I'm sorry I don't have any good recommendations (I wasn't ignoring you, but Iw ante;d our question to float at the top in case someone who COULD help would see it. My observation of other people's GCs indicates that they're not really the best at maximizing the space (they never space shelves closely enough, for one thing). You might consider wandering down to the Container Store and asking them to help you figure out an Elfa solution. Then even if you decide not to go w/Elfa, you'll have a sense of how many shelves, how far apart, etc.

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

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.

I have Elfa ventilated shelves (and some drawers) in my pantry and laundry room both. I love them BUT I use liners so I don't have the wobbly issue going on. That would drive me crazy. Elfa's ventilated shelves, unlike what you can find at Lowe's, HD or Ikea, have the wires a lot closer together. They also "lock" into place so the wire part is sitting really firmly in the bracket - not just a piece of wood sitting on top of the shelf bracket. As far as organizing little things, Elfa has "shelf baskets" that you can put dividers in and stack stuff in if need be. In the pic below, I have one of those on the immediate left (3 shelves up) and above the counter top oven in the back. I use it for bags of baking stuff like chocolate chips, coconut, etc on the left and treats in the back. And I absolutely love their big drawers. Container Store's return policy is great too - anytime with a receipt and the best Elfa sales is 30% off all Elfa products. It starts Dec. 24th and goes through the end of January typically. There is one in the fall that isn't as good - 25% of Elfa Shelving. (No, I don't work for Container Store, I am just a big fan and will be buying some more Elfa stuff during their Dec. sale.) Here's a picture of our new pantry.