Inside HGTV’s “Million Dollar Closets”

On television, events occur seamlessly in a short matter of time. But, as you probably guessed, there’s a lot that happens outside of this vacuum-sealed world. For example, CEO Lisa Adams’ debut on HGTV’s “Million Dollar Closets” went off without a hitch. In under an hour, she assisted Kylie and Kendall Jenner plus their mom-ager Kris and fashion designer Whitney Port. In reality, the process was much longer.

“Custom closets take time,” Lisa says. From start to finish, the projects took 16 weeks — three to four weeks to finalize the design; 11-12 weeks to build and fabricate; and one to two weeks to install, organize and style the final closet. Luckily for Lisa, the process was simple.

“I had a great time working with Kris,” Lisa says of the Kardashian matriarch. “She sees the value in organization and designing a closet. She also values the closet space as sees it as a ‘living space,’ which is in line with my design philosophy.”

If you noticed, the shape of Kendall’s closet was unique. So, the challenge was opening up a rather narrow closet. For Lisa, this meant having to eliminate the vertical divider panels and create closets customized to the trapezoidal shape. By playing with angles, Lisa was able to make Kendall’s shelves look purposeful.

As for Kylie, Lisa installed a mirrored back panel at the end of the closet. This made the space look elongated rather than stunted. But this approach was unique for Kylie as Whitney Port needed a functional closet in the home she’s renting. Because of these circumstances, Lisa approached Whitney’s closet a little differently.

“We couldn’t break walls, so I was limited to some cosmetic changes that would transform her closet from ordinary to luxurious,” says Lisa, who added crown molding, changed drawer knobs, added a chandelier, took some cabinets to the ceiling to maximize the space, added glass dividers for her purses and much more. These are all simple and relatively inexpensive touches that most people can do to their own closets to take it up a notch, she says.

Lisa also recommends keeping your purses out of their dust bags! “Purses are usually difficult to organize because there is usually not enough space for them, and they are crammed on shelves,” she says. “But by keeping them in their dust bags, most people don’t even know or remember the purses they own.” Instead, Lisa usually opts for a customized purse display. She designs glass shelves (easy to clean) and doors to showcase each purse. This requires measuring the dimensions of the purses and noting their style (tote v. clutch v. chained purse). It’s a tedious task, but in the end, it’s like shopping in your own closet!

If you didn’t catch the premiere, set your DVRs and tune in to HGTV on June 12 at 11/10c for the repeat!

The New Lap of Luxury

Now, you can take the comfort and style of your closet to your car with Bentley Motors’ latest sport-utility vehicle. The Wall Street Journal reported the British luxury carmaker would offer silk wool blends, handcrafted wood and diamond-quilted leather seats in their vehicles. No price has been set yet, but it is estimated to retail for upwards of $180,000.

Photo from Forbes.com

The SUV prototype, unveiled during the Geneva Auto Show earlier this month, takes the luxury car industry to a new level. The Bentley enters a higher realm of top-of-the-line automobile experiences, it will compete against Italian rivals Maserati and Lamborghini (the latter is expected to debut its high-end SUV next month at the Beijing Auto Show).

Bentley’s celebrity clientele include Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian among many others, though the luxury car brand is no longer just targeting upper-crust billionaires. Now, soccer moms have a stylish way to shuttle their kids.

In addition to new luxury fabrics, the 12-cylinder SUV also features a picnic set with silver cutlery and Lalique crystal. While the average person probably won’t need fine china at the soccer team’s potluck, this SUV offers the option of true domesticity over other high-end speedsters.

Elevated seating and safety are just two benefits of driving any SUV, but the latest from Bentley offers discerning mothers the speed of their sports car with the silver lining from their state-of-the-art closets.

Luxury on a Budget

Bethenny Frankel emerged from Bravo’s the Real Housewives of New York City as a bona fide business woman and celebrity. She started Skinnygirl Cocktails and sold it to Beam, Inc., for an estimated $100 million. She is still closely involved with the brand, which started offering margarita mix last year and will expand with wine and vodka. The mother of 21-month-old Bryn was also featured in a television spot for Bluefly last year and recently announced she will be on her own talk-show produced by Ellen DeGeneres.

Thanks to ELLE, we saw a few treasured pieces from Frankel’s closet and despite all her fame and wealth, Frankel is proud to be a money-conscious shopper.

“I wouldn’t call myself a huge fashion person. I have some good pieces, but I don’t need them to be very current—and I buy them all on sale,” Frankel said. “Every single thing in that closet has been bought on sale either online or on eBay.”

In particular, we liked the commemorative Alexander McQueen clutch she purchased after the designer passed away. Surprisingly, she found it and many other designer items on eBay.

(Photo from ELLE)

Other photos in the ELLE slideshow display items such as a drawing of baby Bryn and ball gowns by Oscar de la Renta and Zac Posen. Although ELLE didn’t get a peek into Frankel’s actual closet, we did spot the gowns and other dresses hanging from slim no-slip hangers. These are great space savers that won’t stretch out your thinnest clothes. We carry similar slim line velvet hangers in our online boutique.

We love Frankel’s ambition and drive. But we love her sensible style even more.