One-Stop-Closet Counsel with Closet Couture

Can't figure out what to wear to that winter wedding, how to transition from work to cocktails or just get dressed in the morning? Well fear not, Closet Couture, not to be confused with Clos-ette Couture, has come to rescue you (from yourself)



The mastermind behind Closet Couture, Chris Elia, sought to find an online solution for having a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear!!



The recessionista's dream Closet Couture is a virtual stylist of sorts allowing you to upload photos from your own wardrobe to create a virtual closet or even hire a personal stylist to help you for only $25 an hour! In fact, you can create your own personal page and allow designers, stylists, models, editors to give you feedback about (your) clothes and creating a VIP virtual closet allows you sell, swap or trade your clothing as well as to create packing and wish lists.



Is this an affordable closet solution dream? Yes!!! Even O Oprah Magazine’s Creative Director Adam Glassman thinks so; he touted Closet Couture a fav in his November 2008 column!!



That said you don’t just have to take my or Adam’s word for it, check it out for yourself at www.closetcouture.com!

XOXO
Clos-ette

What is an epoxy floor??

If you think that just because we are closet and cabinetry designers
we don't think about anything but walls you'd be mistaken.
In fact given that some of our projects top 5000 sq feet floors inevitably become a critical part of the equation. In fact we also look at the lighting, decorative hardware, furnishings, textiles for walls ad floor coverings!
One of my favorite floor coverings is the epoxy floor. For those of you who may not be familiar with epoxy floors, do not fret as its just a fancy name for the same floors found in a standard US garage or workroom.
There are so many amazing practical reasons to use epoxy floors!
They're very strong, resistant to all household chemicals, mechanical shocks and scratching and they are easy to clean and maintain. In fact if the application is done correctly epoxy floors can last for fifty years and look identical to marble and granite.

> Here is a great website which outlines all the uses and
applications for epoxy floors as well as an image of one of my
favorite epoxy floors! Here are Clos-ette I love dividing form and
function so using epoxy floors with a traditional cabinet finish is a
no-brainer and tres chic !!

XOXO
Clos-ette

Be a Guest at your own Party!! Discover Van Wyck & Van Wyck!

Once you've been Van Wyck'd you can never go back!!! Get out your best frock and be a guest at your own party...sounds divine, no? Well its all within reach if you are fortunate enough to know Bronson Van Wyck of Van Wyck & Van Wyck, the creme de la creme of event design and production firms globally!
Van Wyck & Van Wyck is the calling card to high society, former presidents, multiple celebrities and numerous fortune 500 corporations including:
Diddy
Former president Bill and Hillary Clinton, Both former Bush presidents (and families), Damon Dash, The Democratic National Committee, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Missoni, Hermes, Tribeca Films, Chanel, etc. etc.

Van Wyck & Van Wyck's innovative designs and unsurpassed level of service keeps all of those listed above and more coming back time and time again. I've personally been to several of their events from weddings to launch parties. Like a snowflake, no two Van Wyck events is the same. Each one is unique, incorporating whimsical details, natural materials and theatrical elements into every design.
Check out their website to get a full list of services and see their magic for yourself.

224 W. 30th St., nr. Seventh Ave., thirteenth fl.; 212-675-8601; vanwyck.net

XOXO
Clos-ette

Beautybanter.com or Bust

I am a self proclaimed beauty product junkie. At all times I need dozens of creams, lotions, potions, lip glosses and eye liners at my disposal. So I must confess that I enjoy nothing more than
designing ways for my clients to store all of their beauty products in their vanities, bathrooms, dressing rooms or in all three!

Unfortunately I can not come to yours but I can share with you the same essential info that I do with them.

Edit and cull of course! But how to know what products to keep? What to buy? What to use?
Do what I do when I am adrift in the sea of beauty go to (and bookmark) www.beautybanter.com, which has become my beauty encyclopedia.
Chock full of the inside scoop on the lotions and potions, this seasoned colors, runway to reality and emerging beauty brands and the vital how tos there is no need to go anywhere else.
Then it should come as no surprise that beauty runs through Sarah Howard's beautybanter.com's founder, veins. As the daughter of Pierre Michel's owner and former owner of Make up Forever she certainly knows the industry and now gives you the same insider access. So you and your wallet can now breathe a sigh of relief that you don't need your own beauty team just beautybanter.com (and an organized vanity) !

XOXO
Clos-ette

The Right Fold

As promised its tip time...

I don't know about you but there is nothing worse than an untidy unorganized lumpy linen closet and time and time again the worst offender always seems to be the fitted sheet.

But alas do not despair there is a trick to taming the fitted sheet.
I've jotted down a simple 6 step plan below...
Step 1:
Lay the sheet on a bed or a large table and fold in and smooth all the edges.
Step 2:
Fold in half horizontally, sliding the top gathered end into the pocket of the bottom gathered end. If the sheet's sides are ungathered, lay them flat; if gathered, slide them in, too.
Step 3: Fold in half horizontally again.
Step 4:
Fold the bulky end horizontally to the middle of the sheet.
Step 5:
Then fold over the smooth end.
Step 6:
Fold lengthwise in thirds, or to your desired size.

Say goodbye to crinkly messes..

XOXO
Clos-ette

Bed Linens Buff - Malaika, Frette, Pratesi, D.Porthault, Peacock, and Naniwa!

I am a huge fan of luxurious, beautiful ( and expensive !) bed linens. I can get lost in stores like Frette, Pratesi and d.porthault. So when I heard of new, luxurious linen line hailing directly from Egypt (land of the best cotton in the world), I of course raced to see the samples and find out for myself if these Malaika linens were all they were cracked up to be…
Truth be told Malaika linens exceeded my expectations, both in terms of quality and design. Malaika's wares are made from the most luxurious cotton Egypt has to offer. (and I was told and now can personally attest to the fact that they literally become softer with every wash). In terms of design Malaika is offering something new and different, I am big fan of the Peacock and the Naniwa styles.
Not only do Malaika's linens look elegant and feel sublime you can feel good about sleeping in them as the highly trained women embroiders who create these beautiful linens are paid a premium to work form home. Indeed Malaika is a true "cottage industry" and you can sleep tight knowing that you are buying into an ethical product.

XOXO
Clos-ette

Rules of Engagement

PR maven Di Petroff and dentist to the stars Steven Butensky celebrate their engagement at the beautiful 11 Spring Street Penthouse....

Fashionweekdaily.com caught it all on camera and had deets about the people mingling in the art endowed Triplex penthouse..

XOXO
Clos-ette

11 Spring Street

New York City is full of extraordinary spaces including some of the most amazing real estate. Some old, some new and some remodeled with the utmost precision, eye and care using the best of the best including Clos-ette!!
One such project is nestled on a sunny corner of the chicest, bohemian downtown hoods, but close enough to Soho to keep it super sophisticated and accessible to luxury. This project is 11 Spring Street aka the former Candle building which Caroline Cummings has transformed into three apartments- one the flat, one the townhouse and one the penthouse.
The history of this 19th-century brick building that was once a former stable and carriage house and of its architecture is what first caught the attention Caroline Cummings the young developer/designer who has spent the last three years remodeling these spaces to make it an extraordinary living space. Please visit www.11springst.com
To see the layout of the three unique residences. Amenities include private access, rift and quartered teak plank flooring, white oak entry doors, over sized walk-in closets (which can be finished by Clos-ette upon request), programmable radiant flooring in the master baths, state of the art security monitoring system, polished chrome lever hardware, with chrome entry levers and Miele washer/dryer units, Bulthaup kitchens and Duravit outfitted bathrooms!
Interior Photos to come!!

XOXO
Clos-ette

First look at 1stdibs.com

1stdibs.com is my absolute favorite online source for furniture dealers but also growing as a favorite place to window shop for estate jewelry!!

So collectors of all sorts are hailing 1stdibs.com their fav!!!

Founder Michael Bruno parlayed his success as a luxury real estate broker into creating the world's premier marketplace for 20th century design and antiques.

As Bruno says, "I run 1stdibs like Bergdorf's runs its 57th street store-highly edited!"

Today there are over 50,000 pieces available on 1stdibs.com that can be searched by location and purchased directly from the dealer.

The selection features the premier dealers around the US including: Atlanta, New York, New Orleans, San Francisco The Berkshires, Los Angeles, Palm Beach, Boston, Houston, Dallas, Paris and London (just to name a few)!

Designers including Celerie Kemble boast that they have furnished their clients entire homes with 1stdibs finds. Not to mention that added bonus of very hefty discounts on fabulous pieces (excluding the shipping of course)!

XOXO
Clos-ette

Celerie Kemble: To Your Taste

Celerie Kemble has developed quite a fervent (and well deserved) following!

I’ve had the privilege of knowing Celerie for almost two decades and I can safely say that she is the real deal, the quintessential tastemaker, someone who thinks so outside the box that the trends she sets the rest of the design world attempts to catch up to…

If you have not had the privilege of meeting Celerie or seeing her work then I strongly recommend picking up her book in which she shares her unique background, inspiration and design philosophy allowing entrée into a world usually reserved for those in the industry. The stunning photography alone is a page-turner but this veritable tomb of interior design breaks down how to



· Translate a childhood room into a room for today

· Integrate family heirlooms into an existing room/aesthetic

· Frame and place photographs in a coherent manner

· Make a house or apartment a home using off-the-track sources, catalogs and websites
Buy her book here!

XOXO
Clos-ette

Lovely Lavender and all it's Wonderful Uses!!!

Lovely lavender and all its wonderful uses (in your closet of course)!!

Lavender is one of those wonderful things found in nature that has so many uses. 1. A natural antiseptic
2. A bug repellent (who knew?)
3. A fragrance
just to name a few

So how can lavender work for you in your closet?

Loving lavender # 1 – a natural antiseptic
1 part lavender linen water
2 parts distilled water
Combine in your steamer and refresh your clothes, steam out odors and help save your clothes from harsh dry cleaning chemical (while putting a little more green in your wallet)
And please if you have to dry clean, use an organic dry cleaner (Thank you!!)

Loving lavender #2 – a bug repellent
—Yes as a bug repellent, use lavender sweater folds in between your sweaters to keep the bugs away!! Or sachets in your sock drawer!

Loving lavender #3
And finally as a fragrance! Lavender candles aside, all of the above uses grant you the gorgeous, soothing and calming scent of lavender!

And now for Clos-ette’s New Year's resolutions, once a week I promise to...
1. Give you a useful tip once a week
2. Show you something I like
3. Guide you through my favorite on and offline destinations for fashion, real estate, design and of course organization!

Stay tuned and in the meantime, Clos-ette wants to know what you’ve promised to do in 2009 !!!


XOXO
Clos-ette