With it being one month into the new year, you might be hungry for some change. In our case, now is the perfect time to perform the New Year’s closet cleanout. In this way, your resolution can become better organized to reduce your stress levels. 

Below are some ways you can include this with your resolution. 

#1: Take Stock of What You Need

When looking through your closet space, ask yourself what you need. You might be one of the work-at-home people going back to your company, but you still have a cardboard box of office supplies collecting dust. Ask yourself the question: do you need this? 

If the answer is no, find a way to get rid of it. If the answer is maybe later, drill into that to ensure you don’t have something else for it. If you haven’t seen it used for the past six months, chances are it’s good to be tossed away. 

#2: Spot Duplicates of Things

When collecting household items, finding more of one thing is prevalent. But after getting 17 wooden spoons and a bunch of other kitchen stuff, you might find yourself using one or two. 

Anything that you already have something of shouldn’t have more than three. When we are talking kitchen utensils, you can justify two spatulas, but it gets excessive if you have three or four. 

A big part of the decluttering process is to take stock of what you use. So if you aren’t using your third soup spoon, get rid of it.

#3: Check Your Current Style

Your clothes closet is full of various things that you’ve collected. But when was the last time you did a style check to see if you even like your stuff. 

Clothing items get the worst treatment in this, as you always buy new things when your style changes (totally understandable). However, you might find it challenging to get rid of the old style in for a myriad of excuses:

• What if I like it again?
• It’s still in good condition.
• I’ve always wanted to find a use for this.

If you can’t find a use for t now, the chances are that you won’t find a service for it for a while. By the time you do, it will be so far back into your closet you won’t remember having it in the first place! Everyone does it, but it’s time to move on. 

#4: Sentimental Items are Not Memories

Any item of clothing becomes more challenging when you have a memory connected to it. However, it’s essential to understand that memories aren’t clothes; it’s okay to get rid of them. 

If it is a small item, you might be able to excuse this. However, more oversized items (like old prom dresses) don’t age very well. Keeping the dress when you have no plans to use it again is unnecessary. 

Conclusion

In many cases, good organization comes down to the quality of your closet. So if you want a wardrobe/cabinet/pantry that can handle your diverse needs, contact our team today. 

Curtains, treatments, and blinds fall in the same general category: window coverings. With the latest design trends happening now, we’ve got a list of the top window covering trends for 2022. To get inspiration for your window coverings, read below.

Trend #1: Bold Colors for Curtains

Cassic curtains are colored brown or have floral patterns on them. While this isn’t always a bad thing, curtains need to be daring to stick around. 

Bright, flashy colors should be on either end of the curtain. This enhances the room with beautiful colors in a non-standard way. 

The old-fashioned french-curtains with floral patterns are a think of the past. They can be “plain curtains” that need a bit of flash to them. 

Flashy curtains can be a bit much if you already have something to draw the eye to. White can be acceptable in these cases.

Trend #2: Japanese Blinds

The standard blind set is white and relatively plain. Japanese blinds are unique in that they are modern curtains that offer excellent light control. 

The blind obscure most goings-on on the inside but still offer enough natural light with a dim color taken from the covering. These also come in neutral or earthy tones, perfect for a refined-looking reading or living room. 

Trend #3: Roller Shades 

Roller shades are an alternative to blinds that feel like you are pulling out a piece of parchment paper. You will have to get used to the “double tug” needed to hold them in place, but they are much more accessible than other forms of blinds.

 Outside of being straightforward, roller shades involve a flat surface with great potential to be full-blind or semi-blind. Either option is excellent, offering great opportunities for any accent you want. 

Trend #4: Light-Control Windows

Outside of natural fabrics from shades or the energy efficiency of darker colors involves light control and privacy control windows. These light-control windows refer to one of two things:

• Automatic windows blinds you can drop with a button press or with time
• Windows that automatically dim at given times 

Either way, leaving the window control to your smart home takes the problem out of your hands. It makes your home more energy efficient with a modern style. 

Compared to classic curtains, these trends are more elegant but can be a bit pricy on the trade-off. However, you might find them one of those perfect solutions for energy saving in the home. 

Conclusion – A Wrap Up Of Other 2022 Trends

With 2021 coming to a close, here are some other popular window trends to look out for:

• Bedroom trends call for restrained tones and a relaxing setting. 
• Retro styles are coming back hard across your kitchen.
• Blackout shades are fine, but blackout curtains aren’t as fun. 

While these are trends based on some of the latest concerns, they shouldn’t take over your unique style. Instead, use them as an inspiration for what you want. 

To find out how to make this a reality, contact us today about all your window covering needs. 

With the holidays in full swing, you have more food and more stuff to organize. If you want to ensure that the top shelf is available for hidden gifts, you need to be sure everything has a place. To help you out this season, here are five tips for maximizing your closet space for the holidays.

Tip #1: Use Hanging Storage

Whether you are storing pairs of shoes or cans of soup, hanging storage turns your door space into somewhere to put things. As your pantry fills up with extra people you are feeding, you’ll thank yourself for using every wall.

Hanging storage has several over-the-counter purchase options you can find online. Just be sure you measure out the space you need before making any purchase.

Tip #2: Use The Space Under Your Bed

Shoes and clothes that typically see less use have a great opportunity under your bed. While it isn’t ideal for hiding presents (because of snoopy children), it is excellent for putting a bit of a red herring. 

If your kids look under the bed, some sticky notes might ward them off going forward. Regardless of how you fool your kids, the space under your bed is great for items you don’t need immediate access to.

This strategy will also prevent you from kicking unwanted stuff under your bed. The bd is a great infinite hole to lose all of your belongings in if left unchecked. If you stuff it full of other belongings, it is challenging to lose stuff there. 

Tip #3: Establish an Organization System

Organization systems are great for knowing where things need to go. If you don’t have one yet, the holidays are a perfect time to test your organizational skills while the closets are highly likely to be stuffed.

The right system will make you feel like you are underutilizing it during the summer months. The extra space will be a nice change (assuming you don’t live in a small area). 

Don’t be afraid to establish seasonal systems that change depending on what’s going on. For example, you might not need regular access to coats and scarves during summer.

Tip #4: Invest In Some Wall Organizers

Wall organizers are large, flat surfaces you can place between essential areas. These organizers can be helpful if you want to separate pantries into different food types. 

Being able to access your food easily will help you save time and money. This strategy will also prevent the grocery trip where you need to buy a fifth bottle of soy sauce, even though you have six others stored in the back.

You can also insert them into closets for storing small items. You can easily separate Socks and underwear if you have a closet (or dresser) with a divider.

Tip #5: Invest In A Closet Renovation

If you want a permanent change in your closet, our team can help you get closet organizers for days. Our permanent fixtures are entirely custom, making your dream storage come to life. 

So the next time you question your space, take a look at your closet and see the potential. Contact us if you want to make it a reality.

When it comes to organizing your kitchen, cabinets are the trickiest part. So if you want to look for some tips on organizing kitchen cabinets, this is the article for you.

Below, you will see five different tips you can take home to make your cabinets more organized.

Tip #1: Convert A Closet Into A Pantry

There are some homes built in such a way where there is no obvious pantry. Some people choose to put this pantry in the garage, but another solution is to move it into a closet.

Search around to see if any nearby closets would be suitable for additional shelving If you find one close to the kitchen, it’s a great way to expand your kitchen storage potential.

Tip #2: Build Cabinets To The Ceiling

Some kitchens have a major gap near the top. This gap is underutilized and either leads to a cabinet with an abnormally large top or a gap between the cabinets and the ceiling.

To address this gap, see about installing some additional shelving or changing out cabinets. The point of kitchen cabinets is to utilize all of the available space, not give up before you reach the top.

Tip #3: Add Hooks To Hang Your Mugs

Unlike taller cups, mugs don’t take up all the space in your cabinets. Mugs are pretty short compared to their taller cousins. So instead of placing your coffee cups and mugs on the bottom, consider hanging the smaller ones using hooks.

There are many over-the-counter storage solutions you can buy anywhere. You might also consider them to be a permanent feature as part of your kitchen remodel.

Tip #4: Create A Place For Everything

Stage one of organization is to be sure that everything has a place. Without this initial stage, most of your other efforts go nowhere. So be sure that your kitchen has a defined place for everything.

While larger plates, cups, and bowls end up going this way naturally, some people throw all the knives in a drawer and forget about them. However, when you want to find a particular type of knife, this decision can come back to haunt you.

Having a particular place benefits cabinets and drawers. So be sure you have a place for everything.

Tip #5: Consolidate Your Kitchenware

If you have too much “everything,” it might be time to get rid of some of it. Check for doubles of your knives, bowls, or plates. If you have duplicates, removing them is a great way to save space.

One culprit of this is a mug collection. Mug collections can number in the 20s because they make for great gifts. Sort through yours to see about some mugs you don’t need.

Conclusion

When it comes to organizing your cabinets, a great way to start is by going small. However, homeowners typically find that their storage space doesn’t always suit their needs.

If this sounds like you, it might be time to contact our team of specialists to help you organize your home space.

A dressing room closet (sometimes known as a wardrobe closet) is a great way to beautifully display all of your clothing. When it comes to the proper creation of one, the process depends on your preferences. However, some tried, and true strategies work across closets.

If you want some tips for creating a functional and beautiful walk-in closet, keep reading.

How Much Space is Needed for a Walk-in Dressing Closet?

The average walk-in closet size is 4’x4’, but a dressing room closet needs enough room to fit an entire person with closets. Adding another few feet to each side is a start, but you’ll ideally at least one ten feet regarding depth.

Ten feet enables you to address all of the potential clothing space and yourself. It may also be able to fit in a standing mirror if you want.

Consider a Folding Screen

Because having a 15-foot walk-in closet is challenging, you can assign your dressing area with a folding screen. A folding screen (or modesty screen) segments a portion of your room for getting dressed.

This enables you to control this segment of your room with greater ease, making a smaller closet appear bigger.

Get A Clothing Rack That Handles Multiple Types

A good clothing rack will hold shoes, jackets, pants, and accessories. All of those accessories should be positioned for easy reach. For example, shoes should be at foot level.

Ideally, these should be built into the wall as a custom feature. But if you can’t afford that, you can re-purpose other shelving.

Organize Your Closet By Activity

It’s good to be able to look at a spot and know the clothing is organized. However, organizing into different types of clothing is rarely helpful enough. Instead, you need to sort by activity.

You can sort your clothes in the following categories:

• Formal wear
• Everyday wear
• Lounge wear
• Swimsuits
• Gym clothes

If you go to more unique activities, you might have a different list than this. That’s fine as long as you know where your clothing is.

Fit A Bench Into Your Dressing Closet

A dressing room closet should include a bench for two reasons:

• To easily put on shoes and socks
• So you can reach the upper shelves

While building out isn’t always an option in your house, building up is more viable. If you can, see about expanding your dressing closet to the ceiling.

It might be a bit tricky to reach, but that is what your bench is for.

Final Thoughts

A dressing room closet is a small space that is purely yours for dressing. The point of owning your house is to make it truly about you, so it’s alright to be a bit picky with it.

To see about different options for your dressing room closet, our team at Superior Closets can help you out. Contact us today if you want a walk-in closet to meets your style.

Depending on what you want, remodeling projects can get pretty high. To start on the right foot, you are going to want to start saving now. But that savings number will depend on the answer to this question: how much does a kitchen remodel cost?

From the broadest perspective, a kitchen remodels costs anywhere from $40 to $140 thousand. Most kitchen remodels fall in the middle at about $70 thousand. These numbers assume you are hiring a professional.

Below, we will delve into what impacts these numbers most heavily with a cost breakdown of different parts of a kitchen remodel.

Kitchen Remodelling: A Cost Breakdown

The Biggest Impact: Cabinets

In a complete kitchen remodel scenario, some have estimated cabinets to be 30% of your cost. Using our lower number from above, that means about $12 thousand.  

Cabinets are expensive because they come in multiple varieties. Ideally, your dream kitchen should include the following:

• Full-length kitchen cabinets that can reach the ceiling
• Long-lasting countertops that you love to look at

To reduce the costs from what’s estimated above, you should avoid moving plumbing if possible Plumbing movement is a big part of where that $12 thousand can go.

In some cases, less labor can reduce cabinet replacement down to below $10 thousand.

Installing Appliances

Appliances and installation of features make up a close number two. In many remodeling projects, these costs can easily overcome cabinets. So you can expect them also to be around 20 to 30%.

The installation also refers to sinks, dishwashers, fridges, ovens, and other appliances. The cost impacts change heavily depending on the need for powerful electrical outlets or gas implements.

Suppose you do not need to replace or repair any of these. In that case, the cost of installing appliances will be relatively lower. A willingness to compromise on using what already exists will reduce the cost of your remodeling projects.

Electrical and Plumbing

While electrical and plumbing issues don’t typically take up much of the costs, the movement of these things is what can get them to add up. Moving the outlet will cost you money if you have a particular position where you would like to see your fridge.

The same can be said about your desired dishwasher position. Moving your drains and faucets will increase your bill in the upper range, often nearing $100 thousand. But, less intensive remodels can have these anywhere from a few thousand to zero.

To avoid this cost impact, you’ll want to limit movement as much as possible. However, the position of these appliances can have less bearing on the overall vision you want to go for. Speaking to a designer might help you compromise.  

Wrap Up

It’s easy to be overwhelmed regarding the cost levels of different parts of your remodel. Through a budget that is aware of these potential costs, you can plan out for them over the next few years.

Having a kitchen that is your own should receive estimates from a trained professional. Our team at Superior Closets can help you plan for your new kitchen.

When it comes to finding the correct mode of storage, there might be some terminology confusion. If you’ve got a short closet, does it fall under the cabinet? Also, where do one term end and another begin? If it’s part of the walls and is short, does it still count as a cabinet?

While all of these questions might seem quite silly for some, some people still ask this question. As a result, we’re going to delve into the subject and give you the technical definitions of the two.

What is a Closet?

The technical North American term tells us that it is a tall, recess wardrobe with a door. While the definition is pretty simple, those who might confuse it with cabinet might be referring to those disconnected from the wall.

Wardrobe is the word in this case. When your closet is a separate unit, people refer to it as a wardrobe. Whether you refer to wardrobes or closets, you are typically using these to store your clothing.

Closets are almost an entirely separate room. What makes a closet different from a room is the size. But a walk-in closet is much larger, but its poles and storage racks are for clothing items.

What is a Cabinet?

Cabinets are cupboards with shelves or drawers connected to a wall. These drawers are typically best for storing kitchenware. These include cups, plates, or bowls.

The difference between a cupboard and a cabinet comes from its attachment to a wall. Cupboards aren’t required to be connected to a wall and can be freestanding. So if you have freestanding shelves in your kitchen (which is pretty uncommon), you have a cupboard.

Cabinets are also much smaller and typically take up a fraction of the space of wardrobes or closets. As a result, it’s pretty easy to pick out the two on size comparison.

Other Interesting Terms Often Confused With Closets

Below is a shortlist of additionally interesting words that people commonly confuse with closet:

• Armoire – The difference in design between an armoire and a wardrobe is minuscule. However, armoires are more narrow and typically have lockable doors because they were for storing firearms. Think of the word “armory,” and you get the idea.
• Chiffarobe – A chiffarobe is an archaic term that refers to a place to store clothing. It’s similar to a wardrobe with few distinguishing features.
• Almirah – It is an Indian word that refers to freestanding storage. These can fall somewhere between wardrobe and cupboard, making them more confusing. People often use them in the storage of anything.  

Final Thoughts

While it’s pretty blatant to see the differences between a cabinet and a closet, there are many interchangeable words for storage place. In this case, you can simply think of closets as wardrobes built into a wall.

Regardless of what closet you need, our team at Superior Closets can help you find the right fit. We also have a closets and cabinets gallery, so we work on both sides of the spectrum for your custom home needs.

Selecting the right window covers can be difficult. Given the wide range of design options you have, everyone has a different opinion. So, should blinds be lighter or darker than walls?

The answer is both. Blinds should never be the same shade as walls, as that makes everything blend in too hard. Lighter and darker blinds both work because they work to add depth to your room.

Since you can’t have it both ways, we’ll discuss the advantage of choosing one over the other in the following section.

Why Should I Choose Lighter Blinds?

Lighter blinds have a few distinct advantages here:

• They make a room appear bigger
• They make windows appear brighter
• You get a contrast to darker rooms

Lighter blinds are perfect if you want to create an illusion in smaller rooms. Anything brighter is typically misconceived as larger. That’s why they usually use daylight bulbs in smaller stores.

They also make your windows appear brighter. Brighter windows can be critical in darker rooms. You don’t want to live in a dungeon, so brighter windows help escape that situation.

However, there are also advantages in choosing the alternative option.

Why Should I Choose Darker Blinds?

Darker blinds also have their own set of advantages:

• They give larger rooms depth
• Darker blinds are great at grabbing attention
• Dark blinds make a larger space feel cozier

While you don’t ever want to feel claustrophobic, larger rooms can be pretty overwhelming. To reduce that sense of dread, darker blinds are a great addition.

The cozy feeling from darker blues and browns cannot be understated. However, pure black blinds are typically an awkward choice. Try and stick with something that brings a bit of color to your room.

In either case, dark blins are typically less common, so they are great focal points for taking control of a room. Just make sure they still blend well with your walls, so keep them within a shade or two of what you have.

How To Choose The Right Color For Your Blinds

Regardless of what shade you choose to go with, color is essential. This is especially true when you get to those darker colors, as pitch-black blins aren’t typical.

When choosing a color for your blinds, it is essential to know that specific colors deliver emotion. For example, red evokes passion in people, so that color isn’t typically what you want people to feel when looking at your blinds.

Below are a few tips regarding blind color:

• Match colors that are already there. These can be the walls or the flooring. Just make sure to choose something close to what you have.
• Pick colors that aren’t too crazy. Lime green blinds are unusual unless you have something that already stands out.
• It’s relatively safe to pick a wood color. Just make sure it blends in with your current design. Modern designs typically go well with understated colors.

Regardless of what shade or color you need, it’s crucial you work with professionals who can make your image come alive. We at Superior Closets offer window covers to match a variety of preferences.