Into the Closet

Entertainment centers. 'Libraries. 'Home offices. '

It's no secret that other parts of the house that rely heavily on cabinetry and intricate space planning provide a natural expansion to a kitchen and bath dealer's business. ' So why not closets?

"[Kitchen and bath designers are] already in the home and they know how to [plan and] install, it's just a matter of learning a different type of organization," believes Steve Carson, director of the wholesale division of Plus Closets, in Elmhurst, IL.

Not to mention, "there's a huge demand for closets," according to Bill Burke, president of Pro-Closets.Com, in Millington, NJ. "Their clients are already coming into their showrooms, and interested in working on their houses. It's a great add-on product."

"When people look at homes, they look at three things: kitchens, bathrooms and storage," declares Kathryn LaBarbera, senior v.p., Closet Factory, in Los Angeles, CA. "If a house doesn't have enough storage, they won't buy it." She notes that people use their closets at least several times a day, and are increasingly willing to spend the money to have this space be as organized and beautiful as the rest of the home.

Levels of Luxury
Today's closets are often an extension of the master bedroom and bath, with an open floor plan and the same attention to high-end details. Closet systems that feature solid wood fixtures, stylish hardware, islands with stone tops and other luxurious touches are more and more the norm in high-end homes.

And, as with other parts of the house, consumers have become much more educated in what's possible in closet design. John Sofio, president of Built Inc., in Los Angeles, CA, believes they take their cues from upscale department stores. "When you're purchasing your clothes at Barney's, [you see] how they've displayed the clothing, how organized it feels," he explains, adding that he often tells his clients to "go back to the store, see how it's laid out, and then come back and we'll organize your space like that."

Easy access to clothes on display, and systems that protect expensive designer clothing, are priorities for a high-end closet.
Mid-level clients, however, are mostly just concerned with not having their clothes be squished together and wrinkled. When getting into the closet business, Doug Henderson, co-owner of Poliform Atlanta, in Atlanta GA, notes that customers tend to come in two varieties, and a designer/dealer needs "to understand the client they're going after.

Is it a client who has limited space, so the person wants to maximize every square inch of their closet?" That type of client, he notes, would do well with a standard closet system.

The other client, "who isn't necessarily trying to maximize every square inch, wants something to help get organized and stay organized ' and it's about the aesthetics," Henderson continues. "[These consumers] want it to be beautiful. It's probably a larger walk-in closet or dressing room, so you want to go to a [high-end] closet product [that is] about style as much as it is about function."

The third option is the custom-built closet, which Gioi Tran, principal of the San Francisco, CA-based Applegate Tran Interiors, believes is the more efficient choice for his clientele. "We work with a lot of local shops," says Tran, "[because] we do a lot of customization. Every space is unique. I can't go to a closet company [with that much customization]." Rather than take the time to modify a standard system, Tran will design what's appropriate for the space, then go to a custom wood working shop to get exactly what he needs.

Jim Wallen, CKD, owner of Acorn Design Studio, in Oakland, CA, also has his closet projects custom built. 'Sofio uses California Closets systems for smaller projects, but prefers built-in closet storage that surrounds the bedroom space, eliminating wasted space such as the little hallway in the entrance of a walk-in closet.

"It's also eliminating the need for a lot of furniture," he explains. "In many of the spaces I do, I'll do built-in closets around the room. It's basically built-in furniture. You're taking the square footage of the hallway [leading into the walk-in closet] and putting that into the bedroom." This method saves space, makes the closet more accessible, and gives the bedroom a clean, minimalist look.