I have been in the business of closet design for a number of years now, and I think that I am pretty good at what I do. My approach is to maximize the amount of usable space in a closet, and at the same time making it as simple or elaborate as the customers budget dictates. Smaller jobs often involve just a few wire racks and perhaps adding a second hanging bar. My favorite closet makeovers are always the large walk-in closets with a decent enough budget so I can include built-ins and accessorize with furniture.

My business has been expanding over the past few years. With so much interest in home organization and minimalist design, there is no shortage of work. And the range of requests does keep me on my toes. But even so, I don't often get calls from clients with closet requests that I haven't already seen or built before.

Well, just when you think that you have seen it all and there is no one better prepared to handle any job in your business, a surprise will inevitably come your way. This is what happened to me just last week. I got a closet design request that threw me for a loop, and for a second I doubted whether I was really ready to handle this particular closet renovation. However, I decided that taking on the job would be at the very least interesting, and also further expand my range of closet design expertise.

This was a closet design request that I just couldn't turn down. A few weeks ago my sister asked if I was available to watch my nephew for the weekend, while she and my brother-in-law went to a conference a few hours out of town. Unbeknown to me, my sister had already cut a deal with my nephew. He was a less than happy to be left at home alone for the weekend, so the only way my sister could convince him was to tell him that his closet designing aunt would come over for the weekend, and she would help him do a closet makeover any way he wanted. When I was told that this was the babysitting past-time, actually I thought it was a great way to keep us both occupied.

When I arrived at the house with my organizer catalogs and color swatches in hand, I was greeted by my sister and nephew. My sister gave me the run down on where everything was, said a quick goodbye to my nephew saying "have fun with your closet redesign dear", and they were gone. So now to the serious design work. I was surprised to see how prepared my nephew was, with his own pile of closet design inspiration clippings. But upon closer inspection, it became apparent that my nephew was not interested in any type of storage solutions what so ever. The clippings he handed me were assorted castle and dungeon pictures! A cell-phone call later and it was confirmed - we were redesigning a closet play room, of the medieval vintage.

Even with my lack of experience with this particular closet design project, I came away with some new skills and everyone was quite happy with the result, especially my nephew. Regardless of the design challenge that is thrown at you, if you approach it with an open mind, you may surprise yourself with skills you didn't know you had. So get started on that closet design project you've been dreading for years - whatever goal you have in mind for the finished product, it is bound to improve your currently underused cluttered excuse for a closet.

To find out more about closet designs go to http://the-closet-organizers.com.

In my business, I am always trying to make the most efficient use of closet space. I have made customized closet storage systems for large closets and small closets. I have been asked to create closet organization systems on a minimal budget and I have been asked to design luxurious closets with no expense spared. My work has run the gamut from huge walk in closets to very small reach in closets.

The business of closet design has seen a resurgence over the past few years, so my business has been doing quite well. No complaints from me at least. With the added business, I had thought that I had just about run into any closet design project possible. Although I try to be imaginative and creative with each new job, there are really only so many problems and solutions you will encounter in the business of closets.

I was soon to discover that as experienced as I am, and with the variety of closets that I had already worked on and renovated, there were still some closet design jobs that could totally surprise me. Last week was one of these times. I didn't know it at the time, but as it turned out, what I thought would be a straight-forward design job would actually turn out to be a totally unexpected design challenge.

This was a closet design request that I just couldn't turn down. A few weeks ago my sister asked if I was available to watch my nephew for the weekend, while she and my brother-in-law went to a conference a few hours out of town. Unbeknown to me, my sister had already cut a deal with my nephew. He was a less than happy to be left at home alone for the weekend, so the only way my sister could convince him was to tell him that his closet designing aunt would come over for the weekend, and she would help him do a closet makeover any way he wanted. When I was told that this was the babysitting past-time, actually I thought it was a great way to keep us both occupied.

When I arrived at the house with my organizer catalogs and color swatches in hand, I was greeted by my sister and nephew. My sister gave me the run down on where everything was, said a quick goodbye to my nephew saying "have fun with your closet redesign dear", and they were gone. So now to the serious design work. I was surprised to see how prepared my nephew was, with his own pile of closet design inspiration clippings. But upon closer inspection, it became apparent that my nephew was not interested in any type of storage solutions what so ever. The clippings he handed me were assorted castle and dungeon pictures! A cell-phone call later and it was confirmed - we were redesigning a closet play room, of the medieval vintage.

Well, after I got over the initial surprise, and panic that I wasn't prepared for this sort of closet make-over, I decided that this after all was just a closet design with a different look. In the end I created a great castle within a closet, and I incorporated some great storage ideas to boot. Remember that whatever closet design challenge is thrown your way, whether it is a tiny closet with no shelves, or you have a large closet and a small budget, just use some imagination in your design and you may be surprised with the results.

Try visiting organized closet to keep reading about designing closets.