Closet Systems - Review Yours Please

11 years ago

We're in the midst of a major remodel and decided that now is the time to update our closets. We have 2 reach in closets in the foyers, one reach in linen closet, and our walk in closet in the master bedroom. I've looked online at the various systems -- wire and laminate and I prefer the laminate. I'm concerned about the strength of it though and want to make sure I can put my heavy items on rods and shelves without worry. What brand did you use -- happy, or not so much? Would love your suggestions.

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beaglesdoitbetter1

11 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

We are having our cabinet maker make our closet systems for our new build. The cost was comparable to off-the-rack w/ 1/2 inch domestic maple plywood construction and we got to design exactly what we wanted and it is going to be a lot fancier looking:

My closet:

Fiance closet:

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Comments (23)

annie1971
11 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I spent countless hours researching, pricing and getting estimates for our master closet and foyer closet. Prices and quality varies all over the place and price and quality don't necessarily equate. Long story shorter, I decided on the Elfa closet system from the Container Store. It took some measuring and a good deal of planning and I had to order everything and pay for shipping because we don't have a store in our area. DH was a little flumexed when a semi pulled up and dropped off boxes and boxes of closet parts. But everything was exactly as planned and easy and fun to finally put in place. Everything hangs from a single top rail and vertical pieces. We have drawers, tons of shelving, versatile hanging storage, basket storage and even jewelry drawers. I think I did our master closet, foyer closet and my sewing room shelving for about $2500. They have good sales a couple of times a year that are worth waiting for if you can. You can check them out at Containerstore.com. The staff was extremely helpful as well.
beaniebakes
11 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I've made several small online purchases of Elfa units from the Container Store and they proved to be easy to assemble, sturdy and attractive. During my last visit to NYC, I went into one of their stores and an associate designed a free-standing storage unit for a laundry closet -- with sliding baskets, shelves and a closet rod on top -- based on dimensions that I provided. I specifically wanted their free-standing unit, which I haven't seen elsewhere, because I did not want to put screws in the wall (for reasons not pertinent to this discussion.) The design software in the store is more powerful than the online DIY version and I was impressed with the quality of the service and recommendations. It's easy to get carried away with accessories and finish options when you see everything first hand (making the cost spiral), but the associate was able to revise the design several times and give me pricing for each variation, so that a final decision was easy to make. After the unit was assembled in my house, I decided to purchase an accessory that I ordered online. All I can say is that every purchase I've made either online or in the store has been flawless and the quality of Elfa is much higher than other systems I've seen. There's a 25% sale on shelving going on now and there's also an annual sale of all Elfa items.
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Please review my plan....truely apprecite all your help
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Comments (11)
You've squeezed a lot into a relatively small space! I can't read the dimensions so some of these may not be issues at all... 1) A one-car garage is pretty unusual in this day-and-age for a 2000+ sq foot home. If gas prices keep going up tho, we all may be lucky if we can afford to keep a single car so maybe that will be all you'll need! Do make sure the garage is actually big enough to park a car AND open the doors on both sides without hitting the walls. If you can't get in and out of the car, the garage will just become a big closet/junk space and you'll park your car outside. 2) Is that X in the office bathroom meant to represent a shower or something else? If a shower, I don't think it is big enough. Also, if that is a shower, is it your plan that the office should be able to double as a guest room? If not, do you really need a second powder room since there is one right around the corner in the hallway? 3) Is the closet off the dining room meant to be a pantry? If you don't have a basement, why not use the space under the end of the upper portion of stairway as your pantry and give that closet space to the office? 4) It is just furniture placement but, unless you plan to put a fireplace on the exterior wall of the Living room (between the two windows) I'd plan on turning the L-shaped sofa by 90 degrees and putting it against the exterior wall. That would give you better traffic flow as people could get from front door to kitchen without walking right thru the middle of the living room conversation area. 5) You need a wall (or at least a halfwall) behind the cooktop to separate it from the living area. It just isn't safe the way you have it sketched. Too easy for a pot of boiling water to get pushed off the back of the cooktop. If you want an "open feel", may I recommend at least a half wall there? If it were me tho, I'd put a full wall just about where the back of the sofa is to make the kitchen larger and give it more cabinet space, maybe move the stove to the outer wall and the fridge to the wall next to the living area. 6) What size do you intend to make the bay windows downstairs? Will the window sill be higher than the backs of the chairs you're planning to place there? Or, will the chair backs block the lower portion of the windows? 7) Consider using a pocket door for the hallway powderroom so that you don't run the risk of someone getting bashed by the bathroom door being opened. And consider using a tiny corner-mount sink like the one shown in the link below. 8) With the door from garage to house opening into a narrow hallway, you'll want to be sure to use a door that has a window in it so that you can see if someone is coming down the hall before you open that door. 9) Upstairs, instead of a "closet" in the hall bathroom, I'd suggest a small built-in linen cupboard positioned between the two sinks. The two sinks are really too close together to be comfortable for two people to use at once so dividing them with a cupboard would make both more comfortable. Plus, that would get rid of the door conflict that you have between the bathroom door and that closet door. 10) I'm assuming that the closet for bedroom 1 is a standard depth for a reach in closet (24" depth inside). If so that means the closet for bedroom 2 is extra deep. But, it isn't deep enough to be a walk-in closet so the extra depth is just wasted AND makes it harder to reach clothing from the door. Make that closet a standard depth and give the extra space to the laundry room. 11) Speaking of the laundry room. I hate yours. The laundry room is one of the most used spaces in a house. A large, well-appointed laundry room makes that chore so much easier that, as small and cramped as you've made the space, I'd bet big money that you're a guy and your wife does all the laundry so that you never really have to give it a thought! At a minimum, a well-appointed laundry needs, storage space for laundry supplies, space to sort dirty clothing, space to fold clean-clothing, a sink for washing out hand washables plus somewhere to hang them up, a space where one can lay sweaters and other woolens out to dry, a hanging rod for hanging up those no-ironing needed shirts AS they come out of the dryer (other wise they wind up needing to be ironed) and, of course, room for an ironing board and enough room to use it! It's nice to also have room for one's sewing machine and a place to stash clothing that needs mending. You've just put in space for the washer and dryer - which means all the rest of the laundry chores have to be done elsewhere. Yes, one CAN do laundry that way but... UGH! 12) Only half that laundry room closet you've designed is going to be at all useable useable. You can't reach anything in the back half unless you keep the front half empty so you can walk thru it. Forget the closet! Instead, incorporate the closet space into the laundry room and put kitchen-style cabinetry along the wall. That will make the laundry room look and feel more spacious and give whoever does the laundry a countertop to sort and fold clothing on. You could even put a sink in so thereis a place to wash the handwashables! Plus, if you use 15" deep upper cabinets, and full-size lower cabinets, you'll wind up with more useable storage space than you would get with the closet anyway. The extra space gained from reducing the depth of the closet to bedroom 3 should give you just enough room to fit a short hanging rod on the wall behind the laundry room door. Trust me, your wife (or whoever takes care of the laundry in your home) will LOVE you for the changes. 13) What are the dimensions of your master closet. Remember that hanging clothing takes up about 24". If you want to hang clothes along two parallel walls, the total wall-to-wall width needs to be at least 6'6" and that only gives you a 32" aisle down the middle. 7'0" width is better. 13) Other than the bed, what furniture do you plan to have in the master bedroom? Where do you intend to place it? I love all the windows but I just don't see where you can place a dresser or chest-of-drawers without having it be blocking a window. And, the path from bathroom to closet requires a trip around the bed. If one of you tends to get up first, that is going to make it difficult to get up, get a shower, and get clothing and get dressed without waking the other one up. 14) I'm not at all enamored with your masterbath, The tub feels squashed into that corner and having the toilet be the first thing you see when you walk thru the door is not at all "elegant"! Plus, the two sinks feel like they're too close together and I suspect those will get a whole lot more use than that garden tub stuck behind the toilet. Double vanity sinks need a minimum of 60 inches of counter space. More is better. If it were me and I had to fit my masterbath in the space you have allocated to it, I'd just leave the tub out completely in favor of a nice luxurious shower and more room for my two vanities plus tucking the toilet out of sight a little bit. But what I'd REALLY like to do is get rid of bedroom 3 and use that space for an enlarged master suite, a larger laundry room, and making the remaining two bedrooms each a bit larger. 15) Bedroom 3 is so tiny and, with the doors arranged the way they are, if you put a full-sized bed in there, there won't be any room left for any other furniture. Is bedroom 3 going to be a child's room? Or, do you plan for it to be a guest room? If the latter, does it really need a walk-in closet? And, how high on your list of priorities is a guest room anyway? If you only have guests once or twice a year, couldn't the office be made to do double duty... especially if you could fit a shower in the office bath? If you don't really NEED a separate guest room, I'd start by putting a 5X7 bath in the space between the dining room and the office (with the door opening into a small hallway between office and dining room). Then I'd get rid of the hall powderroom (the one in the office can serve). I'd turn the steps down to the garage by 90 degrees and it about where the hall bath is so that the door opens up toward the dining room. This would ensure that you have room to open your car doors in the garage. I tuck the pantry UNDER the main staircase and put the staircase support wall on the other side of the staircase. Having the staircase open on the living room side will make the living room feel larger and more elegant. Put a wall between kitchen and living room like suggested above. Then, I'd redesign the entire left side up the upstairs to incorporate most of the space from bedroom 3 into the mastersuite and use the rest of the extra space to enlarge the laundry room. Just my thoughts. Here is a link that might be useful: small, corner mount bathroom sink.
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Comments (4)
kandkwi, In our research, my wife and I found the EasyTrack system, which seems pretty straightforward and not too expensive. I've actually seen a display of it in a home center and it looks solid. While the cherry or maple is a tad too expensive, the white seems to me to be a good price. HTH. Rob Here is a link that might be useful: easy track
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A few years ago, I purchased EasyClosets systems to increase the utility of closets in a 1950's-era ranch. It worked out pretty well. The systems are easy to install (the hardest part is probably finding your wall studs, followed by cutting the metal closet rods to length - or vice versa, if you're not comfortable with a hacksaw), and they provided a lot of extra hardware for putting the pieces together. One closet really fought me on the installation of the top shelf pieces, I suspect because the back wall was a bit bowed, but the other three units installed without problem. I didn't order any components with drawers, as I just don't trust cam locks and MDF to provide durable, long-lasting drawers. The biggest problem I've had was when disassembling and removing a unit to repaint the closet, a cam lock got stuck and ended up breaking a pretty large chip out of one of the shelves. It's at a bottom, back corner so with a bit of epoxy it's barely noticeable, but it's a reminder of one of the drawbacks of that type of assembly. In use, the closets have proved very durable, and they made the closets a lot more functional. My preference would be to have a similar system in solid wood for my current home; I now have walk-in closets that could use some TLC, but I would be reluctant to remove the (paint grade, pine) shelving that's currently in place to install something other than another solid wood product, and I wouldn't mind adding some drawers or cabinetry where I would want some quality joinery as opposed to screws or cam locks. If you're going for pure "bang for the buck", Rubbermaid closet kits are a lot cheaper - albeit more cumbersome to install and a lot less attractive. The EasyCloset systems proved to be a selling point when we moved; they looked pretty much as good as new, the hardware components (belt rack, tie rack) are quite solid, and while the closet systems are recognizably melamine they blended quite well with the natural oak in the house, including the closet trim.
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Comments (31)
You might consider the attachable or cascading hangers. Began using the Homz brand of these years ago from Target. Several manufacturers now make them, along with loop shapes alone for attaching hangers you have. They are flatter than the regular plastic hangers so take up half the rod space of those. They hook to each other vertically without crushing the fabric. Bed Bath & Beyond carries this type in 10 packs for $4, an average price. Ignore the prices at Amazon (too high in my book) but read the reviews, including one from another 1920's homeowner. Although we have a large walk-in closet now, still appreciate the degree of organization they offer, such as 5 summer-weight long sleeve shirts hanging in a line together with sleeves exposed so I can choose one easily, along with the hanging space they free up. My DH finally decided to try them & was surprised it's much easier now to locate what he's after. I put shirts right out of the dryer on these hangers & find they don't wrinkle hanging in the closet. There are also children's sized hangers like this useful for lingerie, as well as skirt hangers. Hang purses from them, too, stacking the hangers & enclosing the whole thing in a clear zippered dress bag. Shoes not worn daily go with silica packets in individual clear plastic shoe boxes labeled with ID that stack neatly, boots in larger boxes of double width & same height, feet at opposite ends & shanks along the outsides forming two interlocking L's. Two of the shoe boxes fit atop one of the boot boxes & it's easy to restack them for the season. They fit on a top shelf or floor & keep footwear clean & easily retrievable. Out of season sweaters are stacked into wider versions of the boot boxes, with arms folded across the front & the bottom folded to the neck in front. Keeps them from creasing & several fit in each box. Out of season pants & trousers go into the same size box, folded so the legs of one interlap the next pair, keeping them from wrinkling. After measuring my pants from waist to hem, found a dresser with drawers long enough to fit them without folding. Pants & sweaters are swapped out from dresser drawers to boxes each season. Inexpensive pretty hatboxes hold odds & ends, stacked or on shelves. Can you tell I've lived in homes with no or skimpy closets over the years? Some of those closets were 6" deep with single doors & hooks screwed to the wall or ceiing. Resorted to flat-top wooden trunks with & without legs that could be stacked to conserve floor space. Still have a 3-stack of those in the front room here, with others doing duty as end tables, coffee tables, bedtables, bedroom trunks & window seats in this modern home with plenty of large closets. Craft stores & places like Tuesday Morning & Marshall's carry inexpensive decorative cardboard & wooden nesting boxes in a variety of patterns & configurations, including book boxes that stack or sit upright. These hold desk papers, folders, magazines & catalogs, gloves, hats & scarves in the coat closet, even my brush in the powder room with a pedestal sink & no vanity. So fond of trunks & boxes, even the matching end tables flanking the LR sofa are hinged trunks on legs holding a stash of board games close at hand & out of sight... Here is a link that might be useful: Attachable hangers example This post was edited by vasue on Tue, Jan 6, 15 at 18:58
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westvillager
11 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
It might matter what you mean by heavy. I used Elfa (and some Metro) pieces for my walk-in pantry. The shelves hold heavy countertop appliances (e.g. stand mixer, waffle irons, etc) along with stone mixing bowls without a problem.

We did a custom closet for the master bedroom, but wish we'd done an off-the-rack-type system through California Closets or Elfa. So much easier to reconfigure or repair! They have some really nice-looking laminate options too.
yogacat
11 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Our house was built in 1915 so closet space is scarce. One of the smaller bedrooms has a 3/4 bath off it. We made that bedroom into a dressing room. We will have to sell the house someday, so I didn't want shifting the space back to a bedroom to be hard or messy. I used Elfa freestanding units. Love 'em. They are easy to assemble, sturdy and reconfigurable. The best accessory is the shoe pullout. For the first time ever, DH puts his shoes away! Least favorite accessory, the tie/belt pullout. Feels like it uses more space than it's worth.

I like the units so well that I used them inside a normal closet, too. Much easier that trying to find studs and patching plaster, etc.
gsciencechick
11 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Hello, new to this forum. I want to try the Elfa for DH's closet,so good to see you are satsified. He needs more space for his clothes, and our closets are small in our 60's ranch. We have a Container Store about 10 min away, and I'd like to take advantage of the 30% off sale.

If we really like this one closet, we can do more.
thrilledtobuild
11 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
We just had California Closets do all of the closets in our new build. I had consultations with Closet America and Closet Factory as well. To be honest, I really liked the Closet America product most of all. It looked great, and the quality was impressive. Closet Factory was okay, but they wanted to cut out the baseboards behind the parts of their system. I'd just paid the builder and painter for those baseboards, so that didn't thrill me!

In the end, the price of California Closets was competitive, their turn-around time was lightening fast, and now that it's all installed - it looks fine. Closet America would have looked better, but the function is the same. And it's a closet system inside a closed closet. I'm pleased.
t-bird
11 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I see that ikea has lots of closet ideas....did anyone look into these? Elfa seems to have a lot of fans here, wonder about the cost/functionality comparison....
yogacat
11 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I do like the PAX systems at IKEA. In France it isn't unusual to have a bedroom without a closet. Friends there used a wall of PAX in their den/guest room. Nice if you are looking for something that looks like a wall of furniture. There was plenty of room for my clothes in a small section. They showed me the rest of the storage and it looked like it worked well for them. The downsides are the size and weight. They aren't inexpensive either either.

The Elfa works better for me because of the portability and flexibility.
gsciencechick
11 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Update: We had the Elfa installed this past Sat. I also repainted the inside of the closet and trim, which had probably not been painted in 20 years. We picked it up but had them do the install. The other side of the baskets is not shelving but another short hang area. The closet is only 66 in long, so not even 6'.

Plus, DH got rid of some of his old clothes to Goodwill, so that was bonus.

I don't have a picture yet of it with the clothes back in. I want to get the sliding tie rack for him.
Mick Mick
11 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Nice...

What type of hangers are you going to use?
gsciencechick
11 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I just used what we had! I will pick up the tie rack this weekend.
jessiegray
11 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
We used rubbermaid wire systems in all our closets, money was a issue at the time. They work well for the price. But I highly suggest using laminate or wood for any shelves...small items (purses, socks, small shirt) tend to fall through the slots in wire shelves and it is a bit aggrivating. Even our cheap closet systems can hold a TON of stuff, just make sure you bolt to a stud or use drywall anchors.
gsciencechick
11 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Our system has little plastic "placemat" type things that cover the vents in the shelves. DH was reluctant, but I think they will help.
cupofkindness
10 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
We jsut installed an Elfa system in a hall closet and my sons' bedroom closet. We spent about $475 for these two reach-in closets. My sons' closet is 56" wide. It now has three 16" deep shelves (one shelf has a full lenth clothes rod attached to it) and three 12" deep shelves. The former layout had about 13.5 linear feet of shelf space, now it has nearly 28 feet of linear shelving. It holds so much! The hall closet was basically a huge mess, just jam-packed with stuff that made no sense the way it was stored. At twenty-six inches wide, it now has six 12" deep shelves, and they way the shelves are attached to the standards, three is about 3 feet of clear space at the floor of the closet so my son has somewhere to go in case of a tornado.

We had to get some of the shelves re-cut because they were too short, about an inch short. The designers want to measure your closet for shelving 2" shorter than the overall width. We did not want gaps at either end, so by requesting new, slightly longer shelves we have shelves that go from one side wall to the other. We carefully measured where the shelf would end in the store. I was very sorry to have to return to the store during such a busy period of time for the Container Store. But of course there are so friendly.

I have mixed feelings about the cost of this project , it was a lot of money. The $475 total does not include any extras, just shelves. However, I will say that the platinum wire shelves are fabulous looking and seem extremely sturdy but flexible layout-wise too. I would recommend Elfa. Saw the Rubbermaid system at Lowes, and it looked very similiar, except that you have to measure and cut your own shelving. That was enough to steer us away from a DIY system. Elfa was 30% off, we could not have afforded to pay full price for these shelves. This annual sale ends tomorrow.
chrisinsd
8 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
We just ordered elfa for the Master and Guest closets. We finished our whole house remodel in Aug, but didn't do closet interiors (I replaced the closet doors, tracks, baseboard, and trim). In the process of turning our compartmentalized 1960 ranch into "open concept," adding essential space in both bathrooms, and adding a wet bar we actually eliminated 6 closets in our remodel.

Whereas before it didn't matter that we only had poles and a shelf in these closets (we could just pile in our junk) now the closets need to work a lot smarter.

Like many people I suppose, I always viewed Container Store's elfa system as overpriced (which is my view of this store in general)--"the same can be bought at Home Depot for 1/3 the price you know..."

Well anyway, I've changed my tune. Did some measurements at home yesterday (after I noticed TCS had a sale that was ending today) and went over there last night. A wonderful woman spent at least 2 hours with me designing the closets, explaining options, working around my architectural issues and running different pricing based on different finishes. I left the store with a folder full of all the information I needed, renderings of the closets and pricing and info to show the DS. We went back this morning and got another hour or more of a very helpful guy's time making some tweaks and last minute items. Both closets will be delivered and installed in less than two weeks. The entire experience was pleasant, easy, and satisfying.

This weekend I also installed ClosetMaid shelving that I bought from Home Depot in my hall closet for shoes. What a difference.

The ClosetMaid stuff may look like elfa, but it's not. Spend any time with the two products and you see everything from the BigBox line is inferior quality-wise. It doesn't fit as well, it's not as sturdy, it's flimsy, etc. elfa is coated in a nice enamel. ClosetMaid is coated is some kind of sticky epoxy. elfa can be specified with well fitting acrylic mats that set on top of ventilated shelves to provide an even surface that's easy to dust. elfa has covers for unsightly and sharp edges. elfa has endless options, including a 22" chest of drawers that are interchangable--exactly the size I needed and couldn't find a similar item at Depot, Lowes, or IKEA. It's just a different product; elfa is made in Sweden, ClosetMaid is made in China. It shows. Additionally, I needed to cut down some shelves from the size sold at the Depot to fit my closet. Depot told me to buy $50 bolt cutters and cut the shelves myself. A lot of sweating later (it's more work than it looks) these shelves are installed and are a very functional shoe rack, though I suspect the sitcky epoxy coverings will eventually get quite dirty. I believe TCS will cut elfa for you if needed without charge (you should confirm). But I can't imagine having to do this kind of work on my own for the much more complex bedroom closets. The Depot staff are clueless, the store is a mess, and it's very hard to find any information about how everything is supposed to work or find the parts you need.

I think the Rubbermaid isn't much better. Certainly not very nice when compared to elfa--I've had some of these shelves before and actually used their parts for the track that holds the ClosetMaid shelves as it looked slightly sturdier. I do think their system works better than ClosetMaid and have read about people who have succesfully used (abused) the free TCS design service and recreated an elfa solution with Rubbermaid products so that may be an option for some.

The only budget DIY system I looked at that I care for for use in my bedroom closet is Space-Pro Flex sold at Lowes. The problem here is that there are extremely limited components available so I would have been required to cut the shelves down, live with dinky little drawers, and waste at least 2 feet of my small Master Closet because no options were available for certain spaces. And it was only a few hundred $ less than elfa. Plus with elfa I get cool extras like Valet Rods and Glide Out Tie/Belt Racks.

You get what you pay for. Part of what you pay for at TCS is the great knowledge from the closet designers and their valuable time. I got this whole closet thing sorted in 1 day without pouring over catalogs and making inventory lists. And the installation is several hundred $ but it's quite reasonable considering they remove the old closet stuff and patch and paint your drywall (and it's optional). Our last home had California Closets installed by previous owner and they were wonderful. elfa is not quite that wonderful (no good laundry hamper like the last house), but it's mid-grade, not high-end as far as pricing goes. Overall, I'm generally thrilled to have this over with and have completely wonderful, functional closets showing up shortly that I'm confident will last. No Bolt Cutters required. Another nice thing, since elfa is terribly customizable I'm not stuck with the layout in the Guest room if that ends up turning into a nursery in the future.

I think that the cheaper big box stuff is fine if you just want some wire shelves to hold paper towels and supplies. But when you want to combine storage with clothes, really use your space and need a lot of choices to do that properly, want flexibility to make changes in the future easily, and just want a nicer looking sturdier product, elfa is worth the extra cost.

Good luck to all in their search!

PS -- we bought during the elfa shelving sale which is 25% off except the drawers (I know, weird). The better sale starts Christmas Eve through Jan-Feb and it's 30% off everything. We could have saved several hundred, but I didn't want to wait until after the holidays. For those that missed this one, get designing now so you can put your order in right away. I understand the 30% sale is a lot like the IKEA kitchen sales (i.e. bedlum).

This post was edited by ChrisInSD on Mon, Oct 20, 14 at 12:53
awm03
8 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I converted an 8 1/2 ft. reach-in closet with a single pole and two overhead shelves to a Rubbermaid Configurations Deluxe 4-8 ft. Closet Kit this weekend. I was skeptical because the old closet held a ton of clothes (perhaps literally -- they were very heavy). But the new system is holding everything just fine with some room to spare as I gained 4 feet of hanging space. I'm astonished, frankly. Those wire systems always looked so flimsy, but they must be a lot stronger than they appear. We went to the hardware store and got extra screws & drywall bolts to secure the system into the studs & wall, just in case. And the closet got a new coat of paint for the first time in 44 years -- fresh white semi-gloss. It's wonderful -- now I can see everything at a glance and know exactly what's there.

I didn't need a beautiful closet with pretty drawers and stylish finishes. I just wanted a more functional closet. And I got one for under $100 as Amazon had the Rubbermaid systems on sale. Actually, the new closet is better than more functional. It's highly efficient and will save me time -- no more hunting & hunting for something to wear and not noticing perfectly good items because they are buried amidst the crowd.

I like that I'm not locked into a closet configuration. As my wardrobe changes over the years, I can add, subtract, or switch out hanging rods, shelves, baskets, shoe storage.

In short, I didn't expect to be this happy with just a Rubbermaid kit closet. But I am, and quite impressed too.
scrappy25
8 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
We've had our Ikea Pax equivalent system for 20 years through 3 moves. I think it's called System 210 but the current Pax is even more versatile. We started small were fortunate that on each of those moves we were able to purchase an extension unit. The three attached units now take up one wall of our bedroom and holds all my clothes, and is also our future gifts repository. My husband uses the bedroom's built in walk in closet. I wish we had purchased fancier doors but these were purchased early in our marriage when price trumped looks. They have held up incredibly well.
Helena2013
8 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I put Elfa into 5 different home areas (closet-room, computer room, kitchen, storage/laundry hallway, and garage) during the past year or so, after researching and going to look at all the available options.

I absolutely do NOT regret paying more for the Elfa. The quality of the components and the professionalism of TCS is top notch. This is what I found worked best for me:

Although I started out with 'designed' spaces, I quickly found that a designer's idea of the best use of my space did not mesh with what I am comfortable having. I'm super picky about layout and need 100% flexibility to be able to change anything, anywhere, to anything else anywhere. I was going from a house with a LOT of space to a house with very little space, and needed the Elfa in place before I actually moved in. So I really had no choice but to literally build it on the fly, LOL. I just tossed all the planned spaces, had all the top rails installed by my contractor (it was cheaper than having Elfa do it, and I'm far too unsteady on a ladder myself) and worked up my own initial design.

What I did was to base EVERY Elfa room/area on a 24" spacing between the hanging standards, and using ONLY their 24" wide components. This has given me the freedom to move any component (shelf, basket, you name it) to anywhere else -- and I've done that numerous times already. As my "stuff" changes in type, size, location and quantity over time, this total flexibility is priceless. Sometimes I find that a shelf here or there is just a tad to high or too low for comfortable reaching (especially at my age, LOL) but hey, no problem, it can be shifted in about two minutes. Occasionally I have had to buy an extra shelf bracket or two but other than that, no problems.

In the computer room I created a desk area along one wall, and have a pair of freestanding drawer units with 3 deep drawers for hanging files via their special insert. The ONE quibble I have is that the drawer that contains the most files does not open as easily or smoothly as the other two which have a lighter load. To be fair, this should be expected because these are not standard desk drawers with glides; you have metal on metal, no "rollers".

When I was at TCS recently to pick up something else (non-Elfa, believe it or not, LOL) one of the designers mentioned that Elfa is currently working on the possibility of introducing doors for their closest system. He didn't have any specifics on how that might be accomplished, other than that they are supposedly working on it. Also supposedly there are some other new Elfa components in the works as well. I noticed that they now have solid opaque drawers in some sizes to fit the freestanding drawer units (as an alternative to putting a clear liner inside one of the metal ones). Apparantly these are a trial balloon to see how they sell before expanding it to all of the drawer sizes.

This post was edited by Helena2013 on Thu, Nov 27, 14 at 14:33
JAD87
8 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
We've used the DC-area Closet Factory several times and have been very pleased with the design process and final product. We've done interior closet spaces and also a free standing (visible) mudroom with cubbies and doors. We are currently in the midst of a major remodel in a new-to-us house and will be calling on Closet Factory again for a mudroom and several closets.
chrisinsd
7 years ago
BTW--update after a year--we love elfa. It has really been a great decision and I highly recommend TCS's design and install services.
artemis_ma
7 years ago
Thanks for all this info. I've just designed some possible closets on Easy Closets, and am looking to explore other possibilities.

I know I don't want the "Plastic Look" or wire shelves or similar gew-gaws.

Two of my closets are deep enough to qualify (barely) as walk-in -- which means I can at least try an angled edge with more storage. I'm, well, investigating!
Geo Manko
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
I purchased The Container Store's Elfa self install, L shape a few months ago. My opinion of the transaction is that I was cheated out of a few hundred dollars.

Let me state the obvious that the Container Store's intentions are to sell you something. This was apparent throughout the process.

I told the agent what I wanted and she handed me a buzzer; told me to talk around the store while SHE designed the space. Before this, I told her I wanted an L shaped for a small 5x5 walk in at around $1000. An L shape is only 2 walls.

I came back to a design she thought I would like, at a price of $1800 (30% off included in this). This is substantially higher than what I asked for. We made adjustments and brought it down to $1600. I was told it wasn't possible to go lower without changing the entire design.

Against my better judgement I went forward with the purchase. After receiving all pieces in the mail, I went over the design again with someone over the phone who told me there were a couple hundred dollars worth of pieces that weren't necessary to the design. For the bulk of the design, the original agent sold me smaller 20" shelves instead of longer 40" shelves. This caused me to need extra brackets, an entire support beam, fronters, ect..

If this was not brought to my attention, I wouldn't have had a clue that I over paid by $400. Additionally, I would have installed more pieces than necessary, and the closet wouldn't have looked as uniform due to the break up in shelving.

A few weeks later, customer service emailed me with a standard protocol follow up, and I told them I wasn't happy with the purchase, solely for reasons stated above. She defended the company by saying: The Container Store was selling me "options" by giving me the extra pieces, they were leaving the closet open ended for changes if I decided necessary in the future. (adding draws, whatever). However, I was not given the original OPTION to go lower in price. So, basically what they're calling options are really just up-sell pitches. Beware of this.

I still had 12 pieces that I did not need, the facia (sp?) fronters. I planned on returning. The rep told me to throw them away and she would refund the $200 for the fronters. This saved me the hassle of having to go back to the store.

In a nut shell..for almost being over charged hundreds of dollars, I was spared a few dollars in gas from having to driving to the store. Nice.

The closet is awesome. The quality is nice (don't get cologne or room spray on the wood, it stains). It was easy to put together minus the stickers they put everywhere (two per bracket).

If you purchase this item, insist on being present while the employee designs the features. Don't let them sell you "options". Don't let them stray from the price point you decide. It's all one big sales tactic. Other than that, enjoy.

**I could have went without two of the shelves as well. She really crammed in as many as possible. I guess they saw me coming.

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