A serene mid-century closet for Los Angeles-based writer and editor Elise Loehnen

Writer and editor Elise Loehnen had a very clear vision for the new main closet in her Brentwood home: honor the aesthetic of her mid-century modern home, which was designed by A. Quincy Jones. That being said, she also wanted to ensure the new closet was functional and allowed her to easily access everything inside — two aspects that were sorely missing in the original space.

“Elise wanted to open up the space and make it more usable.”
Katharine Mills-Tierney
How California Closets did it
Because of how unusable Elise’s existing closet was, the process had to start with a contractor removing the closet walls altogether.
Katharine Mills-Tierney from California Closets Los Angeles then outfitted the space with a wardrobe in a natural wood finish. When designing the wardrobe, she had to take into account an angled ceiling and wood beam that could have interfered with the depth of the system.
When it came to the details, each selection was carefully chosen to cohesively blend with the mid-century style of Elise’s home. Natural door fronts, birch ply drawers, a cashmere backing, and matte aluminum finger pull handles and hanging poles ultimately created a subtle statement in the space.

“Elise was very collaborative and hands-on with the design process. I really liked the choice to utilize finger pull handles for the system.”
Katharine Mills-Tierney
Final result
The final design features two main sections. The top half includes large swing-open doors. Behind these doors are hanging rods with wardrobe lights and shelving. The bottom half features small and large drawers for easy-to-tuck-away items, like shorts and socks, with drawer dividers for organization.
The stunning, streamlined design of the system truly does honor the aesthetic of Elisa’s mid-century home, while giving her modern-day organization.

Finish
Wood grain Natural with slab fronts
Matte aluminum finger pulls
Note: finishes vary by location, inquire with your local California Closets showroom for current finish availability.
Metal
Fluted poles
Additional accessories
Wardrobe ribbon lighting
Wardrobe depth storage
Scribe base molding
Note: product availability may vary by location
Client
Elise Loehnen
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Design consultant
Katharine Mills-Tierney
