The Great Closet Edit ft. The Container Store
The four-plus years I spent bouncing from one coast to the other, see-sawing between New York and Los Angeles, were some of the most fun, growthful, and genuinely exhausting years of my life. There were also extremely challenging. I don't want to sound ungrateful here -- I feel beyond privileged to have had the opportunity to live in my hometown and NYC simultaneously, but the experience also nearly broke me in ways I'm still not completely able to process. I had a hard time ever feeling rested or at ease in either place, felt constant anxiety that I was missing out on something/in the wrong place at the wrong time/that friends were hurt by my physical absence, and lost track of my ability to prioritize self-care because I was putting so much energy into sustaining the back-and-forth for the sake of growing my business. I have a lot more to say about this -- but I won't get too deep yet, because, as you'll soon see: this post is actually about my closets.
I know - that probably seems like a sharp left turn, but hear me out: part of the going-back-and-forth thing was also completely losing track of things, amassing and accumulating way too much (what some people call "retail therapy," my therapist astutely pointed out was, for me, a form of mood stabilization, where a since reformed habit of mindless shopping was being used to literally kick in my serotonin). I needed more than just The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and in the months since I've moved back to NY full time, I've worked hard on seriously consolidating my entire life.
Back to New York
My apartment in New York is New York City Big, but true to NYC real estate, also has pretty limited closet space. Even though I've lived in my NYC apartment for 10 years, I never had the time or energy to invest in really building out my closets to make the most of the storage space I did have. I needed my closets to be more efficient than the standard single-rail-and-single-shelf that was here when I moved in. It's something I've wanted to do forever and this move was the perfect excuse to invest the time in overhauling everything with The Container Store. I prioritized the closets in my bedroom, first, and went with the standard Elfa system because it worked best with the proportions of my closets (I also love that there are lots of customization options, and that if I eventually move I can easily take and transfer my design over to a new space). I worked with one of their organization specialists to audit what I have so that we could maximize the space - creating storage for folded clothing, jeans, and both short and long hangs, shelving (something my existing closet lacked), and make the most use of the vertical height for storage. Special pieces like some of my designer, keepsake shoes went into drop-front linen storage boxes, while handbags got stored upright in these chic linen organizers. In addition to the linen drop-front organizers, I also use these flexible baskets that tuck perfectly into my shelves to organize clothing like denim and activewear.
The Container Store also offers so many tools to learn how to get organized, and get inspiration on what works best for your personal needs. But most importantly... they're also having their Elfa sale right now -- on both parts and installation. The sale offers 30% off all Elfa parts and installation and is a huge chunk of savings. I had my bedroom closets done in December, and once the sale started, I immediately set out to give my entry closet the same Elfa system upgrade. Going through the process of having my custom closets made and installed also provided a much-needed opportunity to really audit and take inventory of what was taking up space in my life, what needed to stay or go (and be donated), and re-evaluate my relationship with things so that I can better see, appreciate, and use what I already have.
TBH, now that I finally took the plunge and made the investment, I don't know what took me so long to do this: it's by far one of the best upgrades I've made to my home, and in its own way, has also made a positive impact on my mental health (everything having it's own space, being properly organized, and being easy-to-find has cleared up of the clutter in my mind).
Deciding What Stays and What Goes
My first major "edit" happened before moving what remained back to NYC, while I was still in LA. Clothes are really sentimental to me, and like many a plus-size fashionista, the lack of having clothes that made me feel styling and empowered most of my life had lead to a bit of a scarcity approach to my wardrobe. I took a lesson from Marie Kondo and assessed each piece, whether it sparked joy, whether it was my current size, and decided to donate or consign the vast majority of my wardrobe. Once I made my way back to NY, it also came time to split my wardrobe seasonally -- putting spring & summer clothes into storage during the cold months, and making a seasonal swap with my coats when the time comes). There's still a bit more "purging" to do (it's that sentimentality I've been talking about) but overall, I feel like my relationship with material things has gotten much healthier, and I'm shopping way less, too.
Deciding Which Elfa System is Right for You
Because I have reach-in closets and was constrained by the existing walls and layout of my closet, I knew that the space itself would dictate a bit of what I was doing, going in. In a perfect world, if I had the space and a walk-in closet, I'd absolutely splurge for an Elfa Decor birch system with it's gorgeous drawers, cabinetry, and accessory organization add-ons. That is going to be a definite long-term wishlist item, for me. As is, I wanted to maximize my reach-in closet space, and the standard Elfa system with ventilated shelving ended up being perfect for me. Best of all, the ventilated shelving can be adjusted to accommodate different heights as my storage needs evolve over time, too. Knowing I wanted something clean and minimal, I then chose to go with all white fixtures and white fascia (sleek face-plates that go on top of the ventilated wire) to elevate the look. If you're local to a Container Store, you can have one of their professional organizers come over for an in-home consultation, or you can use their digital Design Center to create your dream storage space and closets. It's a really seamless process, and while the sale is running, it's an amazing time to get a great deal! Once the design is finalized, you can opt for in-store pickup or delivery, and then either DIY installation, or set up an at-home installation with one of their expert installers. The installers are incredibly efficient, kind, and depending on the scale of the job - can be done within a couple of hours. If you have existing shelving that needs to be removed and patched, the installers are also able to take care of all of that!
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Disclosures: My bedroom closets were done in partnership with The Container Store, and we did a trade for social media coverage for the closet system. I did not receive monetary compensation as part of this agreement. I did personally purchase the components and installation for my entry closet, so I was able to get a full scope of what the service and sale experience is like for all customers, as well.