Mission Closet: COMPLETE!!!! :-))))

Well.. after a long stab at bringing things to a close, I am thrilled to say that we are FINALLY done! A couple of factors impacted the progress of this project. One, being, getting completely slammed with work (which is not a bad thing!). I hit a really busy season which ate into my spare time and pulled me away from getting things on the home front brought to a close. The second being having the time to look for and find the right type of shelf for the space. We needed a shelf 61” in length and between 14-16 inches in depth. I took a stab at getting something quick ‘n easy from Ikea, but unfortunately couldn’t find something that would work with those measurements. Sure, I found the depth, but nothing with the right length; go figure! So I still attempted to make it work with the Ikea panels as I was already there, and heck, how will I know if I don’t try?! Hopefully you find this as exciting as I do…lol.. but on a technical note, I picked up two different types of shelves, slightly different, and 2 pieces per type of shelf. Coming home and surveying the space and what was readily available, I quickly realized that this idea wasn’t going to work… so off to Rona to get something cut with the right measurements. I’d like to do this one right!

We decided on a light beech colour, as this was complimentary with the colour of the ClosetMax system, as well as the new (and gorgeous!) wooden hangers from Neatfreak!. This project was all about making it look cohesive and complimentary, so I really wanted to work with the feeling of what we already had. At Rona, and after we had this cut to spec, we quickly realized that the shelf was unfinished on the edges. So this posed a whole new challenge! We found some really cool and funky light beech coloured laminate “tape” to adhere to the new shelf to give it a finished look around the edges. Essentially, of course, the tape does not exist in the size you need, so it added another level onto it. Check out our fancy photos to see this work in progress We had to line the tape up along the edge and very carefully iron the adhesive on. We then had to trim the excess tape with an exacto knife. Again, action shots are attached!

So I’ve attached the AFTER photos of the project, and in the system you will find the Expandable MaxBar, 6 shelf organizer, 10 shelf shoe organizer, several of the ClosetMax large drawers, the 16 compartment shoe organizer, the 24 pair over the door shoe organizer and a bunch of natural wood hangers. What I love is that I have rediscovered purses, shawls and scarves that I had forgotten about, and they are now readily available at my fingertrips! I can see my entire shoe collection, as can my beau. And we’ve both had the chance to go shopping in our own closet, all over again! At the end of the day, it’s all done, it looks great, and sure, looking at the after photos, we still have a lot of stuff, but at least it fits and we’ve made it work!

And p.s. I think it’s perfectly fair for my beau to have a 16 compartment shoe organizer, and for me to have the 10 shoe cubby and 24 pair over the door organizer. All’s fair in love and closets, right?

the continuing closet saga…

I was in organizing bliss while working on this sweet project (and trust me, it’s looking good!), but got hit with a slew of projects, one after another…it was really busy season for Staging, so one came up after another, after another… and the final product got pushed a bit to the backburner..so we got as far as putting all of the pieces into the closet and getting things organized… a “his” and “hers” side to things (which is awesome! A total relationship saver, people!) and the best part.. we fit everything in!! So all of the items that were in the closet before the makeover fit perfectly, with more room, and everything is organized!

Even better, though, all of my items are readily available at my fingertips, they’re organized, and I can see what I have. This is truly the beauty of this system. Before, things were tucked away in boxes at the top of the closet, covered with even more boxes.. so purses, shawls, scarves were all tucked away and I (kind of) forgot about some of the pieces I have. Ok, let’s be frank.. I actually did forget about quite a few pieces I have :s So on a really positive note, I rediscovered this really cool orange purse I bought years ago and have been using it once again, only to receive so many compliments! Hello.. thank you, ClosetMAX!!

So now we’ve got the system in, the MaxBar to double the hanging space (which is really perfect for women’s jackets/blazers), the 6 shelf organizer, the 10 shelf shoe organizer, some of the large and small drawers to go in each piece, and a ton of the large drawers at the top of our closet, to store scarves, seasonal items, boots, etc. We also picked out some cool all wood hangers to match the system and to keep everything looking clean and organized. We are at about 80% complete, but just need to get shelves made-to-size cut and installed, so that’s either going to be an Ikea or a Home Depot project once we have the time to pick them up and have them installed. I can honestly hardly wait!

One thing I’m definitely learning from this project is to keep everything organized. Having everything so neat and tidy has really made me want to keep it that way. I’ve actually gotten myself into a routine everyday.. I come home, take my shoes and jacket off.. and put everything into its appropriate place which just keeps the front entrance area neat and tidy. No more shoes all over the place either in the hall or piled on top of one another in the closet. No more purses straying everywhere. It’s neat, organized, and completely zen! So keep yourself posted for the final step in this process. It’s soon to come: sorry for the delays, everyone!

Project Hallway Continues…

In this post, I’m blogging about several days of this project, as I haven’t had the time to sit down and go day-by-day. You’ll be reading a bunch of days blended into one post, so let the good times roll and I hope you enjoy reading about my latest experience…

Several days after my last post, the products arrived from Neatfreak! I was SUPER pumped (!!!) to get started on this baby… they are all packaged into these cute little packages that are flat and collapsible, so you save a ton of space not only when you’re bringing home the items, but when they’re sitting on your hallway floor… . So even though for days there were packages sitting in my small hallway right in front of my entrance to our condo, at least they all fit into one box! Which made me think of something clever… what I’m really digging about this system is that if I choose at one point in time to take out a piece, it folds down, and voila! Easily storable! How awesome is that… ? I’m really liking the fact that it’s modular and you can create and build it how it fits your closet and works for your lifestyle..

So the conundrum began after that.. I measured the hallway closet width, which was 62 inches… went to Home Depot as we needed to take out the wire rack and put a heavy duty closet rod (with brackets supporting the middle) in the closet as a replacement. Went to one Home Depot and they had 2 in stock, but of course it was longer than needed. To be certain, I wanted to re-measure it, just to make sure that we’ll get the right size, so we don’t have to make a second trip for a re-cut, or worst-case scenario, buy a whole new rod as we pooched the measurements on the first one. My bad on not picking up the rod on the spot!!! We re-measured, and the next day I sent my sweetheart back on a mission to have it cut (BTW, they can do this for you at Home Depot with the pipe cutters, fit to size. I would strictly recommend against a telescopic expandable bar, as you will not get the strength that you need to support all of your stuff!). Who would have known that there was a closet rod shortage around the city? Has my blog spurred tons of crazed people with ClosetMAX mania, all itching to get their closets revamped and MAXimized?!? I’d like to only think I’m that influential.. hehe

So, next step, the lovely gentleman at Home depot provided us with a “live” inventory list of other H.Depot locations that should theoretically have the items in stock. However, we learned it’s not quite the case. It may show up on the inventory list, but these babies are nowhere to be found! What could have been easy, turned into a 3 day process of trying to find a rod. Unfortunately for us, we’d already decided to take all items out of the closet, including the wire rack shelving unit, so we literally had mountains of stuff laying around the condo… coats and jackets on the dining room table.. shoes all over the hallway… shoe racks and shoe boxes in the bathroom. You name it, it was a disaster! This in itself getting me even more pumped to get that darn closet rod that is nowhere to be found in the city.

At the same token, I was trying to prep for my appearance on The Shopping Channel for Neatfreak! (my first time on tv), and I am nervous and surrounded by disaster, yet here I am trying to talk about this awesome storage system I’m putting into my closet. We finally get the rod and install it into the closet, as well as the middle supporting bar, and all starts to fall into place and feel better. I put in the system one way, and find that it’s awkward, so I play around with it and tweak it, to make it work for our needs better. I love, Love, LOVE that I can play around with this system, and that it’s sooo easy! I use the Expandable ClosetMAX MaxBar (expands from 24-42 inches) to lock my system into place, and it honestly looks great!

Through this process I have realized several things. One: that I have a LOT of shoes!!! Much more than I ever expected. I mean, you would think that by looking at the “Before’s” of the closet would have told me that, but I guess somehow it didn’t click until I started putting them away. Two: Organizing is FUN! I love it. I knew this before, but somehow, it was a great project to put everything into place and to figure out a streamlined system. Three: I love being able to see all of my stuff, ready at my fingertips! No more boxes piled upon boxes, stashed silly with things that I can’t even recall that I have. And Four: I love going shopping in my closet! I have just rediscovered sooooo many pieces (scarves, purses, shoes) that I’d forgotten about, so I feel like a whole new revamped me!
Where I stand on this project now: We are about 80% done. I have put the system together, locked it into place, organized things. I need some more large storage drawers to put at the top of my closet, but most importantly, I need to put a shelf on top of the rod to support the items. I feel like I have tons more space, and I feel so much more calm and tranquil looking at my closet. I can actually find my things!

Pics of the final and completed stage to come once it is complete and ready. For now, I’ve posted the disaster, below, as well as the boxes. I’m sure you’ll love the assorted cat photos (yes, our cats love a huge mess, so they had to nestle into the middle of it!). Hope you enjoyed this read! Talk to you all soon –xo.

Day 1 (or is it Day 2?) of Project Hallway!

Ok, so, Project Hallway is now officially underway. Before photos are done and the products have been ordered… I can hardly wait to get this baby on the road! I have so many ideas of what to do and how to do it. Should I wallpaper the inside of my closet to make it look even more fabulous? How am I going to colour coordinate? And most importantly, how in the world do we divide up the space (fairly)? I am super pumped to see the end result. The funny thing is, looking at the before photos of the project makes the closet look even worse than in person (is my closet really that un-photogenic?). As a Stager and Decorator, people tend to assume my home would be picture perfect. Well, people, it’s not! I’ve attempted at tackling the chaos wherever I can, but then…. living always seems to get in the way of things. Staging and living: 2 completely different beasts, as I’m starting to learn in my own space. Bottom-line: I do want my home to look picture perfect! So here is my stab at this exercise. Not only am I bearing my heart and letting you in to one of the most disastrous places in my home (truly), but I’m revealing the mess that lies within the confined spaces of my home. I’m actually (a tad bit) ashamed to reveal these photos, but alas, here it is (I mean, no one ever really sees what’s in your closet, both literally and metaphorically-speaking). So please don’t judge me by what you see here ; I’m ready and pumped to undertake this challenge and get her done! I’m counting down the days ‘til my product finally arrives! I can honestly hardly contain my excitement: Let the games begin!

BEFORE: (this is TRULY dreadful and embarassing!):

My Spring Project!

So, spring is in the air, and every year I find myself in the same place: wanting to clean and organize every nook and cranny in my home… call it nesting, spring fever, or cabin fever… I’m all about the paring down, de-cluttering my space, and getting ready for what’s to come.. starting the spring with a fresh new leaf and a positive perspective on things.. it’s time to organize the chaos that lies within (and around!), and get myself ready and pumped for the exciting season that lies ahead..

My newest project that I’ve decided to embark upon is to organize and de-clutter our hallway closet, once and for all.. ! We’re talking about two people, living in a (relatively-speaking) spacious condo for two, with two small closets that leave us spatially challenged to fit the belongings of two, both with a LOT of stuff! We looked at all sorts of different solutions: custom closets, breaking down a wall to expand our access (something we decided to do with our awkwardly set up bedroom closet), getting rid of “stuff”, increased storage outside the closet. The final happy medium we’ve decided will be clever hanging solutions to increase our storage space; namely the ClosetMAX System from Neatfreak. You can check out the whole collection at: http://www.neatfreak.com/index.php/site/categories/closetmax/. This company is near and dear to my heart. Not only did I have the opportunity to design and setup their corporate HQ in Mississauga, ON, but I also had the chance to be exposed to a bunch of clever and innovative products. I’ll chronicle my experience getting this closet revamped and looking fabulous (as well as completely de-cluttered – fingers crossed on that one!) and will also include my before and after pics of complete chaos to tranquil zen!

Showroom Project @ Neatfreak!

We are finally uploading some teaser pics of the Showroom Project at Neatfreak!, a company specializing in providing innovative, and imaginative home organization solutions. Their mandate: to help you Control The Chaos!® This company has a whole array of clever little solutions that include laundry solutions, hanging closet solutions, kids storage, hangers, and more!

Here are a few teasers of some of the rooms we set up at their corporate HQ, located in Mississauga, ON.

My wonderful Photographer, Trina Turl (www.trinaphoto.com) provided me with these amazing photos. There are more to come, so make sure to stay tuned….. !

Neatfreak: we  ♥ you and feel the same way about your products!

To take a look at their cool collection and complete product lines, please visit: www.neatfreak.com

Spring is here, and so are we!

Happy Spring, Everyone! The beautiful weather has me inspired and motivated in many aspects of Lushious Living. I recently redesigned the website and have created something that I really love! If you have a chance, please visit www.lushiousliving.com to view our new site, complete with several sample galleries of works.

As I’ve also promised, we are very eager and excited to launch into furniture, and we are just in the process of creating our furniture website, which will house all of your home decor needs and some really cool stuff! We’re always open to feedback, so if there’s anything you want to see, just say the word and we’ll look into it. We’re all about keeping abreast of home decor and design trends. Feel free to send us a note at stefanie@lushiousliving.com.

Furniture Gallery Coming Soon!

Please stay tuned for our online furniture gallery coming soon to Lushious Living, where you can find all your furniture needs! Items for sale will include a host items ranging from bedroom furniture to accent chairs and sofas…. dining room pieces, and more!

Home Staging Project in the Gorgeous Spire Condos

Lushious Living had the pleasure of recently Staging a luxurious 1 bedroom suite in Spire Condos, nestled in the Church/Adelaide area in Toronto, opposite the historic St. James Cathedral. This building boasts two beautiful towers and a gorgeous contemporary feel in both its lobby and finishes. Located in close proximity to both the financial core and to the thriving King East district, this building promises simple urban elegance, with an unparalleled lifestyle. A few steps away from legendary furniture and accessory stores, and from the trendy Esplanade area where you can grab cuisine ranging from pub fare to gourmet cuisine. And just a hop skip and a jump from the ancient St. Lawrence market building to complete your shopping for all of your culinary needs, supporting your local merchants and vendors. This building brings about a twist of modern architecture to a historic district of Toronto. I have posted a few pictures of this project, below.^*

^*All Photography courtesy of Trina Turl Photography. www.trinaturlphotography.wordpress.com

Interior Styling & Design Services

At Lushious Living, we believe in all aspects of your home, from easy functional living, to a beautiful and welcoming home environment. We incorporate all of the asthetic senses into our work -from lushious fabrics and textures, to welcoming scents in your home, and visual appeal that will leave both you and your guests with a positive lasting impression of your home.

We believe in our clients, first and foremost, and will create each living space, custom to you. Our team is affiliated with many different furniture and accent/accessory suppliers, and we will do whatever it is to create a custom, gorgeous living space that you are guaranteed to enjoy!

We are always on the lookout for the newest design trends and keep ourselves current of the furniture/accessory market and design trends to come. Let us help you with your vision and make your home a welcome, custom living space!