Custom Closet Design For Curious Minds

March 27, 2012

Choose the custom closet you needWe’re organization and storage experts, but there’s one group of people whose advice we’ll never ignore: our customers.  We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all storage solutions, and neither should you.  Your life and your home come to us with a unique set of challenges, and only you can help us make sure that our solutions will offer you the best possible wardrobe storage and organization under the sun.

That’s why here at Contempo Closet we invite our customers to use our custom closet design options to create a wardrobe that works for them.  Add drawers, add hang rods, add shelves, add whatever you like to make sure that our furniture can do the best possible job organizing your space.  Take a look at our accessories page and see just how far we can go to create a piece that doesn’t just address your home storage issues, but resolves them once and for all.

And we don’t stop there.  Sure, we believe in a form follows function approach, but it’s still important to us that your custom closet still looks like a cohesive, built-in piece (even though it can remain entirely freestanding).  With a wide selection of finishes, including colored glass, mirror and wood finishes, handle options, and LED light solutions, Contempo Closet wardrobes organize your space with style.

Handy Storage meets uncanny style.  That’s Contempo.

Pictured Above: The Alpha 350

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5 Habits of Organized People

March 26, 2012

Organized people aren't born that way; it takes discipline!Clean out your clutter and get yourself back on track with these 5 habits of organized people.

Make a Place for Everything

Don’t tag anything as miscellaneous.  Everything in your home should have a place, and if it doesn’t, you should find time to make one.

Put Things Back

Making a place for something is a great start, but it will only matter if you get into the habit of putting things back where they belong.

Set Deadlines

Setting deadlines for yourself will help apply pressure to get things done on time.  After a while, these activities will hopefully become routines that you don’t even need to remind yourself about.

Don’t Procrastinate

Deadlines are only good if you keep them.  Stick to your deadlines.  Or, even better, try to beat them.

Only Keep What You Use

If an item has been sitting in the back of your closet for 3 years, it might be time to get rid of it.  Holding onto useless items just stimulates clutter and keeps you from truly maximizing the storage potential of your space.

Unfortunately, you can’t just become an organized person overnight.  It will take commitment and dedication in the end, but if you can stick it out, you’ll come out the other side feeling so much better about your closet, your home and your life.

Photo Credit: Stuart Miles

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Mad Fashion: What ‘Mad Men’ Style Says About America

March 23, 2012

It's a mad world, but at least we've got style‘Mad Men’ mania is taking over NYC this week, as the popular TV drama prepares to return to the small screen Sunday.  To get prepped, the web has been overloaded with Mad Men articles and blog posts, but, what the heck, let’s add one more.

One of the shows primary focuses is 1960’s fashion.  They don’t spend too much time yapping about it, but they really don’t have to.  Draper & Co. look great all the time, and everyone knows it.  The show’s style has had a huge impact on designers and consumers over the past few years, and, thanks to the show’s soaring popularity, several retailers are carrying the ‘Mad Men’ inspired 1960’s business looks again.  Popular brands such as Brooks Brothers, Calvin Klein, Club Monaco, J. Crew, Estee Lauder and Anthropologie have all taken cues from the show’s fashion in new lines directed at both men and women.

Leah Bourne notes in Forbes.com that the “indelible part” fashion plays in ‘Mad Men,’ combined with the show’s increasing popularity, has created what she dubs a ‘Mad Men’-effect in popular culture, a retro-leaning nostalgia that affects both men and women’s views on the consequences of modern and retro fashion.

For men of the 1960s, a good suit was an essential item for even the most menial office worker, yet today, some of the world’s most successful businessmen get by in jeans and sneakers.  Diversity has overcome, and now, it’s the value of a man’s ideas, not his wardrobe, that determines his merit in the business world.

For women, the show paints a similarly complex picture, weaving through the shifting gender roles of the 1960’s when skin became more accessible and feminism’s second wave began to take hold.  Women stepping up to play hardball with the boys is one of the show’s primary motifs, and this season’s new fashion trends, mini-skirts and pants, continue to push the conversation forward.  As women take on responsibilities similar to their male co-workers, the show’s fashion aims to highlight the changing dynamic of gender and workplace relationships, and how women’s dress style emphasized their growing authority in the office.

The show doesn’t paint the roles of fashion in either a positive or negative light, but instead leaves it to the viewer to settle the complexities.  While we may long for the days of Marilyn Monroe and three-piece suits, we don’t want to step back into the 1960s’ exceedingly tilted gender roles.  We’d like the style back, but maybe not all of the substance.

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R. Kelly Trapped in the Closet Again

March 22, 2012

R Kelly Trapped in the ClosetNew reports reveal that R. Kelly is planning to revive his Trapped in the Closet hip hop opera with a new set of installments slated to air on IFC later this year.  The new videos will continue the ongoing plot focusing on Kelly’s alter ego Sylvester, starting with Chapter 23.

Since R Kelly can’t stop getting trapped in the closet (seriously, 23 times now), this seems like a good time to discuss the importance of child-proofing your closet doors to ensure no one in your home winds up trapped in the closet.

Each year about 2,500,000 children wind up accidentally injured or killed in their homes by potentially dangerous hazards.  To remove one of them, get a bi-fold door lock to keep your kids out of the closet, where there may be dangerous cleaners, heavy boxes and other items that could pose a danger to young children.

Bi-fold door locks are inexpensive (Amazon lists a decent one at only $4), and easy to use.  Also, try storing particularly dangerous items in high places, so even if your child breaks into the closet, they won’t be able to reach the hazardous materials.

Child-proof your doors and make sure no one in your home gets trapped in the closet.

 

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Having Fun With Old Clothes

March 21, 2012

Instead of throwing out or donating your old clothes, there are plenty of ways to use them around the house.You’re probably busy with spring cleaning right now or at least getting prepped to clear out the closet to make room for a new spring wardrobe.  But here’s a fun idea: instead of getting rid of all those old clothes, why not find some fun new ways to use them around the home?

Make something fun for the kids.  While your kids may say they’re too old for sock puppets, it’s remarkably easy to make a DIY bean-bag chair out of old clothes.  You’ll only need about 7m worth of fabric (3.5m for each side).  Check out this tutorial from wikihow for full details.

Make original book covers.  Instead of buying book covers for school next year, save your old clothes and make them yourself.

Make a new lampshade cover.  Give your home a new light.  Pick a light colored fabric design that you particularly enjoy, cut it to fit your lampshade and enjoy.

New Cleaning Rags! Socks are particularly good for dusting, though be careful with rough denim.

If you’ve got a bad back, make a Rice Bag Warmer.  Cut a sleeve off of an old shirt, fill it with rice and sew it shut.  On a day when you’re feeling sore, throw the bag in the microwave for a few seconds, apply to the sore spot and enjoy the relief.

Those are just our ideas, but we’re sure there are plenty more uses that we haven’t mentioned yet.  Do you have any ideas?

Photo Credit: Thing Three

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Take Care of Your Clothes

March 20, 2012

Learn how to keep your clothes freshWhile we all like getting new clothes, if you don’t take good care of the ones you’ve already got, you might find yourself wasting a lot of money replenishing your wardrobe.  But if you follow some of the tips below and take proper care of your clothing, you can increase its lifespan considerably, saving yourself valuable time and money.

According to Brad Goreski, former assistant to Hollywood stylist Rachel Zoe and star of “It’s a Brad, Brad World,” you should be wary of over dry-cleaning your clothes.  Goreski notes, “the chemicals some cleaners use will break down fabric.”

Also, try to avoid the dryer if you can.  Consistently drying your clothes wears them out and makes the colors fade much quicker than hang drying or sun drying.  Not to mention, dryers use a lot of energy and put quite a dent on your electric bill.

If your closet seems to be bursting at the seams, not only do you need another closet, but you’re also wearing out your clothes.  When clothes are jammed together, they’re more apt to develop wrinkles and it will be harder to find things.  Anything you worn that’s particularly expensive or fragile should be stored in its own garment bag or some kind of plastic covering for preservation purposes, even if there’s ample space in your closet.

A little pre-emptive strategy is also important.  Handling small problems immediately such as small tears or stains could save your clothes some serious hassle in the long run.  Sew small tears right away and dab ice water or seltzer on food stains.

Follow some of these tips and keep your clothing looking fresh for years.  Also, if you have any great techniques that we didn’t mention, please share.  We’re always happy to learn.

Photo Credit: Mrpruen

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Don’t Buy a New Spring Wardrobe; Make Your Old Clothes New Again!

March 19, 2012

Revitalize your spring wardrobe by making old clothes look like new!Tomorrow is the first day of spring, so you’ve probably got some serious spring cleaning on your mind.  While common wisdom tells us to throw out the old and go buy a new spring wardrobe, why not try making the old new this year, both by yourself and with the help of a local seamstress or shoe repair store?

First and foremost, look through your closet for all the things that don’t fit.  If your clothes don’t fit properly anymore (thanks to your fantastic winter diet), take them to your local seamstress.  Even though they’re from last season, wearing these clothes in a new size can help you feel good about yourself and serve as a constant reminder of just how much good comes from keeping a commitment.  If some of your clothes have minor rips or tears, a seamstress could easily fix those up, too.

How about your worn-out sandals?  If you still like them, consider visiting a shoe repair shop to have them resoled.  It might actually be less expensive than buying a whole new collection.

Finally, you should take the time to clean anything stained.  Or, if you’re feeling particularly handy, try a DIY fabric dye.  Dying your clothes can put some real spring back into old articles and makes a great afternoon project for the kids during a spring break.

Do you have any other ideas to revitalize old clothes for a dazzling spring wardrobe?  Leave a comment and let us know.

Photo Credit: Photostock

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Using Shelves For Maximum Closet Efficiency

March 16, 2012

Shelves are a frighteningly simple idea that bestow storage ease upon any space.The customary understanding of a closet is pretty simple: a hole in the wall with a door where you put things.  It serves a purpose, but it doesn’t really serve that purpose very well now, does it?  You don’t just need a place to keep stuff.  You need organization.  You need efficiency.  You need sustainability!

One of the most common (and really the best) ways to keep a closet well organized is to divide the closet into various sections by using shelves.  Shelves, despite their simplicity, are remarkably useful little tools that can demarcate divisions in any closet space to allow for fully efficient closet organization.  Whether you like to organize by color, size, accessory, etc. shelves can keep almost any organizational pattern in your wardrobe.

And at Contempo Closet we allow you, our customer, to pick exactly how your shelves will be set up.  On either custom walk in closet systems or freestanding wardrobes, all our pieces feature fully customizable shelving options to help create the solution that works best for you.

Organize your space, organize your life.  And on your way, feel free to get a little help from Contempo.

Photo Credit: Nuttakit

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Hey Guys, Our Ties Might Be Killing Us

March 15, 2012

Tight ties and shirt collars reduce circulation to the brain and increase intraocular pressureSorry gentlemen.  Even though they look damn spiffy, neck ties can pose serious health risks.  It might sound like something from a third-rate new age health blog, but researchers from Cornell University found in a 1993 study that nearly 67% of men buy shirts that are smaller than their necks, a practice which poses some serious health threats.

Tight shirt collars and neckties reduce circulation to the brain and increase intraocular pressure.  Common symptoms of an overly-taut tie include headaches, blurred vision, and tingling around the ears.  Though these are just minor nuisances, a continued increase in intraocular pressure can present severe risks to people with glaucoma.

Ties also apparently increase the spread of contagious diseases and infections, since they are not washed as often as most clothing articles.  Due to the increased risk of infection, British hospitals banned the use of neckties by doctors in 2007.

Fun fact: Men are banned from wearing neckties in Iran

Photo Credit: Graur Razvan Ionut

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Don’t Throw Out Your Clothes; Donate Them

March 14, 2012

Donate your old clothes to someone who really needs themWith temperatures rising over 60 degrees in the Northeast already, spring isn’t just on its way; it’s here!  With the spring season in full swing, it’s time for everyone’s least favorite part of an otherwise happy season: spring cleaning.  But this year, when you’re pulling out old clothes that don’t fit and last year’s worn out sneakers, don’t just toss them in the garbage – donate them to someone who might really need them.

According to Every Monday Matters, a social action campaign dedicated to a variety of social issues, every year nearly 20 billion pounds of clothing and textiles are thrown away.  That’s an average of 68 pounds per person.  Meanwhile, as these clothes fill dumpsters, nearly 36.2 million people in the United States live in poverty, and, on average, nearly 3 million people go without any permanent home or shelter.  Moreover, nearly half of all homeless women and children are victims of domestic violence who have fled their homes with few possessions other than the clothes on their backs.

This spring, please take a moment to contact your local shelter or organization and find out how you can help.  Your discarded clothing could serve as a child’s new school outfit or help a struggling single mother dress properly for a job interview.  You may not want or need the old clothes in your closet, but without a doubt, millions of other people do.

Photo Credit: Maggie Smith

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