FreeThink: a blog published by Maxwell PR
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Getting Comfy in the Closet

How does a small walk-in closet become a functional and fashionable home office? The organization experts at Storables had the answers for Portland's own celebrity chefs Caprial and John Pence.

When we first approached Caprial and John about collaborating with Storables for a makeover story in the Oregonian's Home & Garden section, we thought immediately - kitchen pantry! What we didn't take into account is that this pair cooks with so many fresh ingredients, their pantry was not much more than a drawer with flour and sugar.

That's when Caprial broke the news. In lieu of a home office, she and John had been writing cookbooks, developing menus and creating recipes holed up in a converted closet in the front of their otherwise beautifully designed home. At first we couldn't imagine the space Caprial described, a four foot by five foot closet with things, literally, falling on their heads as they worked at the computer and researched recipes.

But it was true.

Fortunately, Storables was up for the challenge. Armed with a vision, loads of Storables' maple shelving, wire mesh and red rattan file boxes, bins, organizers, a couple cans of paint from the basement, and an incredible cherry coffee cake (compliments of Caprial,) Storables literally transformed a dingy closet into a comfy, inspirational and organized home office.

The experts from Storables worked their magic. They moved the computer and work surface out from under the tall rows of shelves for a more open (and less precarious) feeling, and installed new shelving on two walls. Caprial and John's collection of culinary magazines and resources, cookbooks, cd's and office equipment was organized on the shelves so that the things they use everyday are close at hand, the resources they access rarely are out of the way and the clutter they don't need was thrown away or recycled.

We got a few photos of our own, but the Oregonian's Lori Mendoza and photographer Marv Bondarowicz were also on hand to document both the before and after.

With Storables' help, Caprial and John can now continue to write their impressive cookbooks and create delicious recipes -- truly in the comfort of their own home.

And after seeing what a difference the Storables makeover made, the very next weekend I took the doors off our guest room closet, painted the inside walls in colors to complement the room, installed shelves and a desk from Storables and VOILA! Inspired by Storables' unveiling of the organized and improved Pence home office, I have a foxy new closet office too!

--Erica Erland

posted on August 11, 2005


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