Home Organization

Small Budget, Big Results: How to Design a Stunning Closet Without Breaking the Bank

Many of our clients who are designing closets for their second homes want to increase the functionality of their closets but on a tighter budget. They’ve designed their closets in their main residence with us and love the results! So they’re looking to get a similar feel at their beach house or second residence but spend less. Enter our top tips for designing a stunning custom closet on a budget!

Create a Feature Wall

If you can’t afford upgrades like textured woods or laminate designs on the entire closet, try working them into a feature wall instead. It’s a great way to incorporate an upscale look while staying on budget. Another option is to use a floor-based unit on the feature wall and a wall hung closet on the other walls to make the custom closet more budget friendly.

Identify the Most Important Elements

List out the closet elements that are most important for your wardrobe—be it shoe storage, drawers, shelves, hanging space, etc. Don’t feel the need to bring in some popular custom closet features if they aren’t essential to your wardrobe and your life. For example, some people opt for an island in their closet to store jewelry, accessories, and pull-outs like hampers and ironing boards. But if you’re not a big accessory person, that may not be for you!

Add Décor

Accent décor like a bench, upholstered chair, or ottoman can instantly make your closet feel more luxurious. It’s a budget friendly way to make your closet look more upscale—and it’s extremely functional for getting dressed. Adding lighting is another fairly inexpensive way to make your closet look more high-end!

Do you have a second home that’s in need of a better closet system? Contact us today!

Five Steps to the Perfect Closet this Fall

Fall is here! And with it comes all of our favorite sweaters, jackets and boots. While you might be anxious to bust out your warm-weather favorites, your closet may not be ready to store them. Fall is the perfect time to simplify your life with a closet that works for you. As the premier closet designer in Coastal Delaware and Maryland, we’re here to help! Check out our five closet must-haves that will make your wardrobe transition from Summer to Fall seamless.

Shelves

Shelves are perfect for stacking cozy sweaters as we move into the cooler months. Don’t be afraid to use up as much vertical space as possible—especially for reach-in closets. This will allow you to stack your sweaters all the way to the ceiling for maximum storage.

Full-length wardrobe cabinet

You’ll obviously need one of these for dress storage but you may need to add on another for jacket and long sweater storage. Your everyday jackets probably have a home in the coat closet, but you may want to store dressier jackets and long sweaters with the rest of your wardrobe. So be sure to include ample full-length storage when planning your new closet.

Drawers

Drawers are so multi-functional for intimates, accessories, loungewear and beyond. But we especially like them for hat, glove, and sock storage during the transition to Fall. Try putting the drawers in your closet island to keep all your accessories centralized.

Varying Height Shoe Shelves

Don’t make the mistake of keeping all your shoes shelves the same height. You’ll want to incorporate some taller shelves to accommodate boots during the transition to Fall. This may seem like a no-brainer, but we’ve walked into plenty of closets with boots crammed in a corner on the floor because there wasn’t proper consideration!

Seating

Seating is instrumental in any closet, but we find it especially important during the transition to Fall when you’re working with boots that are harder to put on. You can do something built-in like a bench or bring in seating as a decorative accent with chairs or ottomans. Either way, you’ll thank us!

The only thing left to do is start planning your custom closet! Contact us today to set up your in-home consultation.

Our Favorite Luxury Closet Additions

As people are transforming more and more rooms inside their home into multi-purpose spaces, it only makes sense that we’re starting to expand our concept of what goes into a closet. Gone are the days where closets served simply as a clothes depository, often cluttered and packed to the brim. We’re in a new era where closets are being transformed into spaces you actually want to spend time in! As such, here is our list of luxurious closet upgrades that will make you never want to leave your chic, boutique-like haven!

Washers and Dryers

It’s a natural step to bring a washer and dryer into a space where your dirty clothes end up. Why didn’t we start doing this sooner?! It also streamlines the process of washing and drying your clothes, as you eliminate the need to transport them back and forth.

TVs

Now that you’re keeping your clothes in your closet to wash and dry, you’ll need something to do while you’re folding and putting them away! So why not install a TV in your closet? You might find yourself hanging out here even when there’s no laundry to do!

Steaming Cabinets

This certainly goes in the category of bougee upgrades, but a very functional upgrade! It serves as a huge time saver to traditional steaming and ironing, especially if you’re someone who needs fresh-pressed clothes ready to wear regularly.

Convertible Vanities

Vanities that double up as desks? Yes please! Not only do they serve two necessary functions but they contribute to the idea that closets are becoming spaces in which we actually spend time! We love situating the vanity/desk by a window for extra charm.

Luggage Station

If you’re someone who travels frequently, think about adding a luggage station to your custom closet. Imagine the ease of having your luggage stored below a pull-out packing table and being able to efficiently pack for any length trip!

Beverage Station

Whether you’re thinking coffee station, beverage fridge, or both, you’ll make your closet feel like a spa by adding a beverage station. It’ll even make you want to invite friends in during your next gathering!

Now it’s time to get started planning your custom closet! Contact us today to get started!

Manageable Fall Upgrades for your Home

September is here, which means it won’t be long until Fall settles in. There’s something about this time of year that leaves us itching to organize and refresh our home. Maybe it’s because we know we’re going to be spending a lot more time indoors in the months to come! And while a large-scale renovation can seem daunting in the Fall—with the holidays looming—there are plenty of small remodels you can tackle that are much more manageable. Here are our recommendations for projects to get started on this month!

Closets

If you’re finally ready to ditch your builder-grade closet, now is the perfect time to upgrade—before your winter wardrobe hits the shelves! Start with an in-home consultation, sit down with one of our designers to talk specifics, and then enjoy a quick and easy install to wrap things up. Let’s get started designing your new closet today!

Pantry

Pantry remodels can also be quick—depending on your selections—making them an ideal Fall project as well. How great would it be to have your pantry remodel complete before the holiday baking season?! If you’re looking for inspiration for your new pantry, check out our recent blog post on five ways to elevate your pantry renovation.

Murphy Bed

If you’re planning to host guests from out of town over the holidays, now is a great time to add a Murphy Bed to your office, play room, or spare room! This space-saving wall bed is one of the hottest trends in home design right now and for good reason. It’s an extremely cost-effective way to make the most of your space.

Wine Storage

Holiday hosting is right around the corner. Are you ready with ample wine and beverage storage? From wine walls to rooms to staircase displays, we offer storage solutions of all kinds for your wine collection!

Powder Room

A powder room refresh is another great Fall project to tackle! We offer custom cabinetry and several lines that promise a quick turnaround to best accommodate your timeline!

Now that we’ve laid out the options, the hard part is going to be choosing which project to get started on first! Once you’ve decided, contact us to get started!

Five Ways to Elevate Your Pantry Renovation

While there are plenty of standard upgrades to add to your pantry renovation—like shelf dividers for large plates, varying height shelves to accommodate items of different sizes, and spice racks—we love it when our clients add in custom touches to elevate their new pantry. If you’re looking to add some flair to your pantry, here are our top five recommendations:

Up Your Door Game

By incorporating a marquee door, you’ll turn your pantry into a kitchen focal point. You’ll want to choose something that complements the design of your kitchen—a sleek, glass-paneled door for a modern kitchen, a cool-toned oak door for a neutral kitchen, a rustic wood door for a country kitchen. Trust us, this one small move will completely elevate your pantry renovation.

Add a Ladder

Not only is a pantry ladder functional in helping you reach high-placed items, it’s also extremely attractive! Not to mention it has a certain old-world charm. For larger pantries, you can add a full-length ladder that slides to the location you need it. For smaller pantries, we recommend a half-length ladder.

Countertops

If your space allows it, we’re big fans of adding countertops (and a sink) to your pantry to provide a secondary space for food prep. You can also use them to store larger items used daily like coffee makers, toasters, and mixers.

Drawers

While pullout drawers are standard in any cabinet pantry, they’re sometimes overlooked in walk-in or butler’s pantries, which we think is a mistake. Whether you’re going to leave them open-faced or install cabinet-style drawers, they’ll make accessing your food and storage items so much easier!

Wine storage

We’re seeing more and more people add wine storage to their pantry, and we think it’s a great idea! Whether you’re looking to incorporate a wine wall, shelf, or fridge, we can help bring your vision to life!

Now let’s get started designing your new pantry! Contact us today.

Think Dual Purpose when Designing Your Home

Over the past few years, we’ve definitely seen a shift in design mentality from single-purpose rooms to dual purpose rooms. It’s such a simple concept, but one that hugely improves the functionality of your home! Why have a laundry room AND a mudroom when you can combine the two? Why dedicate an entire room to guests who only visit a few times a year when you can add a Murphy Bed to a home office? As the preeminent leader in storage solutions in Coastal Maryland and Delaware, we offer tons of creative solutions to take advantage of one of the hottest trends in home design right now: dual-purpose rooms. See our top tips below to start making the most of every room in your home!

Laundry + Mudrooms

2022 06 30 0001 — Photo Credit: Joanna Gaines

Typically located off the garage or a side entrance, lots of people are opting for a combined laundry and mudroom rather than dedicating a separate space to each. If you think about it, it makes sense. Both rooms require similar materials—durable, water-resistant flooring and cabinet or cubby storage—and both serve as a dumping place (whether it be dirty clothes in the laundry room or jackets, shoes, backpacks, etc., in the mudroom). When combining the two rooms, most clients opt for a combination of cabinets, cubbies, lockers, hooks, and benches to accommodate all those dropped items and to store all your typical laundry room necessities.

Office + Guest Room

This one is a no-brainer. Home offices were once a neglected, sterile space used only sparingly, but they’re now a worthwhile addition thanks to the increase of people working from home part or full-time. As home offices become more coveted, it only makes sense to double up these spaces as guest rooms with the help of a Murphy Bed. The great thing about wall beds is they’re the ultimate space-saving solution. When not in use, they fold back and out of the way. Plus the lines we carry are so much more attractive than the Murphy Beds of past!

Wine Storage + Basements

Whether you’re looking to incorporate a wine wall, room, staircase or cellar into your home, the basement is the perfect location! Not only does it typically stay cooler temperature-wise, but who doesn’t love the idea of a basement bar?! If you want to up your game, incorporate a makeshift tasting room by adding barstools, a countertop and lighting. Your guests will not be disappointed!

Closet + Bathroom

There’s something so luxurious about a master bathroom that flows into a master closet. We love when clients choose to blend these spaces together for a smooth transition throughout the master suite. It gives you easy access to all the things you need while getting ready—clothes, shoes, accessories, hair products, makeup, and more! And it makes you feel like you have your own little apartment inside your house. Who wouldn’t love that?!

Are you planning a new home build or renovation? Let us help make the most of every room in your house! Contact us today to get started!

Voted Best Closet Company

We are extremely honored and humbled to be voted the Best Closet/Home Organization Company in Sussex and Worcester counties for the seventh consecutive year! We want to extend a huge Thank You to all our customers who voted for us in Coastal Style Magazine’s Best Of Awards. We take great pride in our reputation and work very hard making sure we go above and beyond for our awesome customers!

We’re best known for our closet work, but that’s not all we do by a long shot! Here are all the services we offer at Behind Closed Doors:

Closets

Building a custom closet is a great way to get organized and create a functional space to store clothing, shoes, ties, jewelry, handbags, linens, pantry items and so much more! We specialize in both walk-in and reach-in closets of all shapes and sizes. Our large selection of real woods, laminates, textures, colors and accessories allow you to build a closet that reflects your personal style while creating optimal storage. All real wood materials are fabricated locally at our shop in Coastal Delaware—which means we can complete any size closet in a quicker timeframe without sacrificing on quality.

Murphy Beds

Maximizing every inch of space is our goal, and the best way to make a spare room multifunctional is to add a Murphy bed for out-of-town guests. This space-saving wall bed is one of the hottest trends in home design right now and for good reason. It’s an extremely cost-effective way to make the most of your space.

Garage Storage

Turn your cluttered garage into an organized paradise. Make space for your car, bikes, kids toys, sporting equipment, tools, kayaks, paddle boards and surfboards with our innovative and attractive space-saving solutions. Our material options are specifically engineered to withstand moisture and heat to protect against the Coastal climate of the Delaware and Maryland beaches.

Pantries

Spice up your pantry with accessories such as sliding shelves and vertical dividers to provide organization, all while saving space. Customized pantries help cut back on cooking time by creating designated spaces for pasta, rice, soups, condiments and so much more.

Wine Storage

Wine storage, but make it art! That’s our philosophy when we approach residential and commercial wine storage projects. Whether you’re looking to fit a display into an unused space or create a stunning focal point, we’re here to make your wine storage look as good as it functions. Let us help create your dream wine wall, room, cellar or staircase today!

Mudrooms

Mudrooms do more than store coats and backpacks. From custom cubbies to lockers to benches and hooks, a well-designed mudroom helps you reduce clutter in the busiest area of your house.

Laundry Rooms

Laundry rooms that actually make you want to do laundry—our specialty. Let our experts help customize your laundry room with creative storage solutions for laundry supplies, hampers, ironing boards, folding areas, hanging space and more.

We also offer custom built-ins and storage solutions for home offices, kids rooms, and family rooms. Schedule your in-home consultation today!

Why Customers Keep Coming Back to BCD

At Behind Closed Doors, we not only take great pride in our product but our customer service as well. That’s why so many of our customers are repeat customers and so many of our referrals come from personal recommendations. As such, we’re going to take this opportunity to share the Top 3 reasons our customers trust us time and time again with their closet and home storage needs!

1.Quality

When it comes to quality custom closets and cabinets in Coastal Delaware and Maryland, there’s no other name but BCD. We design, manufacture and install all of our custom closets, cabinetry and storage solutions, ensuring quality products as well as a quality experience. Just ask our recent customer Stacy:

“Without hesitation, I recommend BCD. We did a home office and garage with them. Leatie was great to work with, allowing us to use design features we wanted from our former home, and making sure she tweaked them in a way that worked. She listened to us to make it happen the right way. The install team was professional, clean, and very mannerly. They were a pleasure to have in our home.”

2. Superior Service

We are always striving to give our customers the best experience possible. From design to fabrication to installation, we are here to listen to your needs and bring your closet or home storage needs to life as efficiently as possible. Recent customer Debbie had this to say about our customer service:

“We recently had our closets done. From the beginning design through installation, everything was done professionally and on time. It’s refreshing to deal with a company that delivers excellence in all aspects of its service. You will not be disappointed with these folks.”

3. Timeliness

We know how important your time is, which is why we’re dedicated to delivering quality home storage solutions in the timeliest manner possible. We offer a range of products to fit your desired timeframe—from cabinet lines that offer a quick turnaround to fully custom designs. Recent customer Karla had this to say about her experience with us:

“I was at the end of my renovation project where I took my beach condo down to the metal studs. After a couple attempts to hang poles in the closets, which ended in closets collapsing and damaging the drywall (which they gladly fixed), I contacted BCD to design and install my closet system. It was not an overly complicated design, but it was a straightforward process right up to, and including installation. Everything happed exactly as scheduled and planned, which is amazing enough, but I coordinated my general contractor to be there, and he was equally impressed with the quality and service. Great job!”

Add your name to the list of satisfied customers! Contact us today to get started on your closet or home storage project.

Tips for Controlling Dust in your Closet

The only thing that kills the vibe of a perfectly organized closet? Dust. And while it’s inevitable that dust will collect in your closet (thanks mainly to shedding from your clothes), there are plenty of ways to keep it at bay so your space stays neat and your clothes stay fresh. Enter our top three tips for controlling dust in your closet!

1.Add doors and drawers to your closet system

It’s simple—the more clothing items that are behind closed doors, the less dust that accumulates, period. So keep that in mind when designing or upgrading your closet! We especially love drawers for sweaters, which shed easily.

2. Put pieces you don’t use frequently in garment bags

Most people won’t have doors on their entire closet system so another great solution for dust is garment bags. These work especially well for items you don’t wear as frequently—like dress coats, fancy dresses, and suits.

3. Incorporate boxes and bins

Boxes and bins are another great way to cut down on the amount of dust that invades your closet. You can use them in open shelving areas instead of placing the clothing directly on the shelves. Keeping shoes off the ground on shelves or shoe racks is another great way to cut down on dust, as it creates less clutter for vacuuming and mopping.

Now it’s time to start implementing these strategies! If you’re looking to upgrade your closet system, contact us today!

Vote for us as Best Closet/Home Organization Company

We are so honored to once again be named a finalist for Coastal Style Magazine’s “Best of 2023” awards for Best Closet/Home Organization Company in Sussex and Worcester County! Now all we need is your vote. You have until May 31st to cast your votes! Just follow these simple instructions:

1.Go to https://coastalstylemag.com/best-of-2023/

2. Click on Sussex County

3. Click on “For the Home”

4. Scroll down until you see “Closet/Home Organization” and Vote for Behind Closed Doors Custom Closets & Cabinetry

5. Repeat the steps for the Worcester County ballot

Behind Closed Doors has been voted the best Closet/Home Organization Company in both Sussex and Worcester County for six years running. We take great pride in our reputation and work very hard making sure we go above and beyond for our awesome customers. Here are few recent reviews from satisfied customers:

“From beginning to end, Behind Closed Doors was a great experience! The designer, the owner and the installers were excellent! My closets and my garage were well thought out and they look beautiful! I have used two other companies in the past for two different houses and Behind Closed Doors is by far the best!” —Karla

Thank you so much for your continued support and don’t forget to VOTE FOR BCD!

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