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Raise the (Shoe) Bar

Shoe clutter and closet disarray is an all-too-common problem for those of us with shoe addictions. Janet Lee conquered the dilemma of storing her abundance of shoes in a New York City apartment by creating a chic shoe bar that puts her favorite pairs on display and offers a vertical space-saving solution. The best part? No hammering or drilling required. To make, Janet found a lightweight polyurethane decorative molding cut into 24-inch-long strips. She then painted them in a cool blue hue to match her bedroom's palette. To attach to the wall, she added removable picture-hanging strips to the back (six on each piece of molding). Each bar can hold three or four pairs of heels.

"In a small space you, have to find ways to maximize vertical real estate," she says. "Lifting a dozen pairs of shoes off the ground and displaying them on a wall turns clutter into modern art." Photo courtesy of Janet Lee, author of Living in a Nutshell: Posh and Portable Decorating Ideas for Small Spaces