Client Stories:
Personality-Driven Walk In Closets For Fashion Designer Meritt Elliott and Restaurateur John Rankin
client: Meritt Elliott & John Rankin
location: Los Angeles, CA
design consultant: Cari Howe
What Meritt Elliott & John Rankin Wanted
Fashion designer and Hollywood stylist Meritt Elliott and her husband, chef and restaurateur John Rankin, needed to renovate their Los Angeles home in Laurel Canyon. They decided to start with their walk in closets and wanted each one to reflect their individual styles and personalities.
I wanted them to feel like rooms rather than a place for clothes.
How California Closets did it
Collaborating with Meritt and John’s interior designer, Cari Howe and the California Closets Los Angeles team worked closely throughout the design process.
While the aesthetics of each space were a top priority, the couple also wanted to ensure the closets were designed to accommodate their T-shirts, sweatsuits, sweatshirts, and cowboy boots. Both closets were designed with extra drawers and versatile shelves to accommodate these coveted items.
Beyond these functional elements, in Meritt’s closet, the goal was to create a simple, beautiful backdrop to her clothing that had a galley style merchandising feel. With crisp white cabinets, gold accents, and a long, center island that could function as a work table to lay out looks, the space exudes a glamorous yet relaxed style.
John wanted his closet to feel like a total contrast to Meritt’s. To achieve this, they selected a moodier textured black palette with sophisticated, yet rugged, accents like leather pulls.
John’s closet feels like a sophisticated cigar lounge inside a country and western bar.
final result
Thanks to the thoughtful closet design choices and well-curated interior design accents, you’re able to tell a lot about Meritt and John from a simple glance at these rooms. “It’s like snapshots of our personalities,” Meritt says.
And of course every flat brim hat, stack of jeans, sweatsuit, and pair of cowboy boots has its place within each closet, allowing the couple to cherish their vintage and flea market finds in an ultra-organized fashion.
Design Details
Finish:
Hers: Luxe Matte Dove
His: Specialty Shadow Black
Metal:
Gold hardware and leather pulls supplied by customer
Additional Accessories:
Hers: Gold accessories, round poles
His: Black round poles, tilt-out hamper
Both: Trimmed to ceiling with fascia, slab fronts
His: Ribbon lighting and bottom cap above drawers, AF006 doors with mirror inserts
*Note: product availability may vary by location
Meet the team
Cari Howe
Design Consultant
