Before: Cluttered and Inefficient
Florida mom Jennifer Hochman (pictured here with daughters Rachel, age three, and Monica, five) stashed everything from bedding to art projects in her walk-in—with no linen or coat closet, she didn’t have a choice. Real Simple burrowed in to turn the chaotic family catchall into a high-functioning haven of storage and style.
Found In (and Tossed From) Jennifer’s Closet
- 7 power suits (with shoulder pads) from the 80s
- 1 electronic coin counter
- 1 fake potted orchid
- 1 back massager
- 6 winter coats from her University of Michigan days
- 1 graduation robe
- 14 dry-cleaning hangers with plastic (no clothes)
- 1 kaleidoscope
After: Storage With Style
1. Tall, tailored storage. Thanks to new floor-to-ceiling shelving, Jennifer can stash rarely used items, like boots, up high. Kids’ art, once stuffed into bags, stays flat in archival boxes. Lined baskets hold bedding; guest sheets are zipped in soft gray bins.
To buy: ShelfTrack shelving, $750 for this configuration, closetmaid.com for stores. Our Boot boxes, $9 each, containerstore.com. Our Shoe boxes, from $1.80 each, containerstore.com. Maize lined baskets, from $15 each, containerstore.com. Richards Homewares zippered bins, $8 each, stacksandstacks.com. Flat boxes, $24 each, archivalmethods.com.
2. Light and color. A celestial fixture replaced a flat fluorescent overhead. Light blue walls bring calm.
To buy: Orbit chandelier, $249, zgallerie.com. Lulworth Blue paint, $80, farrow-ball.com for stores.
3. Comfort and coziness. A round seat is neat and gives the kids a place to hang with Mom. The rug’s subtle pattern hides lint.
To buy: Safavieh Chelsea rug, $414, csnstores.com. Ottoman 1015-00, $957, leeindustries.com for stores. Similar to shown: Nassau ottoman, from $449, ethanallen.com.
After: Bags Under Control
A brilliant solution (if we do say so ourselves): Real Simple’s purse organizer preserves the shape of bags and keeps them in plain sight. The flocked hangers have hooks and bars to hold scarves or belts, so Jennifer can keep entire outfits together.
To buy: Real Simple purse organizer, $20, bedbathandbeyond.com, and Slimline hangers, $30 for 50, bedbathandbeyond.com.
After: Instant Access to Finishing Touches
Favorite jewelry hangs on swivel hooks, sunglasses dangle from a wide ribbon, and ties go on a conventional rack. A full-length mirror makes this the perfect primping zone.
To buy: Giant brass swivel hooks, $20 each, thehooklady.com. Natural tie and belt rack, $20, containerstore.com.
After: A Second Dresser
Additional drawers can accommodate all those B-list items that used to clog up Jennifer’s main bureau: yoga clothes, bathing suits, beach cover-ups. Belts that had slithered off hangers to the floor are neatly coiled and displayed inside.
To buy: Niche dresser, $699, westelm.com. Linus closet drawer organizers, from $8 each, containerstore.com.
