Getting The Most From Your Home: Get Organized
The change of various aspects of an individual’s life can be the catalyst for a change in their need for storage. Michael Wallace, Owner of California Closets of Madison.
“An obvious example is when there is a new baby in the house and all of a sudden there are clothes, toys and all of the equipment associated with young children.A closet with a shelf and a rod won’t do.That’s where the designs we create can help a family improve the usefulness of their existing home.”
Another common situation is with empty nesters that are doing one of two things; they are either re-purposing their existing rooms into offices, or storage areas where none existed before, or, they are down sizing to a smaller home or condo. It’s the familiar 10 pounds of stuff to be placed in an eight pound package. It just doesn’t work, unless there is a plan to use what space you have more effectively.
Design Is Crucial
Even with the best raw materials, the design step is extremely important. The best products installed improperly will not achieve what you want in terms of organization. Corners will be inefficient, ergonomics are often not considered and unique accessories which can create very helpful features with the cabinets may not even be known. People are becoming more aware and little by little progress is being made. A result of this progress is that Architects and Builders are using effective closet organization designs to service their customer’s preferences, looking to create a competitive edge. Little things can have a great impact, such as having light switches on the outside of closets, or placing doors in locations maximizing the available wall space. These considerations help us help the customer.
Closet Evolution
The progression of the closet has been pretty simple, with the result being an incredibly efficient and aesthetically pleasing end product. There are three steps in the progression:
? Shelf & Rod — It’s the least efficient use of closet space — but the most common.
? Ventilated Wire — It gained popularity in the 80’s, however there are limitations. The durability was questionable because when people overloaded them, they pulled out of the wall frequently. They also did not allow flexibility after installation; they were not efficient in corners and left marks on clothes.
? Laminate — Has gained favor in the last ten years.They allow for a great deal of flexibility in terms of configuring, aesthetics, and applications (closets, home offices and garages).
Making The Most Of The Evolution
There are a number of cosmetic choices when it comes to selecting a laminate closet organization system. Although, many of products are made similarly; there are some common components you can compare to get the best quality for your needs:
? The board can be from 5/8" – 3/4" in thickness – the thicker the board, the more durable it will be. (3/4" is furniture grade)
? The paper covering the board can make a difference. If it’s too thin, the board underneath can be seen.With thicker paper, the color/pattern is consistent and richer looking.
? The final finish is a coating of plastic resin which is thermally fused. It creates the lasting look and feel of the materials you will see in your closet.
Using space effectively can make your home more enjoyable and easy to use. Light switches on the outside of closets and shoes placed at waist level, for example, allow more items to be stored in your closets.
