Tracking Closet Trends With Joanna Harig

Today I’m chatting with my closet guru, Joanna Harig of California Closets. For more than 9 years Joanna has trained every design consultant for California Closets for the North Chicago and Milwaukee franchise, and she really knows her stuff.  There are a lot of parallels between the new colors and textures she is working with and what we are doing.  Here’s what she had to say about current trends:

Susan: Give us the scoop about closet colors.

Joanna: We’re doing a lot of very earthy tones: Adriatic mist has a lot of gray in it. Cashmere is another fashion gray and we have a warm brown color called Amaretto.

A Deluxe Man Cave-Photo Courtesy of California Closets

Traditional Media Center-Photo Courtesy of California Closets

Susan: What’s happening with texture? 

Joanna: That’s getting very organic, too. We’re offering a lot of faux wood grain in melamine as well as eco-resins from nature for inserts and backing, and we have deeper textures too, such as Pietra, which looks like weathered barn siding. It has a lot of grain and character. Other deep textured materials include Cassini Beach, a sand-colored wood, and then there's the Corsican Weave and Linen materials, which mimic herring-bone and linen fabrics. Perfect for executive closets!

Media Center with Detail-Photo Courtesy of California Closets

Entertainment Unit-Photo Courtesy of California Closets

Susan: I like the way you mix colors and textures, too.

Joanna: Yes, we wouldn’t do an entire closet in a Corsican weave, it would be overwhelming. But we would incorporate it into the drawer and door faces or into the backing with a different texture for everything else.

Luxe Walk-in Closet-Photo Courtesy of California Closets

Susan: Leather is so popular in fashion and home décor now. How about for closets?

Joanna: We’re doing leather-wrapped poles and shelves. We have panels made of recycled black or brown belts! The company shops at resale shops and repurposes them. It’s a great, upscale look, particularly for a man-cave.

Under-stair Mudroom-Photo Courtesy of California Closets

Susan: Why so much attention to closets?

Joanna: In today’s fast-paced world people are spending more time in their closets than they might in their dining rooms! They want a space that feels like it is designed with their personality in mind.

Perfect Luxe-Walk-in closet-Photo Courtesy of California Closets