Meet the Designer: Ann Failing

A new segment to the Closet Factory CO blog, the Meet the Designer articles will allow clients to get to know our front line – those who go out to our client’s houses, measure, discuss space, finishes and the client’s inventory and create the perfect storage solution.

Ann Failing is one of our Senior Designers who has been with us since almost the beginning. Her dedication and customer care over the years have been an inspiration and the designs she has come up with are divine! Enjoy getting to know Ann!

1. How long have you been with Closet Factory?: Over 19 years

2. What trends have you seen throughout the years, either in the way closets are being built structurally or in the way people are wanting them organized?: The trend is that people now want their closet to coordinate with their cabinet or furniture style – modern or traditional. There is also more interest in wood grain finishes and “dressing room” elements.

3. What has changed since you began working in the industry?: Clients are more educated and savvy about closet options.

4. What is your fondest memory/favorite job you designed?: Too many to decide!

5. What made you want to become a designer?: It was really an accident that I started working at Closet Factory. I knew [Closet Factory President] Polly [Lestikow] and she told me her husband Mark was starting a new closet business and was looking for sales/designers. After I met Mark at his first Home Show closet display, I was ‘hooked’!

6.What is your favorite part of the job?: I am a people person – I love the initial meeting with a client and understanding their needs and style. But I LOVE the design process – putting the puzzle together and accommodating all of their needs, budget and style.

7. Tell us a little about you: I live in Centennial with my husband Kreig and 2 kitties. My daughter Katy is married and lives in Littleton. My daughter Maggy goes to the University of Oregon where she studies Business and Communication.

8. What is your favorite organizing tip?: Don’t overstuff your closet with clothes that are seldom worn. Try to accommodate the ‘Top 5″ features: hanging, shoes, drawers, hamper and accessories.

9. What features do you think every closet should have?: Adjustable rods and shelves.

To book a free in-home consultation with Ann, call (303) 690-6901!

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How Much Does a Custom Storage Solution Cost?

 

 

 

This is one of the most frequently asked questions in our industry. Because many stores offer storage components that customers can put together themselves, a lot of people have developed  a very retail-oriented mindset, where one full unit cost x amount of dollars. The difference between those stores and what Closet Factory does it that our work is completely custom, and as every unit we design and install is unique, so is the price.

There are 3 major components that play a part in the pricing of a Closet Factory unit:

1.) The size of the space. This will determine which components can fit and the amount of material that will be needed. In some cases, the size and shape of the space will also decide which kinds of components (hanging, shelves, islands etc.) can go into the area. Closet Factory designers take careful measurements so that they can fully utilize the space.

2.) The components. Every client we have is different; some like to hang as much as possible, others adore drawers or shelves. These preferences determine the features necessary in each design,  each of which has a set value.  When pricing, the designer counts the number of shelves, rods, drawers, etc. and multiplies each by their set price. The sum of all the different components equals the total material cost.

3.) The material. Not all materials are created equal. While we only use the highest quality melamine and veneers available, certain finishes cost more. As a general rule, the basics like white and champagne run the low-end of the price range, wood-tone melamine fly the middle ground, and anything with wood veneers hits the higher range. This is not to say that a unit in white melamine has to look basic and boring – there are decorative details that can add personality, like in this unit:

Window doors and chrome accessories jazz up this white melamine closet

The designers at Closet Factory work closely with each client to not only create a functional, beautiful storage solution, but also to stay within the client’s budgetary needs.

For a free estimate, visit www.closetfactory.com or call toll-free (800) 366-2567.

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Creating an Office for An Artist… With Little Room to Spare

One of the greatest luxuries of having a full-fledged house is the amount of storage that comes with multiple rooms and closets. But what do you do with all the stuff that filled these spaces when you move to a smaller house, apartment or even retirement community?  This is one of the biggest challenges of downsizing; depending on the size of the new place, there often isn’t space for the same amenities as allowed in a larger home.

Such was the case for our client, Priscilla Fowler, an accomplished artist who moved from a house to a small 1-bedroom condo in one of Denver’s historic neighborhoods. Though the location was ideal and the building charming, the condo itself lacked an essential part of her life: an office.  Priscilla needed an office space to keep track of her business financials, personal financials, and her elderly mother’s affairs, as well as to keep bills and other important documents organized.

A former software developer, Priscilla returned to school when her son went away to college and received a BFA from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. After working for a few years after graduation, she recently decided to retire and focus full-time on her art. “I have a studio space,” she says, “but I do most of my desk work for my art business at home. I like to work in the morning and to be able to go from my bed to the desk, but I had clunky furniture that just didn’t fit the space and didn’t allow me to be organized.  And because the space is so small, an average desk would overwhelm the room.”

The office space before

Priscilla knew she’d have to go custom. “I did a lot of research,” she says, “and Closet Factory products just looked nicer. I wanted to match the quality of my [recently remodeled] kitchen and Closet Factory’s units were the closest to furniture quality. Plus it was completely custom, where some of the other companies just had modular pieces that wouldn’t work for the space I have.”

Knowing that she needed a place to do her office work, but  with little space  in her bedroom, Priscilla called upon Closet Factory  senior designer Jana Henderson to create a wall unit that included a desk, bookshelves for her many books,  cabinets with glass fronts for storing supplies, file drawers, room for her computer and printer equipment and a cubby for documents in each of her major affairs – personal, business and her mother’s care.

Having separate cubbies allow the owner to keep important documents separate and organized

The biggest challenge of the project was the wall that the unit was to be built on was across from the bed as well as the wall that the door opened into.  This meant that the depth of the unit had to be carefully calculated so that it wouldn’t impede on the door opening and so that there was space to move around the bed and desk. To compensate, Jana used the vertical space available, building the bookshelves almost to the ceiling and the rest of the unit as high as the space allowed.

Bookshelves reach almost to the ceiling, making full use of the vertical space

Once the design was figured out, Priscilla worked with interior designer Amy Fitch to decide on a color that would not overwhelm the small room.  The final decision was an off-white paint with stain applied selectively for an aged look; beadboard backing lent a country look, and decorative glass jazzed up the storage cabinets. Overall the effect is universal to a variety of tastes and the unit blends with the wall, creating a beautiful focal point in the room without being overpowering.  The glass desk top was part of a trade with a fellow artist in Priscilla’s studio, Sandy Jackson, and adds visual interest as well as being  just plain cool! 

Desk area after with a custom glass top by Sandy Jackson

 “I think we worked really well together because we’re both creative and appreciated each other’s creativeness,” said Jana. Priscilla agreed, saying there were lots of revisions and changes to get exactly what she wanted, but that Jana was patient and really talked her through how she could carry out the look and function she needed while still staying within her budget.

The whole unit- desk area, cabinets and bookshelves

When asked what the biggest difference the wall unit made, Priscilla had this to say: ” When I come in here, I feel serene and organized.  I love having my file drawers right next to my desk because I can just file things away. Before, I didn’t have them in a convenient place and things just piled up.  And, I love having the office in my bedroom because I can just shut the door when guests come over. Having this room done just warms my heart!”

To create the perfect office space for YOU, call Closet Factory for a free consultation at (303) 690-6901.

To view Priscilla’s beautful and unique artwork, visit her website at www.priscillafowler.com

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Introducing: Organizational Blogs from Closet Factory L.A.!

Here at Closet Factory, our main goal is to help people become more organized in their lives. What we love about social media is that is a quick, easy way to get tips out to our readers and hopefully inspire them to put order into their life. As part of this quest, our L.A. office has created a few different resources. The first is a blog that offers organizational tips for different areas of the home and can be found here: http://www.closetfactory.com/blog/

This blog covers all the great goings-on from our different franchises as well as explores how being organized can make life easier and more efficient. It also offers a glimpse at some of the projects we have worked on over the years and the effect it has had on our clients.

One of the major ways in which one can be organized is to create a system that works for you and your family. To help with this, Closet Factory offers a variety of custom organizational systems for closets, offices, pantries, laundry rooms, and even that odd-shaped space that you just can’t find furniture for.

An odd-shaped space under a staircase is used to its fullest potential with a custom entertainment center from Closet Factory

To further help our followers to understand what it is we do and the vast variety of options that we offer, our L.A. Office has created a blog that discusses our product as well as the design process that culminates in a system custom tailored to each client’s needs. This blog can be found here: http://closetorganizers.closetfactory.com.

Another great source is the ‘Ask K” blog where readers can ask Vice President and Senior Designer Kay Wade organizational and design questions. Most recently: What is a man-cave? Check out her great tips at: http://askk.closetfactory.com/

Finally, social mediums such as Facebook and Twitter have become a great way for our different franchises to get information out to their followers. The L.A. Closet Factory has just released a free download on how to properly care for and store your handbags so that they last longer.

Free guide on caring for and storing your handbags!

Check this out at: http://www.facebook.com/theclosetfactory?v=app_100527483349677

We hope you find these additional sources useful in your quest to organize your life! And remember, Closet Factory offers a free in-home consultation with one of our highly trained designers just call (303) 690-6901!

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Camp Experience Office

Here at Closet Factory, we are all about the female empowerment. Not that we don’t love our male employees, because we definitely do,  but in this economy we feel the need to celebrate a great company like ours that allows equal opportunity for all. In fact, did you know that the President of our company is a woman? And that all but 2 of our designers are women? That’s a lot of female awesomeness, and we love it!  

We also like to recognize those that help women to better themselves, whether it’s  shelters that help them escape dangerous home lives or organizations such as Camp Experience that give women the opportunity to come together to learn, bond, and make a difference.  

Every year, the amazing team at Camp Experience holds summer camp for women at Copper Mountain Resort. This camp is 2 1/2 days chock full of speakers, outdoor activities, networking, and basically discovering the awesome power of our fellow womankind. The best part? The proceeds go to deserving charities. This year, the Camp is supporting the Women’s Bean Project and Mile High United Way, a charity close to the Closet Factory’s heart. All of the speakers and services offered during camp are 100% donated and the proceeds from any of the services bought by campers is given to the selected recipients!  

So, what does this have to do with Closet Factory? Well, as part of our support for this great organization, we designed and installed an office for the head honcho, Betsy W. She worked with our head honcho, Polly, to create a space where she could channel her creative juices and make all the events, including camp, happen. Check out these great pictures!  

The Camp Experience office

 

This office is done in our Espresso melamine and has many fabulous features such as a double peninsula, file drawers and fabric-covered corkboard for a touch of fun!    

Desk area, drawer bank, double peninsula and inspiration wall

 

We love how Betsy used the window for displaying these great prints and covered the rest of the wall with things that inspire her!  

This peninsula is open on both sides, perfect for meeting with clients.

 

 Notice how the desk space extends beyond Betsy’s main work space, a great feature for those times when collaboration is necessary!  

A bookshelf completes the office and is great for displaying photos!

 

Camp is September 24th-26th. For more information on Camp Experience and the amazing difference they are making, go to http://www.campexperience.com . There are only 40 spots left, so hurry!

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It’s Easier to Work in a Custom Home Office…

Did you know that Closet Factory does a lot more than closets? Don’t let the name fool you, we are experts in many different types of storage, from your closet to your office to that oddly shaped nook that somehow manages to gather junk.  Unfortunately,Closet-Office-laundry room-pantry-everything else-Factory just wasn’t an efficient name for the company. 

 The beauty of custom storage is all in the name- it’s custom. This means that it not only fits perfectly in the space, it covers ALL of your needs. Part of our design process is actually taking inventoryof  items that will  be stored in the area so that the unit we create will have a place for everything and then some. 

A great example of a custom storage solution is this office designed by Jacqueline Marquez. Built in a new development, this house had a large alcove at the top of the stairs leading from the first floor to the second. The owner had used it as his office, but his desk was a simple card table and was lacking in the efficiency and storage departments. The area was large enough to allow for a built-in office so our designer Jacqueline came in to create a more functional and organized work space. And what a result! This empty room was transformed into a gorgeous, functional office. 

A beautiful, functional office space!

The homeowners wanted a space that would allow for two people to work, so Jacqueline designed a desk that covered two walls. The desk top stretched along both walls as did both upper and lower cabinets, creating sufficient room for two people as well as a ton of storage for office supplies and other business essentials. For the second work space, the homeowner chose a decorative bench that could be tucked under the desk as opposed to another bulky office chair, leaving the area open and uncluttered. 

To accommodate the technological needs of the homeowner, Jacqueline designed pull-out trays for the printer, the tower and the keyboard, allowing easy access to all but also allowing the homeowner to tuck them away when not in use. 

Pull-outs for easy access!

For finishing touches, Jacqueline added cubbies for organizing mail and stationery: 

For mail or stationery

Because the homeowners wanted a space that looked nice without being too extravagant, they chose to add decorative fluting, raised panel doors and crown moulding to give the office more of a luxurious, finished look. 

Decorative fluting ups the luxury quotient!

In the end, the homeowners got what they wanted- a beautiful, functional space that they hope one day will help the resale value of their house, but in the meantime will serve them well in their business needs! 

For your free consultation with one of our highly trained designers call (303) 690-6901 or visit our website at www.closetfactory.com. We’re also on Facebook and Twitter!

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