The Biggest Missed Opportunity in Every House

Last Updated on March 3, 2022

The biggest missed opportunity in every house is simple: a DIY closet system installed in every closet! They are easy, inexpensive and totally worth it.

In this episode of the podcast, we discuss what I believe to be the BIGGEST missed opportunity in every house–a DIY closet system installed in every closet. Everyone hears “closet organization system” and thinks that automatically means thousands of dollars. But it doesn't have to be crazy expensive! There are some great options out there that take your closet from barely efficient to easy to use and perfectly organized. And my favorite options are easy to DIY. You can design, buy and install yourself. You won't believe how easy and budget-friendly it is! Every time we put a system into a closet, I wondered why I didn't do it sooner. Take it from me, do it now so you can start enjoying it ASAP!

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All the Details From This Episode

  • Coming to you live this week from…our closets! We are working hard to make audio better and this may be the trick!
podcast recording on zoom
  • Ironically, the missed opportunity in every house is a DIY closet system installed in every closet!
  • As I am packing to move, I have realized how amazing our closets are and how happy I am that we took the time and spent money on whipping our closets into shape.
  • We have done Avery‘s and Attley‘s closets, our master closet, our coat closet downstairs (info coming soon!) , the guest room closet, and the linen closet. And every single time we have put in a DIY closet system, I wonder why in the world we waited so long.
organized master closet
organized child's closet
organized child's closet
organized coat closet
organized linen closet
closet door organization

  • Thea has a SERIOUS closet situation since her house is so old. Her closet is always crazy and, as her husband says, “vomiting on the floor.” He has an emotional reaction to her messiness, but the disorganized closet is a real pain point. She recently purged (you can listen to our tips for purging here) but it is still crazy. Everyone else has fairly organized closets but they are being underutilized.
  • Because we are home in a pandemic, there is nothing you can do more cheaply and easily to improve your quality of life than putting a DIY closet system in.
  • Use this time to sort through your things and determine how you need to use your space. This will help you figure out your needs and plan a system.
  • In our master bedroom we used Easy Closets and it was more of an investment (we also updated it recently and updated things that working well for us). For secondary closets, we used the IKEA Algot system (the Algot has been replaced with the Boaxel system). It was not hard to install them and they are not terribly expensive. It takes maybe two hours to install and under a few hundred dollars for a relatively large walk-in closet.
  • Thea learned today that a small closet is called a “reach-in” closet. Is she the only one? You are welcome, everyone.
  • It can be slightly trickier with plaster walls, but still totally doable.
  • Use the IKEA click and collect (or just order it but delivery has been slow!). You can just roll it all out to your car on a flat cart (which apparently is in fact called a flat cart). They also have an online planning tool so it is really easy. If you want our IKEA shopping tips, click here to listen to that podcast! It is one of our favorites.
  • We discuss everything wrong with Thea's closet. And all the ways she is using her space wrong, which she readily admits to. Tasha thinks that for $75 and a few hours, that her closet can have a total makeover.
  • The IKEA system has drawers as well as racks and shelves! Makes it so easy to store things.
fully installed IKEA closet system
  • Making things easily accessible for kids is key. Thea's daughter has broken so many coat hangers because she couldn't access her closet efficiently.
  • I guarantee that when our house was on the market buyers LOVED how organized our closets were. I love the amazing return on investment of improving them! The perceived value versus the actual cost is crazy.
  • PLEASE let us know how much better the audio is now! We are really happy with how much better it is from the closets :)
  • Click here to follow me on Instagram. I am starting to do reels now! Tag us on IG at @tasha.kaleidoscope and tell us what your new home must-haves are! Also, tag us in pics or screenshot your episode and tell us what you are doing while you listen. We love seeing those and try to share them as often as possible. Make sure you are following me on Instagram so you can follow along with my stories and see all the behind the scenes action. I talk about ALL the things (not just home decor and DIY!) and it is very fun so come hang out with us!
  • We have so much more great closet advice that will help you continue on your quest make your closets perfect! Check out these posts: Closet Design Ideas: Systems We Actually Use! , Simple Master Closet Organization, Genius Linen Closet Ideas for Organization and Beautification, and How to Get Organized: Kids’ Drawers and Closets. I am clearly devoted to helping you get your closets perfectly organized!

Get Social With Us

I get asked a lot about my design process, which I am also using when I design the new house! I use the SAME system every single time I design a room. I finally put that system down on paper so that you can use it, too! It's an affordable alternative to hiring an interior designer and it's called Designer in a Binder®! It walks you through each step of the design process, like choosing items that are the correct scale, space planning, mixing patterns, choosing colors and more! I give easy-to-understand guidance on all of this in Designer in a Binder®! You can order your binder now. We have over 5,900 happy customers so far! Click here to learn more.

Wondering how I approach transforming rooms and spaces in our home? Check out Designer in a Binder®.

designer in a binder--the affordable and simple way to decorate your home

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photo and blog post signature of Tasha Agruso for Kaleidoscope Living
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