LITTLE ROCK — So you want a dream closet but don’t have a dreamy budget?
Lots of options are out there - from just cleaning up the mess to hiring a contractor to install a prefabricated closet.
Kevin Walsh of Bear-Hill Interiors says the first step is a closet purge. He recommends getting rid of unworn items every six months. He finds that most people only wear 20 percent of what’s actually hanging in their closets.
After that, “compartmentalize everything,” he says, explaining that similar items should be grouped together. Next, sort items by color - grouping together all of the white shirts, blue shirts, black pants, etc.
“I’ve seen closets where everything is commingled,” he says. “I don’t know how they ever get ready in the morning.”
After you’ve done that, if space is still tight, it might be time to consider a closet organization system.
John Brown, store manager of the Container Store in Little Rock, says when a customer comes in, he tries to find out what is the major storage problem. Most times, he discovers that the problem is shoe storage, adding that most people confess that they have 40-50 pairs.
The Container Store sells Elfa closet storage systems. The Swedish company is owned by the Container Store and offers epoxy-coated steel and wood products.
For the do-it-yourselfer, an Elfa closet system can be installed with a Phillips head screwdriver and a drill with several drill bits. Brown estimates that the average closet system would take a do-it yourselfer two or three hours to install.
For the tool-challenged, the Container Store offers installation through an independent contractor. Basically, the installation increases the price by about 25 percent.
A few of Brown’s tricks for maximizing storage space:
Huggable hangers, which usually are lined with a velvet type fabric. If used throughout the closet, the hangers can save more than a foot of closet space when compared with the space required for tubular plastic hangers.
Clear storage boxes for shoes, sweaters and out-of season garments.
Gliding shoe racks, tie and belt racks, and pants racks.
Pull-out drawers for easier accessibility.
“This isn’t a fad. It’s a way of life,” Brown says. “And once you are organized, you realize what that chaos was doing to your life.”
Brown designed a closet re-do for me based on the dimensions of my reach-in closet. He gave me space for 60-80 shirts, 30-40 pairs of pants and 30 pairs of shoes on two gliding shoe racks. He also created sections for dresses as well as a long shelf and a shorter shelf. The closet, outfitted in white wood, came up to $669 for do-it-yourself or $849 installed. (A similar closet from the Home Depot from Martha Stewart Living totaled $585 with do-it-yourself installation.)
Oh, well. A girl can dream.
HomeStyle, Pages 42 on 09/22/2012