Custom Closet Design Ideas for a Functional, Organized Home

There are two kinds of people: those who relish a closet purge, love a clean pantry, and can’t focus until their desk is clear—and those who simply haven’t yet experienced the satisfaction of a truly organized space. Because once you know what it feels like to have a place for everything, there’s no going back.

I’ll admit, I’m biased. There’s a reason I named my weekly newsletter Breathing Space. I crave environments that feel open and uncluttered, and I’ve learned that clarity at home often leads to clarity in my mind. When we began planning our beach house renovation, thoughtful organization wasn’t an afterthought—it was foundational.

I knew this project would come with its own challenges, from maximizing square footage to creating flow in high-traffic areas. So from the start, I wanted California Closets by my side. We’ve partnered on several spaces in our Austin home, from our pantry to the kids’ closets, and I trust their team to translate my vision into spaces that are not only beautiful but deeply functional. This time, working with our California Closets Los Angeles designer, Katharine, we approached each space not just as storage, but as an opportunity to design how our home would function and feel.

Today, I’m sharing exactly how we planned four key areas:

• The Laundry Room
• The Mudroom + Garage
• The Primary Closet + Vanity
• Phoebe’s Closet

Let’s dive in.

Designing for How We Actually Live

Before we talked about finishes or cabinetry layouts, Katharine and I chatted through our everyday life and rhythms. Because at the end of the day, these are spaces that should support the daily transitions that make up so much of our lives. We talked through seemingly small details like:

• Where do beach bags land?
• Where do golf clubs pile up?
• How do I want to feel while I’m getting ready in the morning?

Living at the beach comes with one unavoidable reality: sand. When we first stayed in the original house, I found myself vacuuming the entire house every single day because I could literally feel the crunch under my bare feet. Towels and beach bags would get dropped inside, and within hours, sand had migrated through the entire house. So with the opportunity to start fresh, we designed for it.

This friction was what led us to locate the mudroom inside the garage. It becomes a buffer zone—designated hooks for beach bags, a washer/dryer for towels, and an outdoor shower to rinse off sandy feet before stepping inside.

When you design for real life instead of “ideal life,” everything flows more smoothly.

Another element to consider: our entire family now plays golf, which I love—but it also results in golf gear everywhere. So, we carved out intentional storage in the garage and mudroom for clubs, shoes, gloves, and hats so there’s no last-minute scramble when we’re heading out the door.

Even the tiny everyday rituals shaped our plans. I love choosing my jewelry as part of my getting-ready process, so my jewelry drawers are built directly next to my vanity. At night, taking it off becomes a ritual that happens right alongside my skincare.

One of my favorite hidden details? In the laundry room, we carved out a concealed cabinet for Clem’s litter box—complete with a small opening for her to climb in and a push latch so we can easily access it for cleaning.

From Inspiration to Intention

While function led the design, inspiration led the materials and visual details. I created a Pinterest board and divided it into dedicated sections for each space.

My visual inspiration centered around natural wood tones, matte finishes, warm integrated lighting, minimal hardware, and spaces with breathing room.

We landed on California Closets’ Quiet Grove finish—a natural wood grain with texture and character—paired with accents in a soft matte white called Dove. The overall palette aligns with the broader Japandi aesthetic of the beach house, complete with soft roman clay walls and natural wood floors.

In the primary closet, Moroccan clay zellige tile will run from the bathroom straight into the closet, making it feel warm, earthy, and cohesive. One thing I was intentional about avoiding: too much open shelving. In a smaller-footprint home, closed cabinetry can be a lifesaver. I wanted these rooms to hold real life and contain it, rather than display it.

Translating Our Vision Into 3D Renders

Seeing everything come to life in California Closets’ proprietary CAD tool was the most exciting part of the process.

The renderings allowed us to refine details that would have been frustrating later. Shelf heights shifted, and drawer configurations changed. Hanging rod heights were adjusted as we talked through exactly what would live where.

One of my issues with our Austin closet is that the drawers are so shallow that they barely hold anything. This time, we were incredibly intentional about depth and proportion. Katharine guided us toward configurations that maximize storage without sacrificing negative space.

She also suggested track storage in the garage for bikes, skateboards, and tools—something I hadn’t considered but makes the space exponentially more functional.

What I appreciate is how Katharine really considered flow, proportion, and how a room should feel, and the result went way beyond shelving into solutions I’d never thought of on my own.

The Laundry Room: Designing for Flow

The previous beach house didn’t even have a true laundry room; you walked in the front door, and the washer and dryer were right there. There was zero storage and no folding area, which led to constant visual clutter.

Since I’m usually folding everything in the laundry room, I needed enough countertop and hanging space to make it highly efficient. The stacked washer and dryer will be recessed so they sit flush with the countertop (we actually pushed the wall back slightly to make this happen). A small detail, but visually so impactful.

Upper cabinets extend to the ceiling to store platters and entertaining pieces. There’s a tall closet for brooms and cleaning supplies. Hanging space for delicate pieces. One concealed hamper and a sink for arranging flowers and branches. It’s compact, but highly efficient.

The Mudroom & Garage: Creating a Drop Zone That Works

This space is created to collect the mess before it reaches the house. Closed cabinetry, drawers, hooks, bench seating for taking off shoes or wetsuits, tall cabinets for golf clubs, and even hanging space for out-of-season coats and dresses that don’t fit in our smaller primary closet.

Since our primary closet footprint is tight, using this mudroom strategically gives us flexibility elsewhere. The goal here wasn’t perfection—it was about having a visually pleasing space to contain elements of life that are necessary (but that we don’t want to look at every day).

The Primary Closet + Vanity: A Space That Sets the Tone

Our primary closet is a small footprint, so I’m amazed at the amount of hanging and drawer space we were able to fit in here—plus, the vanity where I’ll get ready each morning! Katharine helped us line our walk-in closet with cabinetry wrapping all four sides. Right in the center is an integrated vanity built into one wall beneath an LED mirror.

There’s a mix of double hanging, long hanging, drawers, and concealed storage—everything intentionally placed. Integrated warm lighting illuminates the hanging sections, while the LED mirror will provide bright, clear light for makeup.

Since you enter the closet through an open archway in the primary bath, it must be as beautiful as it is functional. I want mornings here to feel calm, unhurried, and intentional, so we designed it to clearly see our clothes and enjoy the process of choosing what to wear. A well-designed closet truly sets the tone for the day!

Phoebe’s Closet: Designed to Grow With Her

True story: this space almost became a DIY project, and I’m so glad that it didn’t! In an effort to save on the budget, I started piecing together components from a big box retailer. But the room’s unusual shape—caused by the recessed washer/dryer and mechanical units on the other side—made it incredibly tricky.

By the time I priced everything out, I realized I’d be spending nearly as much for a piecemeal solution that wouldn’t feel cohesive.

So, I called California Closets, and we added this space to our plans at the last minute. We’re using Quiet Grove drawer fronts with gold hardware, mixed hanging, drawers, and selective open shelving. Phoebe reviewed the plans with me and chose what she wanted displayed versus concealed. Designing it together was special and made her so excited about her new closet.

My takeaway: sometimes trying to save money ends up costing more—in stress, in compromise, and in the long run.

Making Space for What Matters

California Closets understands that high-traffic, high-touch spaces also shape how our home functions, and I’ve learned from experience: quality really matters. Precise construction, thoughtful proportions, and materials that hold up are key, as are designers who think about flow instead of just square footage.

When our systems are built well, there’s less friction in our daily lives. Less visual noise and less rushing around, which is what it’s all about. It’s creating a home that supports our rhythms.

At the end of the day, I crave organization for stuff, but I also want room solutions designed for beauty and order because when our spaces feel clear, our lives feel lighter and freer—and we’re able to make space for the things that really matter.

Stay tuned for much more to come as these spaces come to life.