The Best Storage Tips to Steal from a Design Expert’s Closet

When it comes to a well-designed home, we usually give credit to the obvious: A beautiful living room, a functional kitchen, or an inviting bedroom are the likely suspects. But what really creates a sense of day-to-day ease and beauty are the hardworking areas in between—those spaces that get little applause but do the heavy lifting. Imagine having a laundry room with dedicated places for folding and ironing, or a well-organized mudroom where there’s a designated spot to stash stray shoes and bags. Creating such areas was paramount for Camille Styles, our Sunset Idea House partner, when designing her Malibu home. So she called in the experts at California Closets to help her custom-design spaces that would enhance her everyday life with optimized storage to complement her coastal aesthetic. 

The founder and editor-in-chief of her eponymous site, Styles sought function, ease, and beauty when collaborating on her primary bedroom closet, laundry room, and mudroom. “When considering these hardworking spaces of my home, I envision a feeling of calm, serenity, and deep satisfaction from knowing everything has its place,” says Styles. “These spaces can now bring an ease to how our family functions.” 

The intersection of beauty and organization is where California Closets meets every client, including Styles. A pioneer in premium space management, the company delivers custom-designed organizational solutions for any and every corner of the home in a way that is uniquely personal. No detail is too obscure. No design request too high. There’s an emphasis on collaboration to make every space feel like its own. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, the tailor-made solution pays off for years to come. Because homeowners are looking for ways to enhance existing spaces, design consultants often see untapped potential and come up with ideas to optimize every inch, which adds to the overall value of the home. 

Michelle Nash Photography

It was this detail-rich precision that spoke to Styles for her Malibu home, which she’ll be sharing with her husband and two children. Styles admittedly has a “strong personal design aesthetic,” but she sought California Closets’ expert counsel. “I’ve learned from experience in my previous homes that the depth of a drawer, the placement of a handle, and the height of a cabinet can make all the difference when it comes to the efficiency of a space,” says Styles. “These spaces in our beach house have a modest footprint, and we’re expecting a lot out of them!” 

Styles’ mudroom, for instance, will be the spot to “hang up wetsuits, kick off sandy shoes, and store beach gear and sunscreen,” while also providing garage and guest storage. “Every inch matters and I knew from working with California Closets on previous projects that their professional design consultants are geniuses when it comes to maximizing every bit of usable space and making a small area function like one that’s much larger.” 

Michelle Nash Photography

As efficient as every organizational detail is, the aesthetics are equally critical. To honor Styles’ pursuit of a serene and calm vibe “inspired by the rocky beaches, sand, water, mountains, and grasses” of Malibu, the California Closets team considered every detail, from 
the colors to the metals, as part of its focus on a palette
 of carefully selected finishes and accessories. 

Styles’ Malibu abode celebrates what a truly beautiful home needs to be: a textured, considered, warm space to live in, anchored by timeless design and hardworking organized spaces—that deserve all the praise.