Which closet organizers look nice?

16 years ago

I'm looking for a closet organizing system that looks nice and will hold up. I don't want to spend a lot of money on one and have it not look nice, or have it be in bad shape a year later.

I've looked at the container store, and while it's obviously nice quality, it's a lot more open than the ones you buy at Home Depot, California Closets, online, etc.

I like that the HD, CC, etc. ones have enclosed shelving, with real drawers, etc. But I'm worried because those aren't real wood. Do they hold up well with dings, scratches, etc.?

Or do you think the Container Store one still looks just as nice, even though it's more open? What are your experiences/opnions?

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Comments (8)

claire_de_luna
16 years ago
I have a wire Elfa system that I suppose you would consider more open. Since it's metal, there are no quality issues to worry about. What I like about it is you notice the clothes, not the ''system'' which (to me) is what organizing your closet is about. My closet space isn't big enough for drawers or anything extra, so this bare bones system works for me. It's been in place for years, and will probably be there when I move from here in 30 years...
piegirltoo
16 years ago
We installed the Elfa system a couple of months ago, and we are loving it. We got the mesh drawers with the wood trim (Decora, I think). They look nice to me, and function beautifully.
The designer at the Container Store was incredibly helpful, taking into consideration our height, storage needs, etc.
I included a lot of open shelving. I am searching for matching storage boxes in various sizes. Using matching boxes will make things feel a lot more organized and uncluttered then a mishmash of boxes.
It was very expensive (wasn't on sale at the time), but very solid and, best of all, adjustable.
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Comments (10)
Remain consistant in your choices of finishes for your home. Elfa is a low end entry level system which will fit well in a home that is a starter home using formica and linoleum. If that is not an accurate description of your home you may want to contact a reliable cabinet shop to assist with the design and fabrication of a closet system. Having said that....the most important part of any closet system is an accurate use of space designed by by and experienced designer. Many of the modular systems rely on the homeowner to try and fit a closet together. It rarely turns out well. I was in an expensive home this evening and they used a system similar to Elfa. It looked cheap in their home because the rest of the house was tricked out in granite and lots of natural woods. Good luck!
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I finally understood what you mean. No, Elfa's top-rail-supported systems are wire or wire mesh with wooden shelves that serve as the wire drawer's support and as a dust cover. There are no all-wood drawer ones. I think they're just too heavy. You can look at the link below for wooden drawers. In some of their other photos it looks as if they MIGHT be rail hung, but I just doubt it. I guess the same principle as not hanging the kitchen cabinets all off a top rail. Good luck with your search, though. Here is a link that might be useful: wood drawers
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You ARE worthy of a nice organized home!
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Hi Ladies, I'm a lurker on this forum :) I've read every page in the archives and have purchased a few of the books talked about in past discussions. I started reading here after we moved into our new house one year ago. Like Leafy02, when I prepped and staged our last house for sale I realized that I wanted to keep the new place just as simple and easy to clean. And, like Mommabird, I wanted to get all the little changes (paint, floor refinishing, fixture updates, etc.) done right away so WE could enjoy them. I'm lucky that the new house has ample well planned storage. Finding a place for everything and keeping everything in it's place has been pretty easy. As I've unpacked I've used the "Is it Useful or Beautiful?" mantra and kept only what we really need and use. My Mom, who keeps everything, thinks I'm a minimalist. I'm not. I just don't have a problem getting rid of stuff. Which is why she won't give me anything- I might not keep it forever. (I still have things from my childhood so I DO keep things, I'm just very selective, lol) Leafy, about 20 years ago I came across a book at a thrift shop called Working Wardrobe by Janet Wallach. I've been using her Capsule Concept ever since. It's amazing how many looks you can come up with with a well chosen mini-wardrobe. When you buy less, you can splurge on better quality too.
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What type of company or should I DIY closet organizers?
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Comments (10)
Don't use a jigsaw to cut wood for this sort of application--you need a perfectly perpendicular, and a jigsaw's blade will bend. (Been there, done that.) Your circular saw will probably work, but you should use a square of some kind to check the angle of the blade. You probably won't need 2x4s; the bookcase-style boxes built w/ the Kreg jig are really sturdy. If you did crown molding, the Kreg jig will be a snap (you need a drill, of course). Buying the pocket-hole clamps (and the jig itself) will add to the cost of the project, but things will come out so much better (and go together much more quicky). Plus, you'll have them for all the other bookcases you decide you want to build, and the storage bench for the patio, etc. I don't know how other lumberyards are about cuts, but I absolutely think it's worth asking around at the non-big-box ones. Also, I once was going to have my lumberyard just do the ripping (since that's hard to do on your own; crosscuts are easy w/ a circular saw or a table saw). They ended up insisting that they do it all, "it will be so much easier for you," and they didn't charge more. But if you don't find a yard like mine, consider having them to the really tough stuff (ripping the plywood lengthwise into boards all the same size) and leave you the more manageable stuff (crosscuts). And if you end up needed (or wanting) to do that stuff yourself, Kreg has some great jigs for saws! Kreg Rip-Cut jig https://www.kregtool.com/store/c48/saw-attachments/p79/rip-cuttrade/ Kreg Square-Cut jig for crosscuts https://www.kregtool.com/store/c47/saw-accessories/p264/square-cuttrade/ (there are good YouTube videos of these jigs in action--worth a look)
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california_dreamer
16 years ago
I have the Container Store Elfa system in my pantry and it is quite nice. However, I didn't choose it for my closets for a couple of reasons. First, the brackets that hold the wire shelving take up space under the shelf. Since I use the closet space in my kids rooms to store lots of toys, I wanted to be able to utilize the full space. Also, I wanted the closet shelving to be enclosed on the ends so things wouldn't fall off.
I got the DIY closet system called Easy Track. I bought it at OSH. It seems good so far. Easy to install and adjustable. It is melamine but seems quite durable. I didn't get any drawers- just shelving, rods and wire baskets. It was quite a bit less expensive than California Closets etc.
I'm also looking into the PAX closet system at IKEA for my one remaining closet.

Here is a link that might be useful: Easy Track Closet
mkrzyz22
16 years ago
we installed the PAX system from Ikea in our MB Closet and it's gorgeous and very reasonably priced!
sigh
16 years ago
Just this past weekend we installed the Rubbermaid Configurations organizers in our MBR closet and I can't get over how nice they are or how easy they were to install.

Now for us, cost was a major factor. Our MBR closet is huge (by my standards) 11'x7' and I had wanted to outfit 2 1/2 walls (22') with organizers. Amazon was having a sale on the Configurations so that piqued my interest. The titanium finish is powder coated, not bare metal, and there was no cutting involved. It took maybe an hour to install it on the 11 foot wall and the majority of that time was spent finding studs & measuring. The system went up brainlessly & it's very easy to change things around.

Configurations is a wire system but they do have some wooden components like drawers and shoe cubbies. The individual components seem to be expensive, though. But like I said, cost was a major factor with me. I like the look of the wire & the titanium finish is more of a smooth, brushed nickel. Below is a link to the Rubbermaid website. I got my 2 sets from Amazon last week when the 4-8 foot deluxe Tianum sets were 99$. If I can luck ito another sale I'll have done the whole closet for 300$ being able to borrow pieces from each set so that I can get exactly the look that I want.

I'm sure that it's nowhere near as nice as the Elfa or the Easy Track but I love it.

Nina

Here is a link that might be useful: Rubbermaid closets
acoreana
16 years ago
This wouldn't really be up to par with the closet systems you're looking for but thought I'd share what we used in DD's closet for anyone looking for their kids room or on a tighter budget: "Closetmaid Laminate Closet Organizer - 5Â10'" (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31zMZyJRO8L._SS260_.jpg). $60 bucks from Target. She's got baskets/bins on the shelves to hold the things she doesn't hang up. This along with one of those hanging shoe organizers and her clothes & shoe storage issues (very small room, no space for bureau due to queen bed) have been solved :).

Worked out so well we installed another one in the unused linen closet in the hallway (shelves now hold all her school stuff, books, art supplies, etc.) and as soon as we get around to it we're installing another one in the guest (niece's) room. Both were installed several months ago and they've held up very well - even with the daily bin removal & replacing.

HTH someone,

Nat
mkrzyz22
16 years ago
I thought I would post some pics of our PAX closet system
{{!gwi}}
PRO
Papercamera
16 years ago
I think that having an interesting paint color, or even wall paper on the walls really makes a closet pop if you can see the wall behind the clothes. I've seen a few closets like that and they were really special! A friend of mine did a really pretty blue on the wall before she installed some white MDF shelving, and it was really pretty. It took it from basic to really nice.

Which closet organizers look nice?

Comments (8)

claire_de_luna

piegirltoo

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california_dreamer

mkrzyz22

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