Closet Goals: How to Edit, Organize & Elevate Your Wardrobe with Celebrity Closet Designer Lisa Adams

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Closet Goals: How to Edit, Organize & Elevate Your Wardrobe with Celebrity Closet Designer Lisa Adams"

Let's Get Dressed, hosted by Liv Perez, delves deep into the art of closet organization with renowned luxury closet designer Lisa Adams. Released on April 7, 2025, this episode offers invaluable insights into creating a functional and aesthetically pleasing wardrobe space. The conversation seamlessly blends personal anecdotes, professional expertise, and innovative ideas to inspire listeners to transform their closets into sanctuaries.

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1. Introduction to Closet Organization

Liv Perez opens the episode by sharing her passion for closet organization, emphasizing its importance as the starting and ending point of her day. She introduces Lisa Adams, a luxury closet designer from LA Closet Design, setting the stage for an in-depth discussion on optimizing closet spaces.

Notable Quote:

"I believe that your closet is the space where you start and end the day. So I think it's crucial to make it your favorite room in the house." — Liv Perez [00:02]

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2. Lisa Adams' Journey into Closet Design

Lisa Adams recounts her unconventional path into the world of closet design. Originally aspiring to be an accountant and later a scientist, her transition into design was serendipitous, sparked by an opportunity at a design firm where she noticed the lack of attention given to closets compared to kitchens and bathrooms.

Notable Quote:

"I wanted to be doing it at a high level. I wanted to take an interior design approach." — Lisa Adams [03:16]

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3. The Rise of the Closet as a Focal Point

The pandemic-induced shift to home-centric lifestyles elevated the importance of closets. With homes doubling as workspaces, closets transformed into multifunctional areas serving as dressing rooms, workstations, and personal sanctuaries.

Notable Quote:

"With COVID, everybody was home. So the closet just became the place where it's like, I wanna work in there also." — Lisa Adams [04:00]

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4. Professional Tips for Closet Organization

Lisa shares her foundational approach to closet design: taking inventory. This involves assessing existing items and editing the collection to ensure the closet's design aligns with the client's needs.

Notable Quote:

"You see everything at first glance and it's easy, like it's accessible." — Lisa Adams [05:10]

Liv and Lisa discuss the pitfalls of deep drawers, agreeing that limited visibility leads to underuse of stored items.

Notable Quote:

"If you don't see it, then you won't wear it." — Lisa Adams [06:01]

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5. Personalizing Closet Systems

The conversation shifts to personal experiences with closet organization. Liv shares her method of categorizing her wardrobe into specific cabinets for dresses, hanging shirts, drawers, and jackets. She reflects on her initial mistakes, such as using solid doors that concealed her vibrant collection, leading to inefficiency.

Notable Quote:

"I set up my system so that everything is behind solid doors, which was my biggest mistake... Now I kind of wish I could see it all." — Liv Perez [08:19]

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6. Building and Maintaining an Organized Closet

Lisa emphasizes the importance of action-oriented habits to prevent clutter. This includes immediately addressing items that need laundry, dry cleaning, tailoring, or donating them instead of letting them accumulate.

Notable Quote:

"Once you get in the habit of that, it just really starts to become a habit." — Lisa Adams [12:42]

They discuss strategies like using segregated drawers and valet hooks to streamline the daily routine.

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7. Organizing in Small Spaces

Addressing listeners with limited closet space, Lisa advises maximizing every inch by utilizing height and depth effectively. She suggests adding additional rods, pull-out shelves, and specialized storage solutions like boot trees and purse pillows to enhance functionality without requiring extensive renovations.

Notable Quote:

"With a small space, think about that. That's probably 25% of your closet that you're not using." — Liv Perez [21:21]

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8. Essential Closet Accessories

The duo highlights non-negotiable elements for an organized closet, such as boot trees to maintain shoe shape, drawer inserts for accessories, and smart storage solutions for bags to prevent damage and clutter.

Notable Quote:

"Having inserts in them so that it stays maintained, it's standing straight." — Lisa Adams [24:38]

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9. Innovations and Future of Closet Design

Lisa shares her excitement about technological advancements like smart mirrors, which integrate AI to assist in outfit selection based on inventory and even recommend combinations. She envisions closets that not only store items but also enhance the dressing experience through integrated lighting, sound systems, and interactive features.

Notable Quote:

"I'm so excited to install smart mirrors in closets... to make the dressing process more fun, to make it easier to streamline it." — Lisa Adams [30:12]

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10. Showcasing Extraordinary Closet Projects

Liv and Lisa reminisce about a standout project: a three-story closet in Bel Air, resembling a boutique with separate floors for formal wear, casual everyday items, and seasonal pieces. The design included luxurious features like custom-designed elevators, couches, and dedicated rooms for jewelry and packing, underscoring the epitome of high-end closet design.

Notable Quote:

"We did formal on the top floor, casual on the second, and seasonal and a safe room on the ground floor." — Lisa Adams [33:18]

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11. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The episode wraps up with mutual appreciation for the transformative power of organized closets. Liv expresses her eagerness to implement the discussed strategies, while Lisa reinforces the joy and efficiency that comes with a well-curated wardrobe space.

Notable Quote:

"Life is meant to be lived. Wear the dress, wear the heels, do it all." — Liv Perez [29:35]

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Key Takeaways

• Inventory is Crucial: Assess and categorize existing wardrobe items before redesigning the closet.
• Visibility Matters: Ensure all items are visible and accessible to increase usage and reduce clutter.
• Action-Oriented Systems: Develop habits to immediately address laundry, tailoring, and donating to maintain organization.
• Maximize Space: Utilize vertical and depth dimensions effectively, especially in small closets.
• Incorporate Technology: Embrace innovations like smart mirrors to enhance the dressing experience.
• Personalization is Key: Tailor closet designs to individual lifestyles and preferences for optimal functionality.

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This episode serves as a comprehensive guide for anyone looking to elevate their closet organization, blending practical tips with inspirational design ideas. Lisa Adams' expertise provides listeners with the tools and motivation to transform their closets into efficient, beautiful, and personalized spaces.

Transcript

[Liv Perez]

Hey, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of let's Get Dressed. It's your host, Liv Perez. You guys know, if you followed me on Instagram for a while, that I am obsessed with closet organization. I'm someone who cleans out my closet all the time. My belief is that your closet is the space where you start and end the day. So I think it's crucial to make it your favorite room in the house. Which is why I'm so excited to have on luxury closet designer Lisa Adams of LA Closet Design today to talk all about the do's and don'ts of closet organization just in time for any of your upcoming spring cleaning. We also talk smart solutions for small spaces and how to create a wardrobe setup that elevates your daily routine. We also dive into the future of closets, from AI powered ideas to really interesting storage solutions that actually have worked for me in my own closet since we had this chat. So whether you're working on a boutique style room or maybe you're just trying to maximize a tiny space, this episode is packed with tips for you guys from an expert to help you curate a closet that feels as good as it looks. I hope you loved today's episode. Let's Go Get Dressed with Lisa Adams. Welcome to the show, Lisa.

[Lisa Adams]

Thank you. Thank you for having me.

[Liv Perez]

I'm thrilled to have you here. We met at a dinner a few years ago, and I remember the second you told me what you did for a living, the room ceased to exist. I was like, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I need to lock in on this. I love that I am obsessed with organization, truly, especially when it comes to closets. But don't go look at mine right now because it took me a while to get ready today, but I'm just such a big fan of what you do, and I think that building a closet, there's something to me. And maybe I have such, like, a personal experience with it, but growing up, my mom had a really big closet. She loves fashion. Okay. And she had a huge couch in her closet that my four sisters and I would, like, hang out on. And she was like, you know, she was someone who would go out all the time. She would dress up every night, and my siblings and I would just sit on the couch and watch her get dressed. And it was a huge part of my falling in love with fashion. It was an incredibly formative time for me, both personally and professionally. So I have a soft spot for beautiful closet spaces. Yay.

[Lisa Adams]

I love that.

[Liv Perez]

Which is your expertise.

[Lisa Adams]

It is.

[Liv Perez]

So you've Come to the right place. Okay, tell me your background of what led you to the closet organization space.

[Lisa Adams]

I mean, as you said, so I grew up in Hawaii. I've always been sort of numbers oriented, very type A, very analytical. I thought I wanted to be an accountant. Then I was like, no, I want to be a scientist.

[Liv Perez]

Wow.

[Lisa Adams]

So I studied chemistry in college, thinking that I wanted to do research science. That part of my brain just sort of just is there. And then went, you know, from there, thought, okay, maybe not the lab. And so I wanted to get out, went to business school, and then just sort of by happens, got an opportunity to work in a design firm. And so it was there where at that time, kitchens and bathrooms were all the rage. And I thought, what about closets? Like, who's doing closets? And so just took a leap of faith and thought, you know, I sort of wanted to be doing it at a high level. I wanted to take an interior design approach. So I didn't want to be a closet cabinetry company, but really, you know, somebody that actually spends time thinking about the details and the process of the closet. And so when I think about any other space in the house, like, how fitting for my brain, because it is like we're housing so many items in there, how many pairs of shoes, underwear, socks, everything. And you sort of have to make sense of it and then make it look pretty.

[Liv Perez]

You were saying earlier that when you first started that the closet space, like, wasn't the thing that people were paying attention to. And I feel like post Covid, I saw and even myself engaged in it, like, the rise of the clothis, like, so many, like, Architectural Digest tours of, like, these gorgeous closets with, like, a beautiful desk or even so many closets that look like boutiques. What do you think it's been that that has made that this closet become, like, the kind of the focal point of living.

[Lisa Adams]

I love hearing that. I think with COVID I think everybody was home. So from there, the request was, I need a place to work. And I think everybody was sort of like, you know, my husband's here, my kid's here. They're doing zoom there. And the closet just became the place where it's like, I wanna work in there also.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah.

[Lisa Adams]

And I love that because I think the more, again, with the luxury of space, that you can make the space multifunctional, multipurposeful, I think the better. Right. So it's become more than just, I'm gonna put my clothes in there, I'm gonna close the door, I'm gonna change in the bathroom. But that it's a dressing room, it's a work area, it's entertainment. It's basically your sanctuary.

[Liv Perez]

And I love the rise of like closet organization that to me, my entire TikTok feed is closet organization.

[Lisa Adams]

Oh my God. I'm proud to say, tell me your tips.

[Liv Perez]

It really knows me well. Well, no, I shouldn't. I cannot be giving you tips that just doesn't work. Just doesn't work. But I'm actually curious for you, when you walk into a space, like, what is your first approach to it? Like, I can sit here and say, okay, I know how to organize my sock drawer and I know how to organize my sweaters. But for you, who's a professional who goes into closets every day, for people listening right now, what is that first step for you?

[Lisa Adams]

You know, for me, it's taking inventory. So it's really just kind of getting to the nitty gritty and then at the same time sort of editing with the client. So it's like I need to make sure that the closet design itself is, is appropriate for what's in there. And I think my overarching philosophy is that you see everything at first glance and it's easy, like it's accessible. So whether it's a deep drawer, nothing is stacked below because you'll never wear it. If you look up, if something's, you know, shoved in behind, you're never going to use that. So I think you know whether or not you can. Like you need to hop on a step ladder, that's fine. But that once you're on that ladder, everything is visible. I think if you don't see it, then you won't wear it. And there's ways in closets to sort of do a pull out shelf, do a rod that pulls down, do, you know, sort of pay attention to the depths and the heights and the dimensions.

[Liv Perez]

Okay. Hot take. I hate a deep drawer.

[Lisa Adams]

What do you do?

[Liv Perez]

I just, I find that things get lost in there.

[Lisa Adams]

Yeah, I do too.

[Liv Perez]

If you're not putting really thick sweatpants, what are you putting in them?

[Lisa Adams]

Right? I mean, other than sort of lounge, hoodies, things like that. I mean, I think when it's deep, it just gets buried. And so I think that too, like when you're, if you're taking on a project from scratch, like paying attention to the heights of drawers. And so we sort of do that during the inventory process. But I think that's also like not wasting the space. So if it's for underwear, jewelry, bikinis why are you gonna have a, you know, a deep, deep drawer?

[Liv Perez]

I actually only have three drawers in my whole closet.

[Lisa Adams]

Oh, you hang everything?

[Liv Perez]

I hang everything. I'm not a folder because you just.

[Lisa Adams]

Want to be able to see it.

[Liv Perez]

I like being able to see it.

[Lisa Adams]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

I find that when you fold things, it's. You're 90% of the time gonna wrinkle it to some capacity, especially if it's like, a T shirt.

[Lisa Adams]

Okay.

[Liv Perez]

And, I mean, I could fold my pants.

[Lisa Adams]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

But I even, like. Like, my sweaters are in a cabinet, like, on shelves.

[Lisa Adams]

Not hanging. Are they hanging or.

[Liv Perez]

No, no, no. They're folded on a shelf. Yeah.

[Lisa Adams]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

But. Yeah, I mean, besides, I think I have a drawer for, like, all my undergarments. I have a drawer for, like, T shirts and, like, cozy PJs. And then I have a drawer for my athletic.

[Lisa Adams]

You know, I think that's everybody's. Like, that would be their. Their dream or their wish is that everything is hanging. But it's just that it's. They inherit a closet, they move into a closet. That's what it is. But I think also, too, for viewers, it's like, I think we're so good at just moving in and then just making that old closet work, but that, you know, even if you don't do a full overhaul, you can raise rods, you can get new shelves, you know, so you can really just in that way, make it. Make it your own.

[Liv Perez]

I mean, trust me, I. I am out of hanging space. Like, it is not. I am not living the high life. Like, with all my hanging space right now. I like having to sift through things. But, yeah, I would just rather find a way to hang it than fold it and let it collect dust in the backside.

[Lisa Adams]

How do you organize? Do you organize by style, Color?

[Liv Perez]

So my T shirts. So I have three cabinets that, like, house my main clothing. One cabinet is all, like, dresses and skirts. My middle cabinet is all hanging shirts.

[Lisa Adams]

Okay.

[Liv Perez]

And then beneath that are the drawers. And then my final cabinet, top row, is jackets, and underneath it are pants.

[Lisa Adams]

And if everything was behind doors, solid, would you know where everything is?

[Liv Perez]

Everything is behind solid doors, which was my biggest mistake, because you don't.

[Lisa Adams]

You sort of.

[Liv Perez]

For some reason, I was really passionate about having doors because I can be very meticulous, and I don't like the idea of, like, seeing everything if I'm shooting content or. Like, it's not. Like, my closet is this, like, beautiful, neutral thing. I have a lot of color. I have a lot of prints. So I think I got nervous about feeling overwhelmed, but now I just don't like the doors. Now I feel like it just traps everything in there, and I kind of wish I could see it all.

[Lisa Adams]

Yeah. It's like, it has to be the right personality for solid doors.

[Liv Perez]

Yes. You know, or I wish that they were glass doors so I could see on the inside. But, you know, we live and we learn.

[Lisa Adams]

We do.

[Liv Perez]

There were so many things that I messed up on that I'd go back and rearrange.

[Lisa Adams]

I feel like that's what clients say. You know, they're like, I did that before, didn't like that, but I love this. And then it moves on to the next. And, like, style changes, you know, change how you dress, your lifestyle changes. Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

You said something earlier that really piqued my interest, which is that, you know, as people, we move into new homes and we just kind of make closets work for us. If you are someone that's starting from scratch like that, or maybe someone's listening right now who feels inspired to just feng shui the whole thing.

[Lisa Adams]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

What are you doing if you're starting.

[Lisa Adams]

From scratch with that person?

[Liv Perez]

Yes.

[Lisa Adams]

So really having a first meeting, taking inventory.

[Liv Perez]

So say they're on their own, though. Say you're not there.

[Lisa Adams]

Oh, say I'm not there. Yeah, I would say that they still take inventory. Like, they need to go through that process. They need to. And I think we more or less know, but I think when we do it, it's, you know, we also talk about, like, not only tops and blouses, but, like, medium hanging, long hanging, so that it all just sort of gets incorporated. But like you said shoes, not how many flats, how many heels, how many kitten heels, how many high boots, how many low boots? What do you hang? What do you fold? I think all of those questions, how do you pack? How do you travel? How are suitcases going in there? What about laundry? Where is that?

[Liv Perez]

That's the worst one.

[Lisa Adams]

So I think it's just, you know, all of these questions sort of like, really dissecting how you live, how you want, and then, you know, thinking about all of your storage spaces at one time.

[Liv Perez]

Are there elements right now that somebody could add to their preexisting closet to make it better? Like, I liked earlier, you were like, add a valet hook, for sure. I wish I did that because I'm someone who, like, pulls. I know I should on the inside. I'm someone who, like, pulls looks. Or like, if I'm getting ready for a dinner, I want to have it Hanging. So smart.

[Lisa Adams]

What I think is like my favorite thing, like, especially if you're in, like, a tight wardrobe space or you don't have a lot of space, that's basically your staging area, right? That's your packing. So the valet hooks, I feel like, are so essential. And then just drawer inserts and you don't have to do super, super custom. But, you know, you can go to a California Closets, you know, you can go to Container Store, and then, you know, just sort of build out the inside so that it's organized and that you could see everything in that drawer.

[Liv Perez]

I think people really underestimate how organizing your closet and having a space like this can truly change your every day.

[Lisa Adams]

Life changing, life changing.

[Liv Perez]

How has it helped you?

[Lisa Adams]

Oh, my God. I. You know, I feel like I'm an organized person. So for me, it's just what I do. But it's also. I don't see any other way. But I think for my clients who maybe aren't organized and then they're sort of, you know, we design it and we have a place for everything life changing for them, you know, to be able to. I mean, people cry. People cry because it's, you know, you start and end your day in the closet, and if it's already just cluttered and you don't know what you're wearing the next day, and then you're packing for a trip, like, it's just already sounds so stressful, right? And then you're going to work, but then you're also gonna go work out. So then you have to plan and you have to pack for that day. I think, you know, if it's not. If you don't know where anything is, like, think about how stressful that is, how much time that that takes every morning. So I feel like it's not only empowering, you know, when you think about, like, when you work out or if you have like a little workout area in your closet, how much more motivated you are to go work out. When you could pull out that sports bra or that skirt and you know exactly what you know, and you're excited to wear it, you're excited to plan for the next day. I think it just becomes like a ripple effect.

[Liv Perez]

I get ready 10 times faster when my closet's organized. I know exactly what's there. I know where it is, and I feel confident about what. I clean out my closet every six months.

[Lisa Adams]

I mean, I'm so proud of you.

[Liv Perez]

Thank you.

[Lisa Adams]

And I think, like, that brings up, you know, just sort of what can you do. To organize or, like, when do you do it? And do you just do it once a year? And, you know, I'm a fan of sort of maybe not every day, but just putting plans in place so that you could do it every day. And I think, you know, I do hampers, and I'll do various liners. So you'll have laundry, you have dry cleaning, you'll have tailoring, you'll have. That has a, you know, I'm gonna donate it, but just sort of. You take it out and it doesn't fit. Take action, right? Like, I think we're so used to, oh, my God, and then put it back in, and it's like thinking about it like it's taking up real estate versus just, like, taking action immediately. So, like, once you get in the habit of that, it just really starts to become a habit.

[Liv Perez]

That, to me, is the biggest closet tip.

[Lisa Adams]

Oh, truly, Really.

[Liv Perez]

I think the reason we get our closet so cluttered and full of things that we don't like to wear is because we fill it with things that we don't take action on. So you buy a pair of pants, you just put it back in the closet before you go get it tailored. If you need to go get it tailored, you put something on, you don't really like it, but then you put it back in the closet.

[Lisa Adams]

You put it back in.

[Liv Perez]

I think having a system in your closet, if you are someone who loves fashion and you're buying new things and you're always an active participant in fashion, having these different systems in your closet to say, this is going in the laundry, this needs to go to the dry cleaning or the tailor, this I'm not loving right now. I'm going to consider donating it. If not, it's just going to build up in your closet, right? Genius.

[Lisa Adams]

And even put that system in your laundry, I don't know, somewhere else, it.

[Liv Perez]

Doesn'T need to be in the closet. If you have a small space, it doesn't need to be in your closet. It can be in your laundry. It doesn't have to be this whole display. But I think just knowing where to put things is everything.

[Lisa Adams]

It's everything. And just knowing, like, especially if you're in fashion and you get so many things and just knowing, like, if something comes in, something kind of has to go out. Like, otherwise your closet will just bulge out. But, you know, just. I think once you get sort of addicted to that, once you see their space or me, right? Once you see it edited, I mean, you just don't want to go back. Like, you just know, you know, the whole thing. Like shopping in your closet. I like to say, and why do we love shopping in boutiques? Why do we love that so much? Right? And you think about, it's well lit, it's not cluttered. It's just. It's so, like. It's just so curated. We love it. And, you know, you can do that for yourself.

[Liv Perez]

So I was saying earlier that I clean out my closet once every six months. I get, like, an itch. And it usually happens when I'm coming home from a trip and I'm about to unpack, and I have this gut feeling that I know it's all not gonna fit, and I go crazy. I have a system for cleaning out, which is that I usually take everything out of the one section. I clean the section down because dirt gets. You know, you never know. And then if it's items that I'm wearing, frequently they get to go back. But if it's something I haven't worn in a while, I have to physically put it on, make sure that there are, like, no holes, make sure it doesn't need to be tailored. And then it, like, goes with everything in my closet. And I do that for all of my sections. I'm curious for you. I actually remember the first time I had a friend who's an organizer come over and clean out my closet with me. And I was very resistant. It was the first time I'd really done it with someone else.

[Lisa Adams]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

And I'm curious for you what that experience is. Like, how do you help someone decide what to keep or get rid of?

[Lisa Adams]

You know, it's so funny. Like, I was thinking about that on my way here, and maybe it's also part of what I do. I don't know. Like, I'm pretty small in stature. I think I come in pretty unassuming. So it's like we're in your underwear drawer and suddenly people feel comfortable. And I think that's helpful. Right. Because it's such a personal space. And, you know, you're suddenly talking about underwear and. Or trying something on and somebody's just had a baby or, you know, you're ha. So I think my approach is I ask a lot of questions, and I'm not super, you know, gotta get rid of that. That looks terrible. Because there's so many pieces in the closet that are sentimental value or there's. There's attachment. Right. So I think it's just asking so many questions about it and then ultimately letting them Know that, you know, something does need to go. So it's like, if you haven't worn it, sure, that you need to take action. But I sort of take a delicate approach but still get the job done.

[Liv Perez]

That makes a lot of sense. My personal philosophy is, if I haven't worn it in a year and it's not a specialty item, like a family heirloom, a designer, a vintage piece, it has to go.

[Lisa Adams]

I like that.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah.

[Lisa Adams]

Do you also say you have to make a few outfits with that one piece?

[Liv Perez]

Yes.

[Lisa Adams]

Okay.

[Liv Perez]

That was a big learning lesson for me last year, was I had kept on to a lot of things that weren't working with my closet as a whole. So, like, if I try something on and I'm like, oh, I have to buy a new pair of pants to really make this work.

[Lisa Adams]

Right.

[Liv Perez]

I'll usually be like, okay, let's. Let's give it a new home. If it's too complicated, I feel like filling your closet with things that all work together is another thing that's super important.

[Lisa Adams]

Right. And then you can have a few outliers. But if they're all outliers.

[Liv Perez]

I had the founder of TIBI on the podcast last year, and she brought up such an interesting way of organizing your closet, and I'm really curious to hear your thoughts. So instead of organizing by category, like tops, skirts, jackets, she organized her closet based off of. And she has a whole kind of dictionary for this. One side of her closet is, like, had to haves, like, things that, like, maybe were really trendy that she just had to buy and she wants to keep in her closet forever. Then she has an area of her closet that's like, again, those, like. Like a sequin skirt that she's not wearing every day.

[Lisa Adams]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

And then she has all of her everyday pieces. And so I wonder if you think that there's value in organizing your closet by, like, event, like, what you are going to go do in life for that day.

[Lisa Adams]

So I'll do that also. So it really depends on the person. So I think what you're describing is, like, by function. So we'll have, like.

[Liv Perez]

Thank you. I couldn't speak.

[Lisa Adams]

You'll have, like, formal wear. You'll have athletic. You'll have, you know, whatever that, like, the function is. And if that works for the client, sometimes for them, it's color. Right. Like, it just all the formal. The formals with the casual with the athletic. But it's all by color. Oh, wow.

[Liv Perez]

So, like, starting from the beginning of the closet to the end in A.

[Lisa Adams]

Rainbow or then it's by. So I feel like I'll start with whatever is, like, the most important to the client. Right. And if it's they. They see it as like, event athletic, then I think we start there, and then within that, then I'm organizing by the hanging height, and then I'm organizing by color.

[Liv Perez]

Okay.

[Lisa Adams]

So like, whatever the style, if it's a long sleeve, then I go from there to short sleeve to tank top. But I think having those categories is important, and I think it just depends on, like, the person's lifestyle.

[Liv Perez]

I'm gonna give it a try when I move eventually, because even now, when I open, like, my cabinet that has, like, all my dresses in it, sometimes I'm searching for a day dress, but I have to sift through all the, like, gowns I've bought for weddings to find it. And it can be a little inefficient.

[Lisa Adams]

Right.

[Liv Perez]

So I'm curious. I might try it for my next.

[Lisa Adams]

Closet or like, resort. So then you'll have a resort section, you'll have athletic, you'll have. Yeah, yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Something to think about.

[Lisa Adams]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Are there any for people listening right now who have gone through this clean out process? Right. They've taken things out of their closet. They've gotten it to a point that it feels good. What are some small daily habits that you think are helpful to keeping the closet organized?

[Lisa Adams]

I think, you know, that's kind of creating that system that we talked about. So whether that looks like a hamper bag or if it looks like a basket to you or whatever that is. But I think in order to maintain that, I think you sort of have to be editing sort of daily, you know, so anytime you pull something out, sort of be always thinking, like, should I take action? Does it not fit? And I think that'll also just help. And then, you know, putting away your things at the end of the day, so not being somebody that just throws it on the ground and then, oh, my gosh. Because then within a couple days, your closet's gonna, you know, not be organized anymore. So I think having areas. So I think the valet rod too, like if you're somebody that wears jeans but then, you know, needs to air dry it, then have a place for it so that it's not just thrown on the ground or things that are not shoved. And I think once you have that system, it also promotes you not just wanting to mess it up. So if your drawer already, when you open it, is organized, then you're not. You're sort of not inclined to then shove the shirt back in versus maybe folding it back in.

[Liv Perez]

I will not go to sleep every night unless I've put everything away.

[Lisa Adams]

Oh, my gosh, Me too.

[Liv Perez]

I can't.

[Lisa Adams]

I can't even function in the morning if it's.

[Liv Perez]

It's like leaving dirty dishes in the sink.

[Lisa Adams]

Yeah. Like an unmade bed.

[Liv Perez]

There's just no. I'm such a morning person, and I really value my morning routine. And walking into my closet in the morning and having stuff everywhere is an immediate sign that my day is about to be derailed. I'm just like, don't you. You didn't set yourself up for success.

[Lisa Adams]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly.

[Liv Perez]

What about small spaces? What do you think? What's your best piece of advice for someone who lives in a small space, wants to stay organized? Do you have any things that you love to implement when you're dealing with a smaller space?

[Lisa Adams]

I think with a small space, what I tend to find is that people are not using every single square inch of height and depth in a closet. That it's. Suddenly you're not using the top shelf area. You're not. It's not blown out. It's not floor to ceiling. It's just up to the soffit. You're not, you know, a drawer. It's not utilizing the full depth. So I think especially there where it's like, the real estate is so valuable.

[Liv Perez]

That's me right now.

[Lisa Adams]

Yeah. Is doing that.

[Liv Perez]

I fully. There's a full, like, couple feet that I'm just not utilizing. I know.

[Lisa Adams]

So that could be more hanging. It could be more shelves.

[Liv Perez]

No, like, it's at the top of a cabinet.

[Lisa Adams]

Oh, okay.

[Liv Perez]

My wedding dress is up there right now, but we could use some other. I'm thinking about putting bags up there, but I have that exact same issue. It's not a small space, but I have cabinets where I'm not utilizing those couple inches up on top.

[Lisa Adams]

And I think that's a lot of people where it's like, oh, I don't. I don't. They can't even visualize. They don't know what that could be for. But it's when you've got tight quarters. Like, think about that. That's probably 25% of your closet that you're not using.

[Liv Perez]

So what do you recommend? Because right now, for some of my cabinets above, I have, like, white linen boxes that have, like, ski stuff or things that are seasonal.

[Lisa Adams]

I think that's great. I mean, that's even better than just nothing. Right.

[Liv Perez]

And I'm Sure. People could put bags up there.

[Lisa Adams]

You could put bags. You could do shelves. You know, sometimes, like, I see where you could add an additional rod, but I think people think that that's so daunting that, you know, they couldn't. But that's like another row of hanging.

[Liv Perez]

Wow.

[Lisa Adams]

And then just maybe pull out shelves. So, you know, that's something where cabinet maker could do a contractor friend, you know, if you don't want to hire a closet designer. But I feel like, you know, there's ways to improve and I think not as expensive as people might sort of think, but just like, sort of simple ways. But beyond that, I think, you know, I love a boot tree. I love a purse pillow.

[Liv Perez]

I love a boot tree.

[Lisa Adams]

Drawer insert. Yeah. So I think those are just ways, easy ways to sort of build out the drawer. So even if you've got a deep drawer, let's do dividers in that so that you can utilize the full height of that drawer if that's what you've been given.

[Liv Perez]

Actually, my husband's closet in this house is small. Sorry. I took all the space, but he doesn't need it. But when we moved in here, I think the Container Store actually has a program, and he has, like, a traditional, like, sliding door, maybe. I think, like three different row closet. And we actually went on there and designed a whole function, like an insert, basically.

[Lisa Adams]

Right.

[Liv Perez]

Based on the clothes that he has. That would work well for that space. Great. It works really well. And he was able to fit everything perfectly. And I liked that we were able to customize it for what he had. So they had us count the shoes, and they had us like, do we want drawers? Do we want hanging shelves? It was a really, really great function. And if I was living in New York like I used to, I would 100% be using that. Yeah.

[Lisa Adams]

I mean, so it's that it starts with those questions, right. Where your inventory, like, what do you have?

[Liv Perez]

Yep.

[Lisa Adams]

And I think the more people that do that, that start the process, and then it's. It's just an education. Right. You. You then see, like, what that organized living looks like, and then you just get kind of addicted.

[Liv Perez]

Are there any, like, non negotiables for a closet? I know you said inserts earlier, but I'm curious for people listening who are, you know, wondering how to store bags and shoes in a way that keeps them looking good and doesn't keep them smushed.

[Lisa Adams]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

What are some, like, closet non negotiables for you?

[Lisa Adams]

For me, beyond just the things I think it's just being able to see everything. So I. I start with the design first, right where I look at it. And it's like you have to be able to see everything. If it doesn't, you. You need to make that drawer smaller. You need to figure out inserts within it. But then, you know, beyond that, some of the non negotiables are just taking care of the things. And so for me, that's boot trees. It's, you know, having inserts in them so that it stays, it's maintained, it's standing straight. Purses, if you don't have the luxury of space, you might not be able to front face them. You might have to do this way. And then just again, like, I think the inventory is so important because bags come in all sizes, wallets come in all sizes. And so a wallet might not need the same size as a, you know, space as a bag. So then creating sort of smaller drawers for wallets and accessories and things like that. But I like to do the purse pillows. And then it also, you can kind of dust it. You know, you can then use it as a stuffer. And then I think two shoes. Like, it depends on, you know, I think taking care of your shoes, which we kind of talked about.

[Liv Perez]

We talked about my momo. It's so funny. She walked in in the amazing Chanel ballet flats, and I have them as well, and hers are, like, in pristine condition. And mine are so beat up. I think when I got them, I loved them so much, I maybe wore them to death.

[Lisa Adams]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

But my mom growing up would always say to me, you're so hard on your shoes. And I don't know what that means, Mom. I think she means that maybe I, like, scuff my feet or I'm just. Maybe I'm not so happy, not graceful.

[Lisa Adams]

You're just skipping along.

[Liv Perez]

I guess. So. Like, I don't really know what that means, but it is true. When I look at the difference in our ballet flats, like, mine are really scuffed up. And so asking selfishly for advice here, like, what are you doing in your closet? But then also, as someone who travels a lot, how are you packing your shoes so that they don't get messed up when you travel?

[Lisa Adams]

I'm using those shoes, bags.

[Liv Perez]

But are you stuffing the shoe, too?

[Lisa Adams]

I am stuffing the shoe.

[Liv Perez]

Stuffing a heel.

[Lisa Adams]

And I'm stuffing the bags, too, because there's nothing worse. I ruined a bag.

[Liv Perez]

Me too.

[Lisa Adams]

That I didn't stuff.

[Liv Perez]

Me too.

[Lisa Adams]

And it just wasn't. It's the right shape. It Turned out it's another bag.

[Liv Perez]

It never came back again.

[Lisa Adams]

It never came back again.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah.

[Lisa Adams]

And I'm scared of it.

[Liv Perez]

Six hours, guys.

[Lisa Adams]

Scared of it.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah.

[Lisa Adams]

But even just at home, like, I wear my shoes, and I come back and I sort of clean it before it goes in. So it's. It's almost part of that process of, you know, not only are you folding your things back in, are you taking action? Like, is that going to the dry cleaners, but just cleaning the bottom of it before I put it on, you know, the shoe shelves. So that's my way of maintaining.

[Liv Perez]

Okay, noted. Absolutely noted. Yeah. I need to get better at taking care of my shoes.

[Lisa Adams]

Are you the type of person that just. No matter how expensive or how formal or, you know, how people save China and they're like, yes, that we can. We can only use it for that one time ever. Right. Versus using your china for every day or, like, if friends come over. Are you that way with clothes?

[Liv Perez]

No. Oh, I'm not precious with my clothes. I want to wear it wet. I wear it whenever I like.

[Lisa Adams]

If it's a nice, special thing, you wear it, you high, low it or whatever.

[Liv Perez]

Oh, yeah, all the time. And I think this is another thing I got from my mom. Like, clothes are meant to be worn and enjoyed, and I really get a lot of use out of all the things in my closet.

[Lisa Adams]

You know, my. My alterations person, like, gave me the best advice. And, you know, there was somebody in front of me, and she was trying on black after black after black after black. Right. And. And I'm somebody that also probably like you. I like color. I like. You know, it just depends on the day. It depends on the event. So I might be in, you know, a color. Black. I saw black, black, black. And I went, wow, I think I wear too much color. Like, there's something to that. And so when she left, I said, do you think I am too colorful? And she goes, oh, my God, how boring is that? Black, black. That's all the same. The same. And she said, it closes. You're meant to have fun.

[Liv Perez]

You're meant to wear what you have. Yes.

[Lisa Adams]

And I left there going, yes, I.

[Liv Perez]

Think clothes are meant to be worn. You're meant to have fun with them. They're not meant to sit in the glass box, and they're not meant to sit in the shoe box collecting dust. Like, obviously, there are certain things that, you know, I'll keep forever. Like, my wedding dress is gonna sit in the box until someone wants to use it. But the other Things. I really am a big believer that clothes can bring you so much joy in life. And so I'm reaching for them. I'm putting them on all the time. I'm not just keeping them for the special occasions.

[Lisa Adams]

Yeah. Because that comes up, too. Like, people have bags that are in dust bags. It. Boxes behind doors. Why? And you know, they're like, well, what about the dust? And that comes up. And to me, my philosophy is like, the dust, Right. Like, then we can do doors. There are things. But if you don't even see it, you're not going to wear it. You're not going to enjoy it.

[Liv Perez]

You're not.

[Lisa Adams]

Right.

[Liv Perez]

Never.

[Lisa Adams]

So I'm sort of proponent of sort of getting things out so that you can enjoy it, use it, wear it. So if you don't see it, then I think, you know, I think that's really important. Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

I'm thinking about my own closet and the things that I just don't see. Even the way my bags are organized right now, if you don't see it, you're just not even going to think about it. Out of sight, out of mind.

[Lisa Adams]

Yeah, yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Out of sight, out of mind.

[Lisa Adams]

And then, like, it's just, if you don't see it, you don't wear it. And I think. Right, you're right. Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah.

[Lisa Adams]

And 100%. I just encourage my clients to sort of use it where it. So just like your philosophy. Right. See it and enjoy it. Have it go in the rotation, because you can think about it. Right. You see it.

[Liv Perez]

Life is meant to be lived.

[Lisa Adams]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Wear the dress, wear the heels, do it all. I would love to hear a little bit about any innovations that you're really excited about in the space right now. If there's something new that you're feeling is going to change the way we work in closets.

[Lisa Adams]

Oh, my God, hear this. I'm so excited for technology.

[Liv Perez]

Okay.

[Lisa Adams]

I'm so excited to install smart mirrors in closets. So think Clueless. Think about all your inventory in the.

[Liv Perez]

Is this a real thing?

[Lisa Adams]

This is a real thing.

[Liv Perez]

Okay.

[Lisa Adams]

This is.

[Liv Perez]

You're.

[Lisa Adams]

You're getting it firsthand here.

[Liv Perez]

Okay.

[Lisa Adams]

I'm so excited because I feel like the time is now.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah, Right.

[Lisa Adams]

Clueless came out 30 years ago.

[Liv Perez]

Yes.

[Lisa Adams]

And I've just tried over the years, and it's. It's like I'm trying to send somebody to the moon. It's been very difficult, but I've sort of figured out the technology.

[Liv Perez]

Okay.

[Lisa Adams]

And I think I want to install these in closets to make the Dressing process more fun, to make it easier to streamline it, to be more efficient in the morning. And just as a way like you, how you see everything that you have.

[Liv Perez]

So tell me a little bit more about this. Is it a mirror that holds your inventory? Because the first thing that's kind of coming to mind right now is utilizing AI and ChatGPT to be like, hey, I have these jeans on and I wanna wear this top. But it's not looking so good. Could you recommend maybe something else?

[Lisa Adams]

Absolutely. So it's that. So it's apps in there with AI. So I've also been installing sort of Josh AI. So, you know, I think there's lighting in the closet, but what about sound in the closet? What about speakers? What about invisible speakers in the closet? So just really kind of dialing up the experience part of the closet. So if you're in there, if you're dressing, if you've got a glam team, if you've got friends over, it's just another layer of that. But I think the smart mirror portion, like, I just want to make that process easier for people. I want to make it more fun. I want, you know, hey, I'm going to Hawaii. It's 70 degrees there. What should I wear? And then it just sort of pull up.

[Liv Perez]

Looks genius.

[Lisa Adams]

My God, genius. You'll be the first to.

[Liv Perez]

That is so cool. And I think so needed.

[Lisa Adams]

So needed.

[Liv Perez]

I just, you know, even now I wake up in the morning and if I don't have an idea for the day, I'm scrolling Pinterest. It's like, how can we make that part of our homes every day?

[Lisa Adams]

Because technology has really come so far in so many aspects of our life. Right. But how can we incorporate that into closets? How can we make it more fun or more exper. You know, just.

[Liv Perez]

Wow. I mean, you've done some pretty incredible closets. In my research, I heard that you did a three story closet once.

[Lisa Adams]

I did.

[Liv Perez]

In Bel Air.

[Lisa Adams]

In Bel Air.

[Liv Perez]

Tell me what was on the three floors?

[Lisa Adams]

Take a guess. What do you think?

[Liv Perez]

What's on the.

[Lisa Adams]

How did she organize this? How did I design it?

[Liv Perez]

So is the. Oh, now I'm scared. Is the ground floor the floor that you would go out to the world into the first.

[Lisa Adams]

So above it is where you go out into the world.

[Liv Perez]

Okay. So I would make that floor shoes.

[Lisa Adams]

Oh, okay.

[Liv Perez]

Oh, shit. Okay.

[Lisa Adams]

You're thinking Neiman Marcus here?

[Liv Perez]

Yeah. You have three stories. Yeah, yeah. It's a store at that point. No.

[Lisa Adams]

Yeah. And that's sort of what we had in mind or no.

[Liv Perez]

I would maybe do outerwear.

[Lisa Adams]

Mm.

[Liv Perez]

On that floor. I would do whatever that person is picking up last.

[Lisa Adams]

Okay, almost. That makes sense.

[Liv Perez]

On the floor.

[Lisa Adams]

Yep.

[Liv Perez]

I failed this test. She's giving me the face. Tell me how you did it.

[Lisa Adams]

We did formal on the top floor.

[Liv Perez]

Yes, that makes sense.

[Lisa Adams]

Right. And then the, the main floor the second, we did casual, so everyday. We called it everyday.

[Liv Perez]

The everyday floor.

[Lisa Adams]

And then below was seasonal and a safe room, jewelry, things like that.

[Liv Perez]

Okay. I love that you like that. Yeah.

[Lisa Adams]

So, you know, that worked for the client, but you know, I kept thinking like, this is Neiman Marcus.

[Liv Perez]

Oh, my God. This is the store.

[Lisa Adams]

It's the store.

[Liv Perez]

Wow. Three stories. Sounds incredible. Was there like a couch on every story?

[Lisa Adams]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Elevator, everything. Oh. So we're talking like a huge space here.

[Lisa Adams]

Huge space. Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

I'm aligned with you.

[Lisa Adams]

You're aligned?

[Liv Perez]

I'm aligned. Because if it's huge space like that, I don't want to walk through all the floors to get ready. I want my first floor.

[Lisa Adams]

Yeah. So like it made sense that that was everyday.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah.

[Lisa Adams]

So you had everyday shoes and bags. So every floor, so formal, you had shoes and bags up there. But it was like the formal shoes and formal bags.

[Liv Perez]

Was the elevator designed?

[Lisa Adams]

You mean custom designed?

[Liv Perez]

Was it like pretty on the inside? Yeah, yeah, of course. Like if you go in the Tory Burch store now, there's like a chair in the elevator and there's like wallpaper and like beautiful stone floors. I'm very here for the dressed up elevators. Yeah, I want to sit on the elevator ride. Yeah.

[Lisa Adams]

So that was a project that started pretty early on in my career and I was like, oh my God, am I going to have another one like that? It was just bananas. But, you know, so since then it's, you know, I've got projects in the Middle east and there it's. I have the luxury of space and it's become multi rooms. So not necessarily building, you know, three story, but it's like six rooms as part of her dressing area. So think hair. Right.

[Liv Perez]

So like a salon, you had a glam room.

[Lisa Adams]

You have the glam. You had the jewelry room, you had a packing room. So all the suitcases were all in there. Wow. You had the everyday.

[Liv Perez]

I love a packing room, by the way. Like, if I had all the money in the world, I'd have like an entertaining room in my house that just held all the entertaining stuff. Stuff for kids, birthdays, thank you cards, thank you gifts, A packing room where just the suitcases live. Yeah.

[Lisa Adams]

I mean, when it has its dedicated area, it's so satisfying and. Right. My humble house. It's like, I've got storage cabinets sort of in the kitchen area, but, you know, I'm not somebody that cooks a lot, so it just like, again, it depends on the person. Right.

[Liv Perez]

Life is less overwhelming that way.

[Lisa Adams]

It is, yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah, I agree. Okay, what's on the bucket list? You've done six room closets. What else do you want to do?

[Lisa Adams]

Well, we've talked about how I love sports.

[Liv Perez]

You've done a golf closet.

[Lisa Adams]

I've done a golf club with a putting green. And I've done basketball. Yeah. I've done basketball club. I love. I, you know, I feel like we live in la. Celebrities are. Right. I, of course, like, they're like anyone else, but I think I go goo goo over professional athletes because I love sports so much. So I think, I don't know, probably LeBron James, like, if I could do his closet, that would be great. And then probably on that list, maybe a royal closet. What would that be like? Wow. Right? So that. That feels bucket list, because a royal.

[Liv Perez]

Closet to me is like, that's also a gallery. That's what's also showing architects. Yeah. You're showing important pieces of history, and.

[Lisa Adams]

I think that would just. I would. Oh, my God.

[Liv Perez]

Yeah.

[Lisa Adams]

Yeah.

[Liv Perez]

Oh, my God. Thank you so much for coming on the show.

[Lisa Adams]

You're so welcome. Thank you so much.

[Liv Perez]

This really scratched my favorite itch of all time. I loved talking to you about this and also hearing about the innovation in the space is very cool and exciting, and I cannot wait to see that one day.

[Lisa Adams]

Thank.