Most of us live lives of quiet disorganization. It’s hard to find a thing to wear when you have to move one pile to reach the other, and his clothes are encroaching on the marital property line.
Enter California Closets, which has resolved many domestic situations since its founding in 1978.
While custom closets are what they built their name on, the firm also creates offices, workstations, mudrooms, and playrooms. They rethink pantries, basements, and garages. They even make Murphy beds.
The process begins with a free design consultation. The designer gets to work and presents a 3D rendering. Once approved, every project is turned around quickly.
“It’s always a battle between form and function,” said in-house designer Brenda MacLeish, who studied at New York School of Interior Design, in a recent interview. “But, in the end, the client gets what they want.”
When she’s asked to create a playroom, she ensures it will be one that grows with the kids. When designing mudrooms, she makes them adaptable. “Mudrooms are for more than just mittens and boots. They should also be places to put the mail, the sunscreen, the packages to be returned.” She added, “Think of separating church and state.”
Even before the pandemic had us all working from home, MacLeish was designing desks for hallways, closets, living rooms. When working with clients, she finds out how they like to work, and whether they are neat (open shelves are not ideal if you’re not). “Some clients want drawers to hide the papers, others want to have everything within reach. We’re building more and more cabinets with slide-outs they want to conceal their copiers,” she noted.
One of the biggest challenges? Designing side-by-side workstations for people with different work styles. But MacLeish said it can be done.
The beauty of a California Closet project is that everything is high quality from the design software to the finishes, and, in the end, maximizes productivity at home, and gives every family member a place to hang their hat.
