Interior Products Review: High Class Closets High Class Closets: Fancy Closet Organization systems spawn happy homeowners and more profits for pros.

Every 18 months, KB Home's Houston division surveys potential local home buyers about the features they most want in a new home. Almost everyone asks for the same thing–larger closets.

So three years ago, the division added large, walk-in closets to all of its floor plans and scrapped the traditional wood plank and pole that had always come standard in the builder's closets. In their place are two vinyl-coated wire shelves with attached racks that allow the user to continuously slide clothes from one end to the other without running into brackets.

"The trend started to shift when the custom builders were beginning to use ventilated and laminated shelving," says Tim Mayo, the division's executive vice president. "The perceived value [of an upgraded closet] had increased."

In fact, home builders who offer their buyers the option to upgrade bare-basics closets with wire, melamine, or wood shelves as well as drawers, racks, and hampers are seeing them jump at the chance–and open their wallets to pay for it. Manufacturers estimate that a home buyer who adds a factory-made closet organizer to an otherwise standard closet will shell out an average of $2,500 for it. In high-end homes, says self-titled "closet lady" Doreen Tuman of New York City, it's not unusual for the owners to pay $10,000 to have several closets designed and fitted with storage-stretching compartments finished to match the bedroom furniture.

Functional to Fab

Closets have gone from functional to fabulous as the makers of organization systems have made their wire-and-melamine space-savers visible to consumers through displays at popular stores like The Home Depot, Wal-Mart, and The Container Store.

And, says Ginny Snook Scott, vice president of franchise development for California Closets, Americans are spending more energy, time, and money putting together their wardrobes, so they want closets that help them protect their clothing investments.

"People are more fashion-oriented," she says. "There's more of an emphasis on how to store your clothes and how to take care of them."

Yet builders continue to treat closets as holes in the wall, accuses Tuman, of the Closet Lady/Manhattan Murphy Bed. "Some just put in the closets and you're on your own," she says. "They'll put in wire shelving because that's the cheapest way of going. But if you're paying $1 million for a house nowadays, wire systems aren't what you should be putting in there. You should be giving clients some sort of choice."

Laing Luxury Homes, a Newport Beach, Calif., production builder, does offer options for the closets, and more than 20 percent of buyers upgrade, says Kari Deol, design studio operations manager.

Standard is a high-gloss wood shelf with a chrome pole, which Deol says is "nicer than a lot of builders offer." But upgrades include mix-and-match closet system components that can run a buyer anywhere from $1,200 to $30,000. One homeowner spent $40,000 on a custom-made, built-in system that the builder arranged for.

Those who go for a pre-made closet system often choose extra shelves and shoe racks, says Deol. But many also add jewelry drawers, glass-covered curios for perfumes, hampers, and valet bars. She calls that $6,000 to $9,000 configuration "typical" for a master bedroom, although she admits that because the closet is a final touch during the building process, many customers exhaust their budgets on kitchen, bathroom, and other upgrades and don't have enough money left to spruce up the closets.

Those who do, she says, have a better buying experience. "To have a buyer turn the key and walk into a finished product, and they don't have to redo all sorts of things," Deol notes, "is a really nice experience."

Sales Soaring

Shane Shupe, channel manager for Rubbermaid Building Products Group, says the remodeling market for closets is growing by about 9 percent a year, partly because buyers of new homes are unhappy with the closets that came with their houses.

"A couple of months later … they'll hire a closet remodeler to take out everything that was put in [the closet] by the builder," he says. "When you take into consideration that the average customer in the remodeling market spends $2,500 remodeling their closets, and the builder maybe spends $300 or $400, it feels like builders are missing the boat when it comes to closet organization."

Shupe says builders can make it easier for homeowners to add all the bells and whistles to their closets by allowing the buyer to add the costs to the mortgage.

He suggests that working with a closet systems manufacturer allows the builder to call in the vendor to install the product. And he says builders can keep the process simple by offering good/better/best packages: standard, with wire shelving; standard plus one piece of melamine furniture, like a stack of drawers or a shoe rack; or a full melamine closet that costs thousands of dollars.

"It becomes easy for the salesperson to show what the options are, and people will generally add at a least a few hundred dollars upgrading to a kit that adds one piece of furniture into the closet," he says.

Michael Hamman, a general contractor in San Francisco, says he keeps busy remodeling closets. In a typical remodel, he replaces the builder-supplied pole and plank with two poles–one on top of the other–for hanging clothes, and builds shelves and drawers from the top of the pole to the ceiling. Shoe racks under the hanging clothes make use of otherwise wasted space.

He calls in a closet vendor when clients ask for pre-made systems. For those who hire architects to design custom systems, Hamman builds the shelving himself.

Still, he says, "the closet companies have gotten somewhat sophisticated in their offerings. They're getting much more flexible."

Indeed, early closet systems featured vinyl-coated wire shelving whose wall brackets made it impossible to slide clothes freely from side to side and whose wide wire webs left waffle-like imprints on shelved clothing. Free-sliding shelves and tighter weaves solved those problems, and new epoxy coatings eliminated rust and cracking.

At the same time, manufacturers began offering shelving and accessories in white melamine. Eventually, most manufacturers added colored melamines in hues that mimic maple and cherry. Some of the makers added furniture-style cabinetry in melamine or solid wood, complete with raised paneling and available in a variety of wood hues.

"A lot of the trends for the closet come directly from the kitchen," says Shupe, who notes white is still the most popular–and least expensive–color, but adds that dark woods are gaining ground.

Hamman predicts manufactured closet systems will gain more favor with homeowners as their storage needs increase, partly because they're less expensive than custom-made carpentry.

"Often the budget is such that [the homeowner] is looking for a utilitarian solution," he says. The closet companies are a good solution for that because they satisfy the need for storage space that is aesthetically pleasing."

–BUILDING PRODUCTS

Knape & Vogt Mfg.

Knape & Vogt Mfg. The Virtú collection features heavy-duty, scratch-resistant coated steel and aluminum wire appointments. Baskets, racks, hampers, and trays pull out smoothly on nylon roller slides, the manufacturer says, offering accessibility and durability at 13- and 20-inch extensions. The system is available in solid birch wood with some semi-opaque melamine parts. 800-253-1561. www.kv.com.

Space-Metrics USA

Space-Metrics USA. Made of melamine, this floor-mounted closet features spacious, custom-fit shelving and drawers. Storage accessories include valet rods and shoe fences. It's available in seven colors and wood-grain finishes. 608-297-8201. www.space-metrics.com.

California Closets

California Closets. The Classic White walk-in closet features adjustable shelving, a hidden portable laundry hamper, and a dresser drawer hutch, all wall-mounted. Offered in white and three wood-like shades, this laminate system can be accessorized with baskets, drawer inserts, and other organizing tools. 800-873-2464. www.calclosets.com.

Windquest Cos

Windquest Cos. The ORG line offers wall- or floor-mounted customizable storage solutions in 3/4-inch, 1-inch, or 1-1/8-inch particleboard with melamine laminate. Available in four colors and five wood-grains, the line includes four door and drawer options. A full line of complementary accessories is available. 800-562-4257. www.homeorg.com.

Schulte Corp

Schulte Corp. The versatile freedomRail system utilizes steel hanging rails and uprights that securely hold components without having to be anchored to the wall, the maker claims. The durable melamine shelving is available in cherry, maple, and white. Sections can be reconfigured once the system is installed, allowing for easy custom storage. 800-669-3225. www.schultestorage.com.

ClosetMaid

ClosetMaid. Offered in raised or smooth-front panels, the laminate MasterSuite collection is available in maple, warm cognac, clean white, and antique white. The custom-built, dealer-installed system uses dowel-and-screw construction and includes accessories from shoe cubbies to islands, ensuring no two closets are alike. 800-221-0641. www.closetmaid.com.

Rubbermaid

Rubbermaid. With 3/4-inch adjustable melamine shelving, the Heirloom collection is available in white, maple, and cherry. Raised door and drawer fronts add style, the manufacturer claims, and built-in hampers hide dirty laundry. With a corresponding wire collection, Rubbermaid offers solutions for reach-in or walk-in closets. 877-533-1197. www.rubbermaidpro.com.

Closets Central

Closets Central. This Antique White custom system features melamine shelving in a variety of sizes and comes with a Formica-topped island. Systems can be custom-designed in three colors and eight wood-grains and offer open shelving or a wardrobe look with full doors. A standardized white line also is available for quick shipping. 866-496-7453. www.closetscentral.com.

Stor-x.

Stor-x. This custom-fit system is available in 17 finish choices, from pastels to wood-grains, and is made of melamine or low-pressure laminate on an environmentally friendly particleboard core, the maker says. Built on or off the floor, systems feature a pull-down, spring-loaded bar allowing clothes storage at a normally inaccessible height. 877-275-6868. www.stor-x.com.

Classy Closets

Classy Closets. This system's custom-stained alder veneer also is offered in maple or oak with solid wood raised-panel doors and drawer faces. In addition, systems come in solid wood or melamine with flat or round edge-finishing. Featuring glass inset doors and dentil molding, this line features his-and-hers enclosed hanging spaces and an island with 16 spacious drawers. 800-992-2448. www.classyclosets.com.

Closet and Storage Concepts

Closet and Storage Concepts. Using a 3/4-inch melamine laminate, this closet system is adjustable after installation so the homeowner can change it around as storage needs change. Custom-designed, the system can be built on or off the floor. Laminate, acrylic, or glass doors add protection and style. The system is available in white, almond, and nine wood-grain finishes. 888-843-2567. www.closetandstorageconcepts.com.

ProClosets

ProClosets. Cherry is one of six melamine finishes on a particleboard core that can be paired with five hanging-bar colors. Standard sizes can be custom fit. The wall-mounted designs hang by a steel track system. An 8-foot section can hold up to 1,200 pounds, the manufacturer claims. The systems come with a limited lifetime guarantee for the initial homeowner. 877-289-2776. www.proclosets.com.

Garage Plus

No matter how big a garage a builder attaches to a home, it seems there's never enough room in it to park the family car.

The result: Storage systems for the garage are becoming best-sellers.

Some are made from the same epoxy-coated wire and waterproof melamine as the shelves and racks that homeowners are using to dress up their bedroom closets. But other garage storage systems also feature metal shelves and sturdy plastic cabinets.

Shane Shupe, channel manager for Rubbermaid Building Products Group, says the garage is the company's fastest-growing area for new products. But he notes Rubbermaid is seeing a growing demand for storage systems for kitchen pantries, laundry rooms, and mud rooms as well.

"We've seen melamine move out of the closet and into all of these rooms," he says.

–Sharon O'Malley

Whirlpool

Whirlpool. The Gladiator GarageWorks system features modular floor cabinets, drawer units, shelving, workbenches, flooring, and a variety of wall hooks, baskets, shelves, and racks. All floor units are mounted on lockable casters. 866-342-4089. www.gladiatorgw.com.