How We Transformed This Pre-War NYC Closet

“It’s impossible... It’s deep, it’s dark, we can’t reach anything in the back or up high… there’s got to be a better way.”

If you’ve ever stood in front of a pre-war NYC closet and thought the exact same thing as my client, it’s because these closets are in their own category. Beautiful buildings, yes… with impossible storage.

This particular one was everything my client described — narrow, deep, and dark.

The battery light installed overhead was out, and once things started piling up at the front, even reaching it became one more obstacle to climb.

And once you can’t see what you own, you don’t just stop using the space. You start dreading it.

Pre-war buildings have some of the most incredible architecture, and for an organizer, the ceiling height is one of the best parts. In many of these apartments, the ceilings are so generous you can almost build a second closet above the first.

So that’s exactly what we did.

The design utilized the back and left wall only, so you could still walk in without feeling restricted.  We incorporated an L-shape overhead storage zone you could walk under for off-season holiday items and mementos, and a traditional closet below for everyday use.

We also added plenty of hooks at varying heights for dry cleaning, styling outfits, and all the in-between pieces that need somewhere to land besides the floor.

Everyone always wants to know the “secret” to designing a closet. But the truth is every closet has its own constraints, quirks, and life happening around it.

This one didn’t need two rows for hanging clothes. It needed intentional seasonal storage that wasn’t clogging up the everyday, and a dedicated toy purgatory zone.

We left an entire shelf intentionally empty for toys to be temporarily “retired”, because sometimes you simply cannot hear one more song from your toddler’s pink guitar at 6am.

And what’s the point of a beautiful closet if it can’t keep up with your actual life?

These are photos of the exact same closet after install and organization.

Of course, the very first thing we did after install was replace those batteries so it could really shine. 💡

No more fighting darkness. You can actually step in to grab something. And the items up top finally have a clear place to live during the off-season.

But don’t take it from me:

“I can’t recommend Laura and her team more highly — their work has changed my life and improved my family’s day-to-day tenfold. We went from feeling like we definitely needed to find a place with more space to feeling we are comfortably able to stay in our home for years to come.”

If you have a closet or any space that you keep wondering why it can’t just… work… you can learn more about our closet design services here!

Every impossible closet has a solution. And they’re my very favorite nuts to crack.

P.S. For those curious about the timeline: this closet was measured in a couple of hours, followed by a two week design phase off-site. Demo and installation were completed in a single day, and the organization was finished the following day.