How Chloe Fineman Added a Carrie Bradshaw–Worthy Closet to Her West Village Apartment

Chloe Fineman and Carrie Bradshaw are not the same person. But, the actress and comedian points out, they are not not the same person either.

“Listen, I live on Perry Street. Guess who else lived on Perry Street?,” Fineman asks over a call in late December. “And I love shoes. Guess who else loved shoes?” I know the answer to both of these questions—and you likely do too. So according to Fineman, it is fitting that she and the legendary HBO character now share something else in common: a “closet room.”

Wait…a what? “It’s a term I invented,” she says in the same playful faux-solemn tone you might find in her irreverent Instagram spoof videos about things like med spa addictions and PMS symptoms. We are speaking during that strange, self-reflective week right before the new year begins, a time when people slow down and take stock of how they want to show up for the next twelve months. But Fineman is ahead of the game: This recent addition to the Saturday Night Live star’s West Village apartment has set her up for serious organizational success. The hyperefficient fitting-room-meets-wardrobe storage hybrid features a built-in armoire, accessory shelves, and space for writing and Zoom meetings—a far cry from the makeshift system she was using before, when the space was a second living room.

Beyond providing storage, the space also serves as a respite for Fineman—and her dog, Peach. “I do work there; it’s a quiet room for writing, and Zooms,” she explains. “There’s also a giant couch that’s become my dog’s fifth bed.”

“I used to have a giant rolling rack in my kitchen by the window,” she says, noting the stove was used for wig storage. It was at her aghast mother’s behest that she began to explore other options. “On a whim, I just walked into a California Closets and was like, I could have this better life.”

And oh, how she was right. Fineman’s fresh installation, which she conceptualized with the help of California Closets senior design consultant Kelly Parham, is full of gorgeous details that tie into the eclectic Parisian mood of her home, like leather-wrapped hanger poles and glossy gold fixtures.

“Working with Chloe was an absolute dream,” Parham tells AD. “She has a strong aesthetic eye and a clear sense of what she loves.” The admiration is mutual: Fineman credits the expert for teaching her how to optimize her storage—and, in turn, make her feel altogether like a more confident, pulled-together woman.

A designated closet room has proved particularly useful for fittings, which Fineman needs for heavily photographed work events.

“I think once I hit my thirties, I started to be like, I could make my bed, I could put on some sunscreen,” Fineman says with a jokey lilt in her voice. But then her tone turns more earnest. “It’s a little bit of a bummer, but also nice—these are the little things you can control. Like this closet: It makes me feel like I’m a fabulous woman on the Upper East Side, even though I’m a messy lady in the West Village.”

Architectural Digest: This is New York City! How did you find the space in your apartment for a closet build-out?

Chloe Fineman: I consulted about five different organizers. All of them came in and were overwhelmed. This one woman was like, “Maybe you could move your refrigerator against the window? And put the coats where the refrigerator is?” And I almost did it; it was the craziest, most New York solution ever.

I live on a parlor floor and had two living rooms. One should be a dining room, but I don’t really cook in New York. I don’t really know anyone who does. I’d rather just eat at a restaurant. [I thought], Why not make my second living room a giant weird getting-ready room because I do so many things like fittings for work? Disgusting brag, sorry.

“I always say I’m like the socialite of SNL,” she says, noting that fashion—and getting dressed up—has become her second love after comedy. “There’s a lot of socializing to do!”

It sounds like the best room in the house. Did you have a specific vision for how you wanted it to look?

[AD100 designer] Jeremiah Brent had done a California Closets thing, and I sort of stalked it. It had these cool panels that are kind of lacy with a vintage boudoir vibe, which is what I was going for. And I liked the linen shade of wood that's a great neutral base.

I also love the design team Pierce & Ward. Anytime I'm in LA, I live at that store. Ricky DeRenzis, who works there, there introduced me to Modern Matter, which is the most amazing magical place to find hardware. So I found hardware there myself to give the space a bit of a French—a Fron-ch—antique-y vibe. My sister [artist Emma Fineman] wants to paint the outside of the armoire and make, like, a weird doodle all over it.

As a renter, what made you decide to put this kind of investment into the space?

I’ll be the first to admit, it’s completely insane. There was very little thought that went into it—I was just so desperate! I resorted to something I call flaw-gic: “flawed logic.” And my flaw-gic was, Well, if I do this and invest in my rental, the universe will let me stay at my rental.

I never want to leave my apartment. So I think it was a weird way of me putting down roots.

Grouping garments by color, says Fineman, is a habit she picked up from Parham. “It's crazy, but life is crazy,” she says. “Why not treat yourself? The amount of pleasure I get going from beige to tan to cream to grey to black is really satisfying.”

How has having a proper closet shifted the way you are utilizing the space?

It’s dramatically changed my life. Kelly is also an organizer. She helped me organize everything. I think organizing is weirdly the best way to spend money. I can actually see my clothing, and my shopping has been curbed because I was like, Oh, I have five leather jackets. Like, I didn’t even know what I owned. It was like getting out of control.

Now I like getting dressed and putting outfits together. I like to see everything. I know where my belts are! It’s so much less messy because I know where everything goes, and it takes five seconds to clean up. That kind of stuff is important in New York: We have very little space. Our lives are crazy.

“Accessories can get out of control,” says Fineman of her former wardrobe storage mishaps. “So we built a bunch of little cubbies for my shoes.”

Judging from the pictures, your wardrobe seems to be neutral-heavy, very aligned with your “Forever 31” skit on SNL.

That’s it: “Forever 31” is the story of my life. I am that woman. I like everything in the beige sad rainbow. You didn’t see the bags…. They have, like, a pop of cheetah.

Were you able to get all of your wardrobe in this build-out?

I do have a storage unit. When my boyfriend moved in, I was like, “I have to give up this little bit of closet, so you’re paying for my storage unit.” The ultimate compromise. But right now it’s two degrees in New York, and I can actually fit my coats and not have them draped over a chair in my kitchen. It’s quite nice.

What ratio of closet space do you have compared to your boyfriend?

I’d say about 90% of the clothing and items in my apartment are mine, and 10% are his. And I am a great manipulator; I feel like I’m always hustling him like a car salesman. I was like, “I’m gonna give you this little coat closet as your closet, and then in exchange I get to take all of your drawers in the bedroom.” The thing is, he has, like, five shirts, and two pairs of shoes—we are very yin and yang. My favorite thing to do is to hide a jacket in his closet if I don’t have room in mine. I try to see how long he goes without noticing.

Folding knitwear in a drawer has both extended the life of Fineman’s sweaters and streamlined the way her closet’s laid out. “All I’m hanging up are my menswear shirts, which I have nine million of, and my jackets,” she says.

Fineman now swears by a belt rack like the one pictured here. “Belts are sort of like snakes: Once they get out of control, they’re slithering all over your closet,” she says.

Have you picked up any new organization tips from this process?

A belt rack is a game-changer. You can get them on Amazon.

And I was always hanging my sweaters, but then Kelly was like, “Oh my God, they’re gonna stretch; they’re going to peel and stretch—no, no!” That’s a lot of our dynamic, her saying: “Chloe, no!” But actually finding a drawer to fold sweaters creates way more closet space. And having a shelf for bags: I’ve never done that in my life, but it is really kind of incredible. Now I’m on a [organization] tear. Once you pop, you just can’t stop.