Closet Laundry Room Reveal and Clever Space-Saving Ideas

I’m thrilled to reveal our finished main closet makeover — and it’s more than a closet: it’s a closet laundry room. This project became a bigger undertaking than we expected for our first real renovation, but we learned a lot and it was absolutely worth it. We couldn’t be happier with the result.

For new readers, we transformed what used to be a strange outdoor kitchenette (the bedroom had previously been used as a rental space) into our main closet and laundry room. The work included insulating the room, removing old fixtures, moving the washer and dryer inside, and then designing and outfitting the space to make it beautiful and practical.

I included a few before photos so you can see the difference — the transformation is pretty dramatic.

We partnered with some fantastic people for this project. As part of a collaboration we had help collecting decor around L.A., and we also brought in a professional organizer, Beth of Bneato Bar, to make the space highly functional. Inviting an organizer over felt a bit intimidating since I’m not the most organized person, but Beth was kind, patient, and incredibly knowledgeable. Fun fact: her daughter and our son Arlo were born the same day, which gave us something extra to bond over while we tackled Jeff’s enormous sweater collection.

We have a follow-up post planned that shares a number of Beth’s practical tips for keeping the closet organized long-term.

The entire closet system is built with the Elfa system from The Container Store. We loved working with Elfa because it allowed a fully customized layout that can be adjusted later if our needs change. Beth worked with an Elfa expert to design the layout and filled awkward nooks so we could get the most storage from the space. The Container Store also offers professional installation and free design services, which made the process very easy. I’ll walk you through the main zones next.

First, the hanging space: we each have dedicated short hanging sections, and I have a long hanging section for pants, dresses, and coats. Above those rods I store folded pants, sweaters, and clutches. I used acrylic file dividers to keep the clutches tidy — they work perfectly and got a lot of questions when I teased the closet on Instagram.

Next is the dresser. The larger lower drawers hold underwear, t-shirts, and pajamas. The top drawers are set up with Elfa’s jewelry inserts, which have been a revelation — I’ve never had organized jewelry storage before and it makes a big difference.

Then there’s the shoe nook — that little corner turned out to be the perfect spot for shelves. We packed in as many tiers as the space allowed, and it feels so good to be done with piles of shoes on the floor.

We added a floor-length mirror next to the shoe area, which is a huge upgrade — now I can see my whole outfit. It also brightens and visually opens the room; I’ve already been taking outfit photos in front of it and swapping rugs until one felt right.

One of my proudest DIY moments in the space is the pink chandelier — I made it myself and I’m so happy with how it turned out. I’ll share a tutorial for that soon.

On the floor, we used Ogee Drop tile in Calcite from Fireclay Tile. Choosing this tile was one of the first permanent decisions I made for the house and it remains a favorite — it has a striking pattern that still makes me smile every time I walk in.

Now for the laundry corner: having the washer and dryer inside the closet has been incredibly convenient. Beth incorporated an Elfa hamper system next to the machine and a small hanging bar for air-drying items. The rest of that wall holds overflow closet storage for Jeff’s sweaters and jeans.

Photos by Jeff Mindell | Professional organization by Beth Penn of Bneato Bar

I want to give a huge thank-you to Beth for helping make this dream closet happen. The space is oddly shaped and she managed to make everything fit and function beautifully. I’ll be sharing more of her organization tips soon. I also owe thanks to the partners who helped make this room possible — we couldn’t have done it without them.

If you’re curious about those dramatic doors that opened the post, they’ll have their own full reveal soon — stay tuned.

That’s the closet! What do you think? I’ll include a source list below for reference.

Closet Build-Out Sources
Organizational System (Shelving, Dresser, Hanging Space): Elfa by The Container Store
Tile: Ogee Drop in Calcite from Fireclay Tile
Chandelier: DIY (tutorial coming soon)
Doors: DIY (tutorial coming soon)
Door Handles: Custom by Frank Allart
Paint: “White” by Dunn Edwards

Some products were provided in exchange for coverage in this post. All opinions are my own.