out to our house, took all of the measurements, and listened to my thoughts and opinions. She used her expertise to come up with a design that met my expectations and then some. Leigh communicated with us through the whole process and made sure any questions, concerns, or changes were properly conveyed. It’s amazing to know that each design is 100% custom to fit your needs and your budget.

I was so anxious and could hardly wait for install day. I’m always reminding my boys to have patience, but I had to remind myself a few times because of course I would have loved to have everything happen over night. Remember, before it arrives at your house they are building it custom so there was a few weeks in between before it was time for install. When the installers arrived it might as well have been Christmas morning for me. It all felt like it happened so fast. They prepped the space, brought in the materials, and went right to work. By lunch time I could already see the closet coming to life and of course I had to sneak in there to get a glimpse.

Before I knew it, that special moment came and my closet was done. When the installers cleaned everything up and showed me the finished design, I may have hung out in there for a little while doing a happy dance. It was everything I could have imaged and more. Throughout the process your designer will provide you with a digital design to really allow you to get an idea of what it will look like when it’s done. It’s a great resource to have and was so helpful, but there’s still nothing like seeing it all finished and being able to experience it in person.

I knew from the start I wanted a space that was light and airy. We went with a Chic Gray color for the walls and the finish on the closet details is Dove. I really enjoyed learning more about the products California Closets uses and how they aim to provide environmentally sustainable options. 

I wanted a space that was functional and allowed me to have plenty of storage options yet created a getaway for me. Ok, maybe I did let Eric have two shelves to put a few things in here because sharing is caring, but it’s still very much my closet 😉 Being a boy mom of three I have my fair share of, well, all things boys. I wanted this to reflect more of me and have a feminine feel to it. I couldn’t pass up on the chandelier and adding in a bright runner along with having a way to display some of my handbags and my shoes. I also love how I now have easy access to my jewelry and can keep certain things tucked away in drawers.

After using my closet for several weeks now, I’m not sure there’s really anything I would change about it. I know it might sound silly, but it’s kind of empowering to be able to get up on a stool to reach for some of my things on the higher shelves. I keep joking that I want to get one of those library ladders and slide around my closet with it.

Stay tuned because I’m really looking forward to sharing another space with all of you. It’s a room I didn’t think I would spend as much time in, but with a house full of boys, I should have known it was inevitable.