Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at Closets By Design!

Contact Closets by Design at 703-330-8382 to learn more about custom closets (closet organizers), garage cabinets, home offices, laundries, pantries and other storage solutions for DC, VA and MD homes. We offer a wide selection of finishes, accessories, and hardware. 

At Closets By Design, we believe in custom closet organization, and in taking care of what's inside! Read on for tips on taking care of leather shoes.

At Closets by Design, we design, build, and install custom closets (closet organizers), garage cabinets, home offices, laundries, pantries and other storage solutions for DC, VA and MD homes. We offer a wide selection of finishes, accessories, and hardware. Contact us for more information about solutions for your closet organization needs.

1. Always store leather shoes with moisture-absorbing cedar shoe trees, to prevent leather cracking and permanent creasing where the toe bends.
   
   
2. Always use a shoe horn when putting on shoes to prevent the back of the shoe from breaking down. Never force feet into the shoes.
   
   
3. Always keep shoes away from direct heat to prevent the leather from drying out. Leather should always dry naturally.
   
   
4. Give shoes a rest between wearings. Leather shoes should have one full day to dry out from natural foot perspiration and should not be worn on two consecutive days.
   
   
5. When polishing shoes, use only a high quality paste or cream that will help moisturize leather and keep it from drying out. Never use a liquid polish on leather shoes.
   
   
6. Never use any type of cleaner that contains an acid or a detergent. Both are damaging to fine leather, and will age the shoe.
   
   
7. If shoes become heavily soiled, use a mild application of mild soap on a damp cloth, wipe off, and allow to dry. Then apply shoe cream. This treatment should restore the original lustre without any damaging effects to the leather.

With the holidays around the corner, it's important to remember to stay organized! At Closets by Design, we can't stress the importance of closet organization, garage organization, and custom storage solutions enough!

Check out this article from The House Plan Shop about organizing your holiday decorations.

Call Closets by Design 703-330-8382 with questions about custom closets (closet organizers), garage cabinets, home offices, laundries, pantries and other storage solutions for Washington DC, VA and MD homes.

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While many of us enjoy decorating for the holidays, almost all of us can agree it is not as near as much fun taking it all down, packing it up and putting everything away. The following tips come from various organizational experts and are sure to help you clean up and store your holiday decorations so they are easy to find and display next year. 

1. Purge what you have. Before you pack everything up, go through what you have. It’s OK to get rid of things you really don’t like or items that no longer match your decorating theme. Get rid of things that are broken, strands of lights that are burnt out and things you don’t use anymore. Be sure to recycle what you can and donate usable items to charity. Consider decorations of sentimental value. You might not be able to part with a particular item no matter what, but if something is in pretty bad shape but you continue to keep it because it reminds you of something special, maybe snapping a photo will be enough to preserve that special memory. 

2. Gather and take inventory. Before you can organize and store your holiday decorations you have to know what you are going to keep. Collect all holiday decorations and related items in one place. Group similar items. Take inventory. How many boxes of ornaments do you have? How many wreaths? Does each child have his or her own stocking? Count everything you have and be aware of sizes, especially anything oversized or oddly shaped. 

3. Keep track of what you have. It is not a bad idea to keep track of new holiday items you buy throughout the year whether you find a deal on wrapping paper at a clearance sale or find something special at a craft show you attend in July. One way to do this is to keep a small notebook in an easy-to-find place such as in a drawer in the office or on the top shelf of a kitchen cabinet. Record anything you buy that will be part of the coming year’s décor and holiday festivities. Furthermore, you could do this with other Christmas and holiday related items such as keeping a record of gifts you’ve already purchased, recipes that friends have shared with you, or the dates when your cousins plan to be in town to celebrate the holidays with you. 

4. Select a storage space – Look around your home. Select a storage space that is big enough to hold ALL of your holiday decorations and other Christmas related items safely without being in the way all year long. (ALL means everything from gift wrap and cookie cutters to lights and the artificial tree.) This could be a space in the attic, a storage closet, a corner of the basement, etc. Measure the storage space and purchase containers that will fit in the given space. If you have a limited storage space, this may help determine what items you purge in Step 1. 

5. Label everything – Make an effort to label every box and storage container with the exact contents inside. The labels don’t have to be fancy. Simply write on the outside of the box or tape an index card to each box listing what is inside. You can even color code them if you choose. Labeling will make decorating a lot easier next year. 

6. Store it together – Move all boxes, storage containers, etc. into the storage space you selected. Safely arrange the boxes so they will not fall. Whenever possible, stack your storage containers with their labels facing forward or up so you can quickly identify what is inside each box next year. Keep everything together in one place whenever possible. This makes it easier to get your decorations out next year. There is an exception here. Make note of special items such as highly breakable pieces, linens or antiques. These may need to be stored in a temperature-controlled environment within the main living areas of the home. Keep track of these types of items in your notebook from Step 3 since you won’t be storing them with everything else. 

Though cleaning and packing up after the holidays is not much fun, and sometimes a lengthy process, these home storage tips for your holiday décor will help cut down the amount of time you spend putting things away and make decorating a little easier next year.

With a proven business model, Closets by Design Franchising provides it's franchisees with a unique business opportunity in a growing industry that is both fun and rewarding. If you believe you are the right candidate to own, operate and grow a successful business then call today to learn more about joining the leading franchise system. 

At Closets by Design we put you in business for yourself but not by yourself.

Franchise Office:
(800) 377-5737
Tel: (714) 890-5860
Fax: (714) 901-0424

Contact your LOCAL Closets by Design at 703-330-8382 to learn more about custom closets (closet organizers), garage cabinets, home offices, laundries, pantries and other storage solutions for DC, VA and MD homes. We offer a wide selection of finishes, accessories, and hardware.  

Closets By Design has a complete wall storage and organization system for garages, utility and laundry rooms. Take a look at the storage bins what are GREAT for wall organization!

For your own customized storage solutions in Maryland, Washington, DC or Virginia, call Closets by Design toll-free at 800-293-3744.

At Closets by Design, we design, build, and install custom closets (closet organizers), garage cabinets, home offices, laundries, pantries and other storage solutions for DC, VA and MD homes.

Click here to watch a video about the home offices we create!
We offer a wide selection of finishes, accessories, and hardware. Contact us at 800-293-3744 for more information about solutions for your home organization needs.

Maximize the use of your space with a foldaway designbed™ system. Customizable, multi-functional and ideal for small spaces, designbed™ offers creative space saving solutions for any home.

Convert any area of your home into a bedroom. This Closets by Design system is designed for making the most of a small space with cabinets and drawers for storing items.

Call your local Closets by Design at 703-330-8382 or schedule a consultation to learn about getting your own custom DesignBed.

Closets By Design posted this article from HellaWella on the corporate Facebook page, and we thought it would be great information for us in the DC/MD/VA area!

Call us at 800-293-3744 for ideas on custom closet and garage solutions.

Tips on making your home fall-ready

It’s almost that time of year again, when the hot, humid days of summer become an almost distant memory and cooler weather swiftly approaches. And while we can always seem to find where we stored our scarves, hats and gloves to keep our bodies toasty come October, it’s important to remember that our homes require the same care and preparation.

Whether you’re looking to save energy, improve insulation or keep your dwelling warm, we’ve got the top tips to get your home fall-ready:

• Make sure your heating system, including filters, pilot lights and burners, is in working order — and best to hire a qualified professional for this one.

• Save energy by insulating your home. This includes weather-stripping and caulking exterior joints around windows and doors. Bonus: Insulating can help keep out insects and rodents.

• Clean dust from vents, baseboard heaters and cold-air returns. Dust buildup in ducts causes indoor pollutants, putting you at risk for cold-weather illnesses.

• Prepare storm windows for installation. These windows can save energy in the cold and are less expensive than new double- or triple-glazed windows.

• Insulate pipes and allow faucets to drip a little during cold weather to avoid freezing.

• Learn how to shut off water valves in case a pipe bursts.

• Now’s as good a time as ever to check your smoke detectors, which should be inspected two times a year.

• Bring outdoor furniture inside.

Click here for more tips from weather.com and comment below with some advice of your own.

Jeff Speedy of the Louisville, Kentucky Closets By Design recently went on live television to discuss tips on cleaning your garage.

Click here to see the video of Jeff on WHAS11!

Call your local Closets By Design at 800-293-3744 for information on custom garages.

Wash, dry, fold, put away..

We probably spend way more time doing laundry than we may like, so it would only make sense to customize your laundry room!

A custom laundry room allows the space and organization you need while taking care of your family's clothing and linens. Added cabinets, cupboards and drawers allow for plenty of room to do your laundry in an organized fashion. 

At Closets by Design, we design, build, and install custom closets (closet organizers), garage cabinets, home offices, laundries, pantries and other storage solutions for DC, VA and MD homes. We offer a wide selection of finishes, accessories, and hardware. Call 703-330-8382 to schedule a time to talk about your dream laundry room!