Designer Friday: An aspire Exclusive Interview With Lisa Adams

Lisa Adams, founder of La Closet Design, combines her passion for organization, design and fashion to address an often overlooked room within a home: the closet. The space where many start and end their days often falls victim to several universal issues such as clutter and lack of organization. To address these challenges, Lisa looks at both her client’s closet — and also their lifestyle — and then creates a space of peace, beauty and even glamor. Every LA Closet Design project is customized to reflect the unique needs and personal style of the individual client. Whether masculine, sophisticated and streamlined or feminine and high fashion, each closet designed by Lisa becomes a high functioning, natural extension of the home and an enjoyable space for living. See closets in a way you’ve never seen before in today’s Designer Friday.

Andrew Joseph: Can you describe your design philosophy in three words?
Lisa Adams: Purposeful, Calming, Functional.

AJ: What design trends do you think will be popular in the coming years?
LA: Technology / AI in closets! I am currently working on a project with the founder of the Whering App (think Clueless closet!) to incorporate the technology and application into her closet. With this app and other technology, I see the dressing process becoming more efficient!

AJ: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received as a designer?
LA: The best piece of advice I received as a designer was to say yes to different opportunities that presented themselves to me! This has led to HGTV’s Million Dollar Closets, designing closets in the Middle East via a speaking panel I did, working with Max Mirani to collaborate on the LA Move Mobile Closet, etc.

AJ: How do you balance functionality and aesthetics in your designs?
LA: They work simultaneously for me. While I am sorting out my client’s inventory, I am thinking about space planning alongside the materials/finishes and design details! In my former life, I was a trained chemist, so being detailed and cataloging details is inherent in my process. I like to think of it like an onion — peeling back the layers to gather the information and then layer by layer, I put it back together!

The weirdest thing a client asked me to do was to design a stripper pole in their closet! At that moment, I realized that I am designing intimate spaces and clients will have different purposes/requests, and my goal was to accommodate them — make these spaces that people enjoy being in.

AJ: What’s a new hobby/skill that you have learned recently?
LA: Golfing! I grew up in Hawaii with parents who golfed and never accepted their continuous invitations to play; then a little over a year ago, I was curious about the sport and took it up. I am officially hooked! The courses are beautiful and it’s nice to disconnect and be inspired outdoors.

Photography by Meghan Beierle-O’Brien.

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