If you’ve got an older home – like I do – and wish you had space for a mudroom for household supplies, coats, hats, and boots – but know there’s NO WAY your hallway from the garage is going to work, you’re not alone! For homes built more than 20 years ago, a mudroom off the garage simply wasn’t included in house plans at that time. And I know – for one – in my house – trying to add a mudroom off the garage (which IS THE family entrance to our home) ain’t happening because my hallway is 3’ wide and sandwiched between our kitchen and a bathroom. And eliminating a bathroom – or making the kitchen ..read more

I can still hear these words like it was yesterday. Mom yelling…. “Michael Anthony Foti, hang up your clothes!”  And if your mom was like mine, when she added your middle name (or started counting) you knew your were in big trouble (and to this day, I still can’t figure out why ‘counting’ worked, but I digress). And while I know I caused my parents less gray hair than my older and more mischievous brother Frank, this still didn’t always make me the neatest in cleaning my room. And when I look back (and knowing what I know now as an owner of a custom closet business), trying to organize th ..read more

If your closet is a DISASTER today raise your hand. And I know if I could see you right now, I’ll bet at least 90% have their hands held high. And while a new closet system (designed by an experienced closet designer) is the smartest way to get more out of your ‘smaller-than-you’d like’ closet, your budget may not allow you to get the ‘full Monty.’ Purchasing the closet of your dreams right now may not be in the cards for you. And given this reality, I’d like to look at the best closet accessories from two point of views. First, I’ll look at professional closet accessories which (when used alo ..read more

So, your tiny walk in closet will never be mistaken for a Kim Kardashian look-alike. There’s ZERO room for a fancy island or opulent chandeliers. And there’s not even a one in a million chance your closet will be featured on a celebrity segment of Inside Edition. And if we’re being real, you’d be ecstatic if you could just fit what you need every day into your cramped master walk in closet. You want to ‘find’ more storage. You need to ‘find’ more storage. But where? If you struggle with an overstuffed master closet, you’re not alone. And as an owner of a professional closet design and installa ..read more

If your home home feels disorganized, then If I’m a betting man –when you attempt to walk through your mudroom or into your laundry room, it’s a less than optimal ‘experience’ (and that may be an understatement)! The kids and your ‘sloppier half’ are treating the mudroom as their ‘personal’ dumping zones. And the laundry room – well, what can you say about this ‘less-than-wonderful’ place you have-to face waaaay more times a week than you wish. If you’re trying (desperately) to organize your mudroom, laundry room (or combined mudroom/laundry room) it can be utterly confusing where to start. In ..read more

If you’ve never done a garage cabinetry project before, FOSU (that’s the Fear of Screwing Up), can paralyze you from ever getting started. This IS NOT a project you do every day (thankfully). Just like with all home improvement projects, there’s more to the job than meets the eye. Here are a few questions that could be bubbling up in your brain if you’re considering throwing out your store-bought garage shelving (which is likely sagging, bent, rusty, and disorganized) and installing professional garage cabinets: Where should I put the cabinets?   How tall, wide, and deep should they be ..read more

I’m embarrassed to admit this. However, even though I own a company which designs and sells professional garage cabinetry systems in Columbus Ohio, my wife Rose and I have lived with a butt-ugly, disorganized, garage for YEARS! Yes – I’m coming clean and admitting the ‘shoemaker’ (‘er garage cabinet designer and home organization business owner) has really, really, really bad shoes (‘er an ugly garage). And – as anyone who uses their garage as their main entry knows – your garage IS NOT the disaster you DON’T SEE! No, you drive in, and walk through it (IF you have enough room) every single day ..read more

I know, I know – as your teacher used to say, there’s no such thing as a dumb question– especially if you don’t know squat about the subject (which is likely true for most people trying to figure out their first custom closet). However, there are LOTS and LOTS of dumb things builders, remodelers and well-meaning DIY’ers do which makes closets hard to use. And I (for one) don’t want you to put up with a custom closet which is a pain in the tookas to use! So, without being mean, arrogant, or disrespectful (because if I was, my 91 year-old mother would still want to wash my mouth out with soap……a ..read more

You thought the custom closet design company you saw advertised EVERYWHERE would be your best choice. However, that was until you met the closet designer they sent to your home. They were arrogant. They didn’t seem the slightest bit interested in your ‘small’ job. They (barely) asked you any questions or took the time to learn why your closets is a ‘nails-on-a-chalkboard’ experience for you. And to top it off, they ‘presented’ you with a pathetic 2D chicken-scratch drawing. You can’t for the life of you see how this closet will live for you. And to make matters worse, they tried to twist your ..read more

Master bathrooms and master closets are joined at the hip. You could say they’re ‘kissing cousins’ (and yes, that’s a little creepy, I know). This is because in many home plans the master bathroom and master closet are right next to each other. And if these rooms in your home haven’t been remodeled in 10 plus years it’s a fair guess, they’re out of style and a pain in the rear to use. And if you’ve decided to remodel your closet and bathroom because they are less than optimal (OK – if we’re being real, they’re downright nasty), you may be asking these questions: Question #1) How can I get the ..read more