Our Home Closets Review
Our CLOSETS are done! When we built this home my goal was to have it very organized. I knew to have it organized it meant that I needed the tools to be successful. The biggest component to keeping our clothes in order is to have an organized closet. With this being our home we plan on being in for quite some time, I knew that I wanted to install custom closets. I wanted to find a way to do this but not completely break the bank.
Our home is 5 bedrooms so I quickly started adding up the cost in my head. I had to get creative on how to get closets in each space but not have it be crazy expensive. I decided in order to do that I was going to purchase closets from different vendors that were in different price points.
Our Closet Companies:
California Closets – Master Bedroom
Container Store ELFA Closet System – Boys and Guest Bedroom
Closets by Design – Garage Storage
California Closet: Master Closet
When we built the home we asked our builder to leave the closet empty. I highly recommend this to save you from having to pay a demo fee with the closet company. I wanted our closet to look custom and to fit with my overall houses aesthetics. I researched a few companies but felt CA closet gave me the most luxurious vibe.
We reached out to express interest. Our rep came out to our space measure and prepare for our first meeting. She asked questions about what we will use the space for, how many clothes/shoes we have. To give her an idea of the type of closet that needs to be built.
The Process
We scheduled an appointment, and it lasted about an hour. We met in the showroom and went over tiers of closets, finishings, colors, and options. Something to note, there are different tiers of CA closets. I learned about the Martha Stewart collection that is less expensive than the other styles but still gives you a CA closet look.
She came into the appointment with having a general base of our closet made, and then customized it based on what we expressed we wanted. You are able to see the closet on a screen as she is designing it. A few things I love that we added. We put in a full length mirror which I love, and to capitalize on space we added hanging storage behind the closet. I’ve always had a hamper, we built in a hamper that helped eliminate that extra storage in our room. Love that we added a pull out bar for clothing that I need quick access too along with tie/belt hooks. You can fully customize your closet so make sure to build it exactly how you need it.
Installation Process
After ordering and paying it was about 6-8 weeks for installation. This may be quicker now as we had ours installed during the time when everything was delayed. The installation took 3 days. The installation team was probably one of the nicest set of people to come to our house ever! They were singing tunes and just very pleasant.
Price
$$$. Ours was over $10k. Our design was pretty expensive. You can do more affordable closets with them.
Overall Thoughts
I love the way it looks visually. I honestly am not impressed with the craftsmanship based on the cost. However, CA Closet is working to rectify and correct, because they too agreed it wasn’t up to par. I love my closet, definitely has a wow factor.
Items Shown: Velvet Hangers, Light Fixtures, Rug
Container Store – Elfa System
Elfa system is the Container Stores closet line. They also have more expensive lines Avera is the next tier up and Laren is their top tier. The higher tiers would be more comparable to California Closet. We went with the Elfa line, because we wanted an affordable option. We wanted more storage than the 1 rack the builder installed. Efla system is very customizable and can be a DIY.
Cashton’s Closet
Items Shown: Shoe Box | Small Cotton Bin | Large Cotton Bin | Kids Hangers | 3-Tier Rolling Cart
Calvin & Cyrus’s Closet
Items Shown: Elfa Closet System | Large Woven Bin | Medium Woven Bin | Kids Hangers |
Cameron’s Closet
The Process
I scheduled a time with a design consultant, appointment only took about 30 minutes. I had to measure the space myself, vs. CA Closets does come to your home to measure and take pictures of the space. Not a big deal just wanted to note this. With Container Store you have to come into the appointment ready to tell the consultant exactly what you need. With my CA appointment I felt after she took inventory of my clothing and shoes she built my design on that. With that, make sure you know exactly what you need for your closet space.
It took about 20 minutes for her to make the design. One key difference with using Elfa is it is not custom. Example of this is based on the dimensions of our closet it was in between sizes for their typically racks. We had to use a different shelf (that didn’t match) because the standard size wouldn’t fit. It’s not very noticeable especially with clothes on the rack, but there is a difference. Of course less color options as well.
One thing I did with all the closets to elevate the look, the wire basket drawers I added a drawer front to it. That gives the look that it is a drawer, but really a pull out basket. This saves major cost! My favorite part was the shoe storage pull outs.
Installation Process
After ordering and paying, it took a week for them to come out and install which is super quick! I paid for them to install because we didn’t want to worry about installing ourselves. You totally can do this yourself and save the cost. The installer did take down the existing racks and then install the Elfa system. Each closet took about 2 hours.
Price
$. Ours was $500-$1800. This is completely able to be based on your budget. If you only have $300 you can get some closet solution.
Overall Thoughts
Love Elfa system! I wouldn’t have wanted this for our master because it isn’t quite elevated enough for what I was looking for. I didn’t explore the higher tiers because I already booked CA Closets. Also love that if this closet design doesn’t work I can alway purchase new components. I can also take it with us should we ever move.
Closet by Design – Garage
Our garage needed storage. I wanted a design that would not show all the items, and I wanted a sleek design that gave off an indoor/outdoor appearance. I was introduced to the closet brand because my friend had her master closet done by them. I got on their email list and pulled the trigger on going with them when I saw a 40% off + 15% off deal happening.
The Process:
We scheduled an appointment. The guy came out, unfortunately an hour late because he went to the wrong address. Once he arrived to our home he took measurements. Now this appointment came after my CA appointment, so I was expecting a similar experience it was not as tech savvy. Once I shared what I needed from the space, he pulled out graphing paper, pencil, and ruler and started drawing the design. It took him about 50 minutes and he still wasn’t done. I had another appointment so needed him to finish back at his office. The pencil and paper design did make it difficult to really visualize what he was creating. We built 2 separate closet sections and a wall for hanging.
Later he emailed me over the sketch, and we still moved forward because the price we thought was more affordable than what we would be able to find somewhere else.
Installation Process:
After ordering and paying it took about 4-6 weeks to install. The installation took 1 day, and the team wasn’t really friendly. There were 2 people, 1 was clearly being trained. Many times it was visible the guy was over the training guy. They worked from 8am all the way until it was dark. I really think it needed to be 2 days, but maybe their schedule didn’t allow.
Price:
$$ Ours was about $3,000.
Overall Thoughts:
I like what was built, it has been pretty durable thus far. I believe they should make the design process a bit more savvy. I love that we went with a gray and black vibe. Looks perfect with our gray epoxy floor, and just fits a garage look. We actually need more storage this isn’t enough, so we are looking at ceiling racks. I don’t think I would go with them for my master closet but maybe would have for the boys closets. Closets by Design always have deals so make sure to wait until they are running a special.
I will 1000% say installing closets in our home has helped keep our home more clean. It’s easy for the boys to put away their clothes. I would highly recommend it if your budget allows. Would love to hear what your experiences have been from a closet company!
Have something to say?