Blog Posts by House Beautiful Magazine

Having worked with celebrity clients such as Eddie Murphy, Jewel, and Derek Fisher, Lisa Adams, the founder of LA Closet Design, knows a thing or two about creating a beautiful, well-organized closet. We asked her to share her best design tips - and to share a peek at her latest project for HGTV's Million Dollar Closets: making over the closets of Kris and Kendall Jenner.



Kendall Jenner's closet.1. Invest in High-Quality Shelves
You're storing items everyday, so it makes sense to have cabinets that are strong and attractive. "The sturdier the panels, the more luxurious your closet will appear," says Adams.

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The finished closet.2. Bring Shelves Up to the Ceiling
It sounds like a no-brainer, but many cabinets stop short of the ceiling - losing valuable storage space. "Extending cabinets to the ceiling, like I did in Kendall's closet, makes the space feel bigger," says Adams. It's a visual trick because it helps draws the eye upwards.






Kris's closet.
3. Don't Forget to Decorate
"Your closet has the

Need a quick revamp? Designers share their easy home updates and decorating ideas for spicing up your rooms.

candy jar


1. Put Out Fun Candy

"Colored candy in a glass bowl instantly invites people into a room." -Amanda Nisbet




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2. Snuff Out Candle-Style Lightbulbs

"Create a more modern mood by using clear, round bulbs instead of the traditional candle-style bulbs in your chandeliers." -Angie Hranowsky

















3. Create a Border

"If you live in a ho-hum space without any architectural details like crown moldings or substantial baseboards, do what I did: Apply a 1" tape to the perimeter of your ceiling to draw your eye upward - you can buy inexpensive masking tape in an art supply store, in an array of colors. Inset the tape 1" to 1½" away from the wall. Be sure to follow any natural turns that result from soffits or columns. The result is a crisp, clean outline that adds height and defines the space." -Jonathan Rosen



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4.

From a retro Southern look to classic French style, these five films have cinema style worth stealing.

kitchen with stone island


















1. It's Complicated

Since Something's Gotta Give, director Nancy Meyers's films have become celebrated for their gorgeous kitchens. In her most recent film, It's Complicated, the at-home California kitchen of successful bakery owner Jane Adler (Meryl Streep) manages to feel both chef-like and comfortable. It features open shelves displaying monochrome dishware, a pair of industrial-style lighting fixtures above a marble-topped island, and a sunny window shelf with fresh potted herbs.

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2. Father of the Bride
Starring Diane Keaton as Nina Banks and Steve Martin as George Banks in a remake of this classic film, the couple's traditional Colonial home was a hit with design-minded viewers. The kitchen features Windsor chairs around a farm-style table, butcher-block countertops, and glass-fronted upper cabinets. Beyond the table, a pot rack hangs

From wallpapering a window shade to reupholstering furniture with old curtains, these fast and easy makeover tips make a big difference.



1. Display a Great Collection on a Dining Room Table
In the living room of an Atlanta house by designer Beth Webb, an elm plank table from Clubcu, which often doubles as a dining table, dramatically displays a collection of Chinese porcelains. "The pieces don't have to match, but they do have to play together well," Webb says.

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2. Hang an Interior Curtain
In the kitchen of the same Atlanta house, a linen curtain runs on a track spanning the room and can be pulled "to conceal the mess of preparation," Webb says. Steel-and-glass casements frame views of the pool and garden. KWC Gastro faucet.


See More: Beautiful Designer Kitchens






3. Mix and Match Your Bedding
"We call this 'the sailor room,' because we went all out with the nautical theme," designer Ken Fulk says of a bedroom in his Massachusetts vacation house. "The

These kitchen designers have seen it all, from stainless-steel overload to poor-quality cabinetry. Here they share what not to do when remodeling.

Barn Kitchen1. Being Boring
"The best kitchens have a soul or a spirit that's warm, inviting, and personal," designer Mick De Giulio says. "Every project is a chance to do something new and creative. It's not just about the cabinets and countertops - the whole room has to sing." Adhering to that principle, he updated an Illinois kitchen in a former barn by keeping the architecture of the horse stalls, adding a tongue-in-cheek stovepipe to the range, and installing a pot rack that resemble a wagon wheel.

See More: 101 Easy Home Makeover Ideas

White Kitchen
2. Cabinets That Fall Short of the Ceiling
"They collect dust and un-needed accessories," designer Joan Schindler says. In this Connecticut kitchen, cabinets are full height and create the maximum amount of storage, while glass fronts keeps the space feeling airy. The panes are restoration glass, which is uneven.

Get your measurements right: here's a handy guide to home measurements that's worth printing and saving.

Measurements

1. Dining Room Table
A 36-inch-wide rectangular table is perfect for conversation. A round table with a diameter of 48 inches seats six; a 60-inch round will handle eight standard dining chairs or 10 ballroom chairs.

2. Light Fixtures
How big should an overhead light fixture be? Just add the length and width of the room in feet, and whatever number you come up with is, in inches, your guide for the fixture's diameter. So a 15-by-20-foot room would need a 35-inch-wide chandelier.


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3. Paint Coverage
One gallon of paint will cover about 400 square feet of wall.

4. Curtain Height
Mount curtains as high as possible to give the room more height, and let them break 1½ inches on the floor.


5. Kitchen Island
A kitchen island should be about 38 inches high-a little taller than the countertops-to be comfortable for prep.

Plus: 20 Decorating Secrets

6.

Want to know how a professional pulls a place together? We asked ten top decorators to reveal their best tips.

dining room1. In a Small Space, Try Large Furniture
A seven-foot-wide foxed-glass mirror was made to open up the space in the dining area of this Alabama town house by designer Susan Ferrier. "A few very, very large-scale pieces make a room appear bigger. It's kind of counterintuitive, but it works," she says. Its dramatic scale is in perfect proportion with the Flemish wood and iron chandelier from Beckett Antiques.

See more: Designer Living Rooms







living room2. Avoid Saggy Pillows with the Right Size Insert
A variety of colorful, plump pillows sits on the sofa in the family room of this colorful North Carolina house
by designer Lindsey Coral Harper. Her trick? "When making custom pillows, use a stuffer/pillow insert that is 2" larger all around than your finished pillow size. For example, if you want a 22" square pillow, use a 24" square insert," she says. Natural Curiosities print by Paule.



dining chair

The color mint is popping up everywhere, from the runway to interiors. Here's a look at nine chic living spaces in the season's top color trend.


Mint Living Room















1. Mint Living Room
To bring a feeling of nature into a New York living room, designer Fawn Galli used a custom minty green: "I don't think a color should be too saturated or strong on a wall." Pal + Smith chairs in a cheetah print-Safari by Manuel Canovas - with a Paley sofa from Profiles, a Fiona Curran Palette carpet for the Rug Company, and a painting by Anne Siems give the room "a sense of storybook fantasy."


See More: 55 Living Rooms You'll Love


Mint Makeover














2. Mint Makeover
Designer Kathryn Ireland brought bright color and a relaxed atmosphere to this 1928 Spanish-style cottage, giving the kitchen a mint makeover. Folding windows open the kitchen up to the patio. Pendant lights from Liz's Antique Hardware. Custom tiles from Mission Tile West.



See More: 11 Essential Organizing Tips for Small Spaces


Traditional Green Bedroom



















3. Traditional Green Bedroom
In the master