Have you thought about your coat closet lately? As you are reading this, what is the current state of your coat closet? You may even be drawing a blank, so let me remind you what the coat closet is. Its typically that small closet in or near the foyer or hall to your main living area. Its purpose is to store larger coats that you can grab on your way out of the house. More importantly, its also there to house guest's coats, jackets and sweaters when you host an evening of any sort.

To me, a small coat closet has the potential to be a real jewel box. It can be a bit of a surprise and serve as a pick me up each time you or a guest opens the coat closet in the foyer. Since its closed off, you can be wild with color, texture and pattern. You have the freedom to depart from your home's established design, or stick to the established design and be liberal with a lot of strong design elements in one place. Also, coat closets are tiny compared to other rooms in the home- so it doesn't really take much to punch it up.

Here are my guidelines for a smashing coat closet:

-The coat closet is an etiquette. Not only is it for your coats, but those of guest's when they arrive. This means keep it clear of other household junk! Leave room for your guest's stuff.

-Invest in two dozen quality hangers. Wood hangers not only look nice, but they are sturdy enough to properly hang a heavy coat or jacket. Toss the plastic. Use the wood. Be sure to leave plenty of empty hangers for your guests! As an added touch, have your monogram or family crest hand painted on the hangers.  If you purchase cedar hangers, there is no need for a cedar block.

-For your female guests, provide a safe place for their handbags. Have you ever been to a gathering where the women tuck their handbags next to a remote living room chair or pile them in a heap on the guest bed? Don't make your guests do this- its uncomfortable for a women to leave her bag in a random place. In your guest closet provide hooks or, if you entertain frequently, commission custom millwork for cubbyholes. Your female guests will marvel at your thoughtfulness and praise you as a genius. (As a tip for cubbyholes, each one should be big enough for a typical handbag or tote. You can even vary the sizes to ensure you have big enough cubbyholes for large and small bags alike).

-Paint or use a fabulous wall covering. You can be as "out there" or as conservative as you wish, but do finish the walls. Good suggestions are a dark or vivid color, a busy or textured wall covering, finished millwork or a combination of these options (for instance, wall covering on the bottom 3/4 and coordinating paint on the top 1/4 with a chair rail moulding where these two finishes meet).

-If you have the wall space, think about a pocket door. If your coat closet is gorgeous and organized, why not leave the door open? The pocket door allows you to close it off when you aren't hosting an event or when you don't want to see the inside.

-Install a flush mount or semi flush mount light fixture. Think about how you want the light to come on. Do you want to pull a chain once you open the door, or do you want the light to be on when you open it? You can create a new switch next to the outside of the door, or even think about a motion sensor or jamb switch. Either way, you need to be able to see once that door is open.

-If you need the shelf space above the rod, finish off the edge of the shelf with a moulding. Put large bins or baskets on the shelf for loose items such as hats, gloves, or over-sized bags. Or, you can remove the shelf if you want to, its up to you!

-Consider replacing the rod with a metal rod in brass, chrome, brushed nickel or a wood rod with stain. Or, paint a standard issue rod a coordinating color to mesh with the wall covering.

Knock your guests out with a highly functional and gorgeous coat closet. For a small investment in time, materials, and labor- you can create a gem of a space with fantastic design features that will receive rave reviews from your guests for years to come.

Living well encompasses so many aspects- more than the backdrop we designers create, more than the things we surround our clients with, its more far-reaching than that. Yes, stylish interior design and a beautiful house or a prime apartment are key components to living well- but its not everything. Living well is a daily act. Its a conscious decision to be the best you can be and live the best you can every day. Living well is maximizing what you have and striving for better when you can. Its using everything you have and everything you are at the highest level.

I was recently on site with clients that are at the tail end of a full kitchen remodel. Anyone who has ever lived through a remodel can attest to the perils of a remodel situation. Though the project is nearing completion, there is much to be done. There's still plastic on the floor in surrounding rooms, crown moulding to be installed, painting to take place and the finishing touches such as knobs and pulls to grace the gorgeous new cabinetry.

Since it was an early evening appointment, my clients offered me a light meal of sandwiches. One of my favorites is peanut butter and jelly (although they laughed to hear my humble request, they agreed that a classic PB&J is, in fact, a great sandwich!). So, in the midst of remodel chaos, in the living room at a table that is normally in the kitchen, we ate sandwiches. My favorite part, aside from their gracious hospitality, was the fact that they put the condiments in cut crystal dishes. I can honestly say that I have never put peanut butter or jelly into a crystal serving dish. This is a new high in everyday fine living. In fact, its a new high in living well under distress (remodels have been described as torturous), and I loved it! These people "get" it!

This is just one example of living well. Here are a few ways to live well each day with means you already have:

-Utilize fabulous lighting every evening. Don't just reserve it for company! Lighting creates warmth, ambiance and lends comfort- use it! Put your ambient lighting on a dimmer switch if its not already, then adjust the lighting levels according to activity. You can also place lamps on timers- honestly, there is no excuse! Its amazing how much more relaxed you can be when the lighting is dim and very warm. You will enjoy your home more when its "glowing" correctly. Good light also makes humans look incredibly attractive- so there is another bonus!

-Set your dinner table as you would for company. Use your linens and candlesticks. It takes all but two more minutes to set these items out and two more to break it down after dinner. Don't save these things for special occasions- every day should be an occasion.

-As mentioned, use your china! For morning cereal, for coffee...for pizza! Embrace it. Love it.

-Use serving pieces to serve your family their meals. Don't just scoop from the pot or the dish on the stove (so guilty of this!). Presentation counts far more than anyone truly realizes. Use the bread basket, use the platters, use the gravy boat!

-Display fresh flowers in a gorgeous vase (or recycle a San Pellegrino bottle for a casual kitchen bud vase). There is something about real flowers, aside from the fragrance, that really perks up a room and causes a smile in passing. Fresh flowers trump artificial, hands down.

-Burn your candles. Get into the ritual of lighting them upon arrival home. The scent and warmth really make you feel cozy, and candlelight adds that extra sparkle to a lighting scheme. I have a handful of scents I burn throughout the year, changing the scents with the seasons. Further distinguish your home with a hallmark of warmth and subtle fragrance.

Bistro Serving Stand

The importance of a guest bedroom is often overlooked. It usually receives little to no design attention (or its the very last to receive attention!). It’s the dumping ground for the desk you just can’t let yourself get rid of, an ages old bedspread, and a bedside table that is missing its counterpart. These bedrooms feel hallow and a little cold. We have all slept in a guest bedroom like this, and if you have one like this- you know who you are!

A good and proper host offers the best of everything to their guest. It’s quite a nice thing to do when you offer up your home, feed a person and entertain them free of charge. And, its quite another thing when you do this with style and grace- two aspects many homes fall short of in the overnight hosting department.

The goal is to create a guest retreat, not merely a guest bedroom. A space so wonderful that it rivals a fine hotel. A room so wonderful your guests wouldn’t mind living in it full time. The intention is not to outdo your guest’s normal digs, but to provide for them a home away from home that is truly comfortable and full of details that illustrate hospitality and, most importantly, thoughtfulness.

In short, make the guest bedroom as wonderful as your own. If you would like more details, read on:

The Room: Blend the guest room with the rest of the home. Incorporate your home's color palette and use architectural details. The furnishings should coordinate, never a mish mash of leftovers and never “matchy-matchy”, (in other words, no 5-piece sets!). This is a picky thing, but ensure the door is hung correctly and there isn’t a huge gap at the bottom- sound travels through gaps just as air does. Also, a lock on the door- especially if you have children, can do a lot to ease a guest while dressing and grooming.

The Closet: Don’t fill the closet with stuff you have no room for. The guest room closet should have an assortment of empty hangers, a luggage rack if space permits, an extra blanket, a duvet, a throw blanket, two extra pillows, and a hanging cedar block. If you must use the guest closet for storage, ensure it’s organized, tidy and boxed up. Also, if you live in a warm climate- provide a fan. If you live in an arid climate- provide a humidifier.

The Lighting: Put the overhead lighting or other ambient lighting on dimmers (such as a pair of lamps). Provide bedside reading sconces on individual switches or a reading lamp and cozy chair.

The Bedding: Use the same quality (or better!) bedding as you do for your own room. Coordinating high quality natural fiber sheets are a must. Thread count, card and twist of the fibers are all equally important. Provide pillows- but not a truckload. Two back shams or Euros (oversized squares) and two sleeping pillows are all you really need. Put the down sleeping pillows on the bed and the down alternatives in the closet, in case a guest has allergies. Make sure the mattress is in good shape and comfortable enough to get a good nights sleep (testing it out once in awhile is a good idea!).

The Personal Touches: Stock reading material such as current and/or local magazines your guests might enjoy, your favorite books or a selection of current best sellers. Stock a few pencils and some notepaper. Stock bottles of water to prevent your guest from stumbling towards the kitchen or bathroom if they need a drink in the middle of the night. Provide a tasteful alarm clock- preferably a travel size (not the tech-y looking black-box sort). Stock earplugs in case of commotion, for whatever reason (lawn mower, crying baby, surround sound from the family room, plumbing noise- you are accustomed to your noise, guests aren't!). Put fresh flowers in a bud vase or small vessel at the bedside. Ensure blackout liner is used in the drapery backing.

Media: If you’re going to provide a television, provide a TV you would be happy to watch- don’t ditch the old goliath in this room. I am a fan of small to medium flat screens since you can literally put them anywhere due to their slim profile (wall mounted, on top of the dresser, etc.). Provide a DVD player, too. Stock a few of your favorite movies, some classics and a few new releases. If there are special instructions for how to work the media or the remote, print it out and have it laminated for guest reference. Media is nice to provide since everyone has different sleeping and waking habits- early risers have something to do until the rest of your house wakes up, and night owls can quietly watch while everyone else goes to sleep. There is seldom anything worse than being the only one wide-awake in a house that isn’t yours!

The Icing (for especially savvy hosts): Monogram your linens and towels. Provide stationary with your estate name and or family crest. Obtain four bedding palettes, one for each season (by the way, its okay to store the guest linens in the guest closet!). Prior to your guest arriving, create a gift box filled with little things you know they will love- a fancy bar soap, a pair of house slippers, a small candle, a map or guidebook of your area, an extra key to the house for them to use while staying with you…and don’t forget to enclose a note wishing them a wonderful stay and how happy you are to have them! Lastly, have on hand basic toiletries that one may forget to pack. Stash this “Just In Case” basket in the closet or bathroom cabinet and let your guests know they are welcome to the contents should they need them.