Inside Melissa Rivers’ Joan-Inspired Closet: Photos

A fresh start. When Melissa Rivers needed a new closet, she called in a professional to give her the glamorous dressing room of her dreams — which included a chandelier from mom Joan Rivers and a flat-screen TV, as seen in Us Weekly’s exclusive photos.

Melissa’s Fashion Police co-hosts recommended Lisa Adams of L.A. Closet Design to build what the TV personality, 53, called her first “grown-up closet” in her Santa Monica home. After following the designer on social media and trying out her organizing products, Melissa knew Adams could handle the job.

The designer, who appeared on HGTV’s Million Dollar Closets, knew that the closet was a special area to Melissa, who grew up spending time in her mother Joan’s dressing area. It ended up being the heart of the late comedian’s home.

“If my parents were going out, my dinner was brought to their room and, specifically, the dressing room area,” Melissa told Architect’s Digest last year. “This way I could be with them and they could talk to me and have our family time while they were getting ready.”

After Martyn Lawrence-Bullard designed the six-bedroom, six-bathroom house’s interiors, Adams (whose client list includes Reese Witherspoon and Khloé Kardashian) began to work her magic on the closet.

As seen in the exclusive photos below, the color palette was very neutral for a clean, elegant vibe. The white closet doors had a satin finish and polished nickel ring pulls for drawers and doors. A peek inside the hanging cabinets revealed Kneedler Fauchere Garden Templeton wallpaper.

Mirrors on the cabinets above the closet doors helped the room appear even bigger and brighter.

A center island served as both extra drawer space as well as counter space for pulling out accessory options. A cushioned bench gave the The Book of Joan author an easy place to sit down while she put her heels on, and the island’s side mirror provided a good look at her footwear.

Above the center countertop was a chandelier that belonged to Joan, who died in 2014 at age 81 during throat surgery.

Mementos reminding Melissa of her late mother were all over her closet. The vanity area included a drawing by the Celebrity Apprentice winner. Joan sketched Melissa and her son Cooper on the beach during a family vacation, and the finished drawing sat framed on her white marble countertop. The walls next to the LED-lit mirror include photos of Melissa at age 4 that Melissa’s father, Edgar Rosenberg, had given to the Diary of a Mad Diva writer as a gift at the time.

Mixing the personal with functional was a challenge, especially when the closet needed to store so such an extensive collection of designer duds.

Shoe storage was also a big task for the closet makeover. Although shelves displayed some of Melissa’s Manolo Blahniks and Jimmy Choos, not every pair could be out. A long hanging cabinet for gowns included a pull-out shoe shelf at the bottom to store some of the University of Pennsylvania’s other footwear. Pull-out trays with compartments for flip flops, sneakers and slip-ons are Adams’ “favorite feature,” she told Us.

“The custom shoe wall [is my favorite],” Melissa added. “It displayed my shoes so beautifully that it made me feel like I was getting to shop every day.”

The scarf cabinet is one of the more unique features of New York native’s fashion oasis. The fabric hung on rods in a slim cabinet, providing the perfect way to see the pretty patterns without wrinkling the delicate material.

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