B & B Closets and Garages

We recently installed a master closet in the Palmira subdivision that is east of I-75 off Bonita Beach Road. The client wanted to keep their bedroom free of furniture, so we installed 26 drawers plus a clothes hamper like the picture above. There is a growing trend, if you have the space, to reduce the amount of furniture and use more built-in items in the place you need them.

If you'd like a complimentary consultation and design, please call 239.209.4616 .

Nowadays, a home office is almost a necessity even if you don't work there! Keeping all of the paperwork, bills, notes and computers in a defined area makes life less hectic and more organized. Closet Tailors can design a home office to fit nearly any nook or cranny including guest room closets, laundry nooks and those odd spaces that are around the corner, but not good for anything...yet! Take a look at the website pictures for ideas and let us make some space for you...
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I know it sounds silly, but if you have the room to add drawers inside your closet, that will free up space in the bedroom. You typically use the closet once or twice a day whereas the bedroom itself is passed through many times. Removing a dresser, which is typically six feet x two feet, you free up a spot for a chaise lounger or decorative shelving. With a young family, that kind of space is perfect for a crib or bassinet as well.

Drawers come in all sizes as long as the face can be attached properly. Typical sizes are 6", 8" and 10" with the corresponding drawer approximately 1" less in height. Some come without the face and have a "scoop" handle cut out of them to pull open. Scoop faces do leave the interior goods open to light and dust, so we usually see them in pantries or general storage areas.

The rails or "glides" that the drawer sits on make a big difference as well. A simple white epoxy metal rail with roller bearing is usually fine and keeps the cost down. As an upgrade, full ball bearing glides that extend the drawer out completely add $8-15 to the cost. The installation on ball bearing glides is most of the price increase.

For more information on custom closets, visit
Closet Tailors of SW Florida or call 239-209-4616 for immediate reply.

We had a one car garage in Verandah east of Ft. Myers that needed as much storage space as possible. With tie beams and semi-vaulted ceiling, we added shelving everywhere up high, cabinets, hung two bikes, put some wire shelves up for golf shoes and added 2 x 4's for wall storage. All in all, the client was greatly pleased with the work and time frame (< 2 weeks).

Though it may seem trivial, we were asked to place a bench seat inside the closet so the client could sit down briefly and put their shoes on. Though the space above was not used (per their request), this amenity does add a touch of class while putting a couple of shoe shelves underneath the seat.

All in all, the rest of the closet was used very well, client was happy (called back to do garage!) and it adds another service for future customers. Check out www.closettailors.com/capecoral for other closet, garage, home office, pantry and laundry storage systems or call 239-209-4616 for a free estimate.

Though most people think they need a large closet to justify customizing it, many small spaces can be upgraded and provide HUGE increases in usable storage space. A typical closet runs about 90-108" high and, for the vast majority, there is empty space running from about 72" on up. Mostly that is because the single white wire shelf is right about eye level and you throw a few items up there that you cannot reach or never use. Let's change that view...

Custom closets usually have a double row of hanging that tops out at the 84" level. Ergonomics dictate that the top hanging rod should be around the 80" and the lower rod around the 40" mark above ground. Now that you have doubled up the hanging, what to do with the "leftover" space? That's where shelving brings down the usable items to eye level and, guess what, you STILL have the top 8-24" above that for the rarely used items.

Now about my pantry...

Today's pantry has almost been an afterthought in a home's design. In days long gone, the pantry had to store jarred preserves, dried meats, potatoes, spices, sugar, flour and similar basic food items. With the advent of refrigeration and grocery stores, the pantry began to shrink in size and importance.

Nowadays, with sometimes nothing more than a coat closet 24" in width and depth, the main need is to provide flexibility in shelving height. Spice jars don't need to be stacked next to a cereal box twice its height and waste space. Though there are some excellent products to adjust heights of items, such as "stadium seating" spice and can racks, having flexible shelving is the first step.

In the vast majority of new homes, the builder puts in fixed wire shelves throughout. Not only does the wire shelving allow small items (now where did that soup mix go?) to fall through, but they cannot be adjusted to your needs. Typical storage panels are on the 32mm (1.25") European standard and thus shelves can be adjusted at that increment up or down.

Larger walk in pantries, whether they be in new homes or renovations of existing larders, offer many options. One of the most useful is a series of sliding baskets with varying depths. The most common uses include storing pasta, potato chips, cookies and quick grab snack items like Fruit Rollups or granola bars. Baskets can also be used for real potato, fruit and vegetable storage such as onions (use a dark liner to block ambient light).

Another more common use for pantries is wine storage. These are not the vintage Rothschild-type, but more of commonly consumed wines as is custom in France or Italy. Sliding wine racks can store typically four bottles across in a 24" opening and are easily stacked to maximize the space. Though not as efficient, traditional lattice work can also be framed to provide the tilted and display look. Zig-zagged lucite frames also allow convenient stacking. Remember: keeping your "house wine" in the same place as food storage will keep it top of mind as you set up your shopping list!

Murphy Beds were originally devised and patented in 1916 by William Murphy as a space saver for small rooms. As homes, hotels and even military locations were working on European standards, rooms were made smaller which allowed for higher densities. In actuality, it made for cramped spaces and thus the beginning of the "multi-purpose" room.
The Murphy bed as we know it usually is part of a larger wall system that incorporates shelving, drawers, full cabinets and sometimes televisions or entertainment centers. Needing a minimum of 16" depth to allow for a standard 10.5" high mattress, a custom closet or Murphy bed professional can devise substantial storage options if additional wall space is available.
The beds are sized based upon the single, double, queen and king size mattresses that can be bought at any bedding store. Mattress height is key and you should consult with your Murphy bed provider for their exact specifications. There are several options that could affect the allowable mattress height, such as spring tension and side panel materials, so do not stray from the specs.
The beauty of the Murphy bed is that it frees up so much space once closed. I have several clients that use the room as a workout space, home office and library when the bed is not in use.

With many of us either bringing work home or working out of our house, a truly functional home office has become a necessity. There is a lot of science, including space planning and ergonomics, that is used to make a space workable outside of placing a Wal-Mart workstation in the corner. Follow most, if not all, of these tips and you'll be using your space effectively plus reduce stress and fatigue.
Your home should start with about four linear feet and there is a reason: basic office chairs need 24 inches and the smallest file cabinets are 12 inches wide. Flank an opening for your knees with two 12 inch cabinets and Bam! - you are at four feet. Anything under four feet becomes cramped, lacks file and/or drawer space and likely will be overtaken by today's paperwork!
The desk depth could come into play as well. A traditional office desk is a minimum of 24 inches deep. Depending on the depth of the adjacent walls, you may not want a deep desktop to avoid room blockage. Eighteen inches is as small as I would allow for a useful space.
The actual desktop surface is also key. Will you be using it for general writing, bill paying, etc? Then a melamine or laminate top will work fine. If you are using for crafts, say scrapbooking, the hammering and cutting would likely damage a softer surface. Though pricey, invest once in a solid surface such as Corian or granite so you don't have to replace it. The color palettes of Corian and granite also allow for a nice contrast to, or tie-in, the room's décor. Remember: 30-32" is the standard height from the ground for good ergonomics.
If the wall above the desk space is available, either open shelving or cabinets can be hung to maximize storage. Most custom home office providers will match the style and width to the base cabinets. I often put crown molding on top of the upper cabinets to provide a finished, and much more built-in, look.
Nearly every home office has a computer. Laptops take up their room while desktops vary greatly in size and shape. Even the printers, fax, scanner, copier and assorted modems will use valuable space. Call a local custom closet, such as Closet Tailors, or office organization company as they can recommend proper spacing and options to manage your peripherals.
Most homes do have the space to place a small home office that can act as the communication center, mail room and computer work station. Follow some of the tips above and you can make yours a reality!

The choice of closet materials usually falls along the lines of cost versus utility & look. The vast majority of new homes have either white wire or ventilated wood. White wire is the cheapest, by far, and ventilated wood usually is the "upgrade" option (hint, hint%u2026the installation and utility are the same as wire). Here's a detailed breakdown of the differences and other options below.
White Wire
Builder love this ClosetMaid product because it is cheap and easy to install. Most clients don't care about the utility of the closet and it always looks bigger when empty! Thus wire is set at 66" off ground so most clothes fit, but is an extremely inefficient storage system. Over time, it also tend to have a mold grow over the entire surface which is nearly impossible to remove.
Ventilated Wood
This product is usually made of real wood and has a better look than white wire. Plus it has the advantage of some air flow around clothes and less grid pattern on folded items. That being said, it has the same lack of functionality. You may see two rows of hanging and some shelving, but rarely have I seen any drawers, clothes bin or other amenities. The cost is nearly the same, and sometime exceeds, melamine systems.
Melamine
Melamine is the industry term for a high density pressed board. Once the materials formed form mostly recycled wood by high pressure presses, it is effectively shrink-wrapped in any one of dozens of colors or wood grain patterns. After that, it is milled into various standard sizes and shapes that are joined to assemble a custom closet. Its advantages are many colors, versatility and efficient use of the space assuming you have a good design to start with. Melamine systems also have lots of options as they are based upon industry standard 32 mm hole pattern.
Real Wood
There are several suppliers (Mission Woodworking) that can cut and finish custom storage system parts in real wood with a good stain and finish. The design is key as it would be difficult to acquire parts for any last minute changes. These systems have only one drawback - cost. The cost is approximately 225% of a melamine or ventilated wood system. They do have a longer lead time as well.

So you do have to balance the functionality vs. look vs. cost when deciding on how best to upgrade or replace a system. A solid local custom storage firm, such as Closet Tailors of SW Florida, usually offers free design and can advise you on what fits your budget.

Here is a set of garage cabinets lining the front wall of a garage in Naples' Bridgewater Bay development. We added extra open shelving on another wall and will hang two 4' x 8' overhead racks as well. Add in some slat wall and you have a spanking garage! More Tips From Closet Tailors

Small closets need love too! Here is one from a 40+ year old Cape Coral,Fl home that is under renovation. We maxed the usable space and squeezed in a few drawers as well! Look for more information on closets & storage at: Closet Tailors of SW Florida

As a professional, I was taught how to build closets and storage systems a certain way. You measure and design to use every available inch given industry standards and client tolerances. The reason I bring this up is a potential client asked me if I "cut to fit" or used "modular systems".

Some firms will buy a pre-determined size of modular system that will get close to the needed dimensions. Then they use mullions or filler strips to hide the gaps between the wall and the system. Needless to say, I feel that cheats the client out of valuable space. I'll even go out of the way to use corners and not-so-square shapes to make usable space out of odd angles (see picture).

If you have a square room, odd angles do not come in to play much. But many newer homes have angled walls and the designer toss in a closet behind them not caring how useful it might be. Get more tips at: More Tips From Closet Tailors