Every item is in plain view.

Ideas for Organization

A tiny, little-used bedroom became the perfect spot for this spacious dressing room retreat. The secret here is that there are no secrets: Virtually everything -- shoes and handbags arrayed on high-rising shelves, sweaters stacked on lower shelves, and skirts and blouses hanging from rods -- is in plain view. This lets you quickly and easily assemble all the clothes and accessories you're looking for.

The former bedroom gets lots of natural light, thanks to two sets of French doors and a vaulted ceiling. In the center, a mirror-topped island provides a sleek surface for holding perfumes and accessories.

Rest on the ottoman while
slipping on your shoes.

The dressing room features 12 feet of new double-tier hanging space on one side of the room, supplemented by space in the old bedroom closets along the back wall. Removing the doors from those closets tied the two walls together and kept all of the clothes accessible. "If we'd had to cover it up with doors, the design wouldn't have worked nearly as well," says designer Anne Kaplan.

A favorite old ottoman, located just behind the peninsula, serves as a spot to sit down and slip on shoes and socks.

Folded clothes stay neat.

Stacked on open shelves under the peninsula, sweaters and other folded clothes are easy to grab.

Compartments for small items.

Compartmentalized drawers on the other side of the peninsula organize jewelry and other accessories.

Places for shoes, mittens and more.

Adjustable shelving, used throughout the closet design, offers flexible storage. Next to the shoes are a few baskets that hold scarves, mittens, and other miscellaneous items.