Closet Organizer Blog by Closet Organizers USA

How to Increase the Value of Your Home

All homeowners want to increase the value of their home, without breaking the bank. Adding an additional bathroom may be out of your budget, but there are other alternatives. Articles from HGTV, Better Homes and Garden, and leading real estate professionals all agree that optimizing your closet space is a cheap and effective way to increase the value of your home.

 So what are some of the current trends around the market?

• The sought after closets are no longer single-rod entities. People want more elaborate closet organizing solutions.
• The addition of drawers in closets. This began with people simply placing their dressers in their closet, but has evolved into the more elegant look that comes with a closet organizer.

 
What are some expert tricks and tips that can help you along with the design process?

• Design it yourself. There is no need to call in a specialist and spend money when you can design around your own needs. The Closet Organizer USA design tool will allow you to create a custom closet solution for any type of closet.
  
  
• Customize it to match your style, taste, and needs. Custom-built features, like an impressive shoe wall or a handy tie caddy, add convenience and luxury.

Spring Cleaning - Organizing Your Life (and closet)

As the cold weather comes to a close, and with summer rapidly approaching, it's time to reorganize our closets and do a bit of spring cleaning. Time to switch out the wool and fleece for the cotton and linen; put away the boots and bring out the flip flops. Here are a few tips to help you organize your closet as you make the transition from winter to summer.

•  If you don't wear it, don't hoard it
  • The rule of thumb is if you haven't worn it in 2 years, it's time to go. However, don't limit yourself to the Two Year rule, if you find something that no longer fits or no longer matches your current style, it's time to part ways. Make two piles as you clean out your winter clothes: one pile for storage and the other for things you're getting rid of.

•  Donate your discard pile
  • Make someone else's life a bit easier and donate those clothes you're getting rid of to a worthy cause, and start your summer on a positive note.

•  Organize your closet
  • This step can be completed and expanded upon in many different ways.
    
    As you clear out your winter clothes and accessories, take a minute to step back and look at the problem areas, as well as the potential for improvement. What's missing from your closet from an organizational standpoint?  Were all those winter shoes on the floor of your closet in a pile? Maybe it's time to get a shoe rack to maximize your space.
    
    Were things crammed on a single shelf or in the hard to reach corner on your hang bar? Are your ties, belts, and bags easily accessible?
    
    You should consider putting in some drawers, shelves, tie/belt racks, and/or hang bars to organize and declutter in a logical and cohesive way.

• Make life a little easier
  • As you begin to hang up your summer clothes, consider putting all of them facing the same direction - when you wear an article of clothing, hang it up facing the other way. This will help you see what you really wear, and come fall, the process of reorganizing your closet will be that much easier.

Closet Organizers Design Tool Instructions - Part Four

Closet Organizers USA provides an online closet organizer design tool that allows our customers to create their own closet organizer designs.  It is a comprehensive design tool written with the end user in mind.  It is easy to use and compatible with all browsers and even works well on net books or tablets like the iPad (i.e. no Flash or special software is needed).

In an attempt to satisfy over 80% of closet layouts while still being simple to use, our closet organizer design tool works for Reach In and Walk In closets with the typical square/rectangular shape with 3, 4 or 5 walls and a standard 96" or less ceiling height.  However, if your closet has a unique layout, a slanted ceiling or any other characteristic that our design tool does not handle, we would be happy to create a design for you using our internal closet organizer design tool.  With our internal software, our professional designers can easily create a design for any layout or configuration…and our design service is free!  For design help or any other questions about our products or services, please call our toll free number at 1-866-418-1328.

In this article, we will discuss how to select and size each unit in your own closet organizer design.  Once you have taken all your measurements (see Part One), selected the type of closet (Reach In or Walk In – see Part Two) and, if designing a Walk In closet, selected your layout (see Part Three), you are ready to add units to your closet design.  This is where the real fun begins as you add the type of closet organizer units you need in the sizes that are custom to your closet.

If you are designing a Walk In closet, your will have the ability to view all your walls on one screen.  When you are ready to add or change a closet organizer unit on a particular wall, click on the button below that wall (labeled “Edit Wall”).  On each of these buttons, there will be a green “Completed” or a red “Not Completed” label.  This signifies whether the wall is completely filled with closet units or if there is still some room left for you to fill. 

      

Please note:  In order to place a closet design on your shopping cart, all the walls must have the green “Completed” label.

Once you click on the “Edit Wall” button, you are taken to the page that allows you to add, change and/or delete closet organizer units from this wall in your closet design.  The Back Wall edit page is the default design page for a Reach In closet design because only the Back Wall will hold closet units.

On the Edit Wall page, the closet wall is shown on the left side of the screen.  Above each closet organizer unit is a blue down arrow .  If you hover over this arrow, a drop down menu appears with options to change the unit, move it left/right or delete it. 

Below each closet organizer unit is a text box with the width of each unit.  This measurement is the inside width of the unit (i.e. it does not include the ¾” thick vertical panels).  Therefore, if you were to add up all the measurements in the text boxes and add ¾” for each vertical panel, the total should equal the length of the wall (minus 3/8” that we leave for wiggle room during installation).  In the picture below, the total width of this design is 24 + 24 + 24 + 23 7/8 = 95 7/8 for the units plus the vertical panels (5 x 3/4" = 3 3/4") equals a grand total of 99 5/8" (which is 3/8" less than the wall width of 100").

Our next blog post will teach you how to add, change, delete and/or move a simple double hang unit.  To learn more about our closet organizer products or to begin designing your very own custom closet organizers, please go to Closet Organizers USA.

Closet Organizers Design Tool Instructions - Part Three

Closet Organizers USA provides an online closet organizer design tool that allows our customers to create their own closet organizer designs.  It is a comprehensive design tool written with the end user in mind.  It is easy to use and compatible with all browsers and even works well on net books or tablets like the iPad (i.e. no Flash or special software is needed).

In an attempt to satisfy over 80% of closet layouts while still being simple to use, our closet organizer design tool works for Reach In and Walk In closets with the typical square/rectangular shape with 3, 4 or 5 walls and a standard 96" or less ceiling height.  However, if your closet has a unique layout, a slanted ceiling or any other characteristic that our design tool does not handle, we would be happy to create a design for you using our internal closet organizer design tool.  With our internal software, our professional designers can easily create a design for any layout or configuration…and our design service is free!  For design help or any other questions about our products or services, please call our toll free number at 1-866-418-1328.

In this article, we will discuss how to choose the layout for your Walk In closet.  (Please note: If you are designing a Reach In closet, there is no need to choose a layout since only the back wall is utilized in a Reach In design.)

Once you have taken all your measurements (see Part One) and selected the type of closet (Reach In or Walk In – see Part Two), you are ready to layout the floor plan for your Walk In closet.  This is the step where you need to decide how you want to utilize your wall space.

First, let’s discuss a typical Walk In closet layout.  Most customers utilize the longest wall (let’s assume this is the Back Wall) from corner to corner.  In order to have enough room to access the portion of the closet organizer units in the back corners, the design tool will leave 13” in front of the Back Wall units.  Since our closet organizers have a standard depth of 14”, if we leave a 13” space in front of these units, that’s a total Reserved Space of 27” from the Back Wall corners up each side of the closet.  Therefore, any closet organizer units placed on the Left or Right Walls will begin 27” from the back corner of the closet.

Step 3 in our closet design tool displays an overhead schematic of your closet.  (Due to the limitations of internet browsers, these overhead schematics may not be drawn to scale, but the measurements shown are accurate.)  On this schematic, the green shaded areas will be available to place closet organizer units in and the gray shaded areas are reserved space. 

For each of the five walls in your closet, you have three options:

1. Use Entire Wall
2. Fill Wall
3. Do Not Use Wall

Start by marking any wall that you do not plan on using.  These walls will then be shaded in red.  Do not use this option if you have a door or window on a wall that is only taking up part of the wall and the wall may still have some room left to add one of our closet organizer units.  The closet design tool will allow you to insert a door, window or blank space on the wall during the next step.  This lets you to place a door or window exactly where it belongs on the wall and gives you the chance to place closet organizer units on either side (if space permits).

As you make your selections, our closet design tool will reshuffle the spacing.  Start by selecting the wall that you want to fill corner to corner with units.  All combinations are possible and sometimes it takes a few tries to get it just right.  Play with the options and see what closet organizer layouts the system suggests.  If you are still having trouble getting the closet layout you want, please give one of our designers a call. 

Once you are happy with the floor plan layout, hit the Continue button to go on to Step 4.  You cannot change the closet layout once you leave this page, but don’t worry, you can always create a brand new design using a different layout.  You are not limited to the number of closet organizer designs you create and save on our web site.

This brings up another point: saving your work.  Once you get to Step 4, you should click the Save button at the top right of the page.  We will ask for your email address (used strictly as a User Name…we will never email you or give/sell your email address to another company), your first & last name, and allow you to create your new password.  Once you are logged in, your work will be automatically saved as you go.  If you leave our web site and come back later, just login and all your closet organizer designs will be waiting for you. 

Our next blog post will teach you how to select and size each unit in your own closet organizer design.  Finally, we get to the fun stuff!  To learn more about our closet organizer products or to begin designing your very own custom closet organizers, please go to Closet Organizers USA.

Closet Organizers Design Tool Instructions – Part Two

Closet Organizers USA provides an online closet organizer design tool that allows our customers to create their own closet organizer designs.  It is a comprehensive design tool written with the end user in mind.  It is easy to use and compatible with all browsers and even works well on net books or tablets like the iPad (i.e. no Flash or special software is needed).

In an attempt to satisfy over 80% of closet layouts while still being simple to use, our closet organizer design tool works for Reach In and Walk In closets with the typical square/rectangular shape with 3, 4 or 5 walls and a standard 96" or less ceiling height.  However, if your closet has a unique layout, a slanted ceiling or any other characteristic that our design tool does not handle, we would be happy to create a design for you using our internal closet organizer design tool.  With our internal software, our professional designers can easily create a design for any layout or configuration…and our design service is free!  For design help or any other questions about our products or services, please call our toll free number at 1-866-418-1328.

In this article, we will discuss how to begin entering your closet measurements and selecting the type of closet you are designing: Reach In or Walk In.

Once you have taken all your measurements (see Part One), go to our web site at http://www.ClosetOrganizersUSA.com and click on the first link in the header titled “Design Closet Organizers”.  This will open Step 1 of the 4 step design process.

On this page, you are asked to name your closet design (any name will do) and to select the shelving color (White, Ivory, Maple, Caramel, Cherry, Mahogany or Walnut) and the hardware finish (Polished Chrome, Satin Nickel or Oil Rubbed Bronze).  These choices can be changed later on in the closet design process so don’t be too concerned on which color or finish you pick at this point.

Finally, you need to select whether you are designing a Reach In or a Walk In closet.  A Reach In is typically less than 35" deep (from front to back) and the closet contents are accessed by reaching through the door opening.  A Walk In is a room that you can enter and access your clothes from more than just the back wall.

You are now asked for the wall measurements of your closet.  If you are designing a Reach In closet, you will also be asked to choose the type of door: standard door, french doors, bi-fold door(s), sliding door(s), or no door at all.

At the top of the page, you need to enter in the Left, Back and Right wall measurements.  These measurements should be in inches only.  For example, if your back wall measurement is 7 ½ feet, you should enter 90 (7' x 12" = 84" + 6" = 90").  Do not enter in the inch marks ("), only the digits.  Partial inches are allowed to a degree of 1/8 of an inch.  For example, if the back wall is 62 3/8 inches, enter 62.375 or 62 3/8. Again, do not include the inch marks (").

If you are working on a Reach In, the next option is to choose the door style.  The measurements for the doors are needed so our system will be able to ensure that you place drawers/baskets/hampers in the door opening.  Otherwise, the drawers/baskets/hampers would bang into the front walls of the closet when fully opened.  The door options are shown below with the measurement requirements for each:

• No door, Standard Door, French Door, or Bi-Fold Door:
  • Enter in the Front left and Front Right wall measurements in inches.
  • These measurements should be from the inside front corner of the closet to the beginning of the door opening.  In other words, if you have a door on your closet, open it completely and measure from the corner to the point where the door is cleared.
• Sliding Door:
  • Sliding doors are slightly more complicated and take a couple extra measurements.
    • Front Left (FL) & Front Right (FR) measurements
      • Slide the doors all the way to the left
      • Measure from the inside front left corner of your closet to the end of the doors.  This is the FL measurement.
      • Measure from the inside front right corner to the beginning of the door opening.  This is the FR measurement.
    • Front Left 2 (FL-2) & Front Right 2 (FR-2) measurements
      • Slide the doors all the way to the right
      • Measure from the inside front left corner of your closet to the door opening.  This is the FL-2 measurement.
      • Measure from the inside front right corner to the beginning of the end of the doors.  This is the FR-2 measurement.

For a Walk In closet, simply enter the front left and front right wall measurements in inches.

Finally, enter in the ceiling height in inches.  Our online design tool allows a maximum ceiling height of 96".  If your ceiling is higher and you would like shelving above 84" (our default top shelf height), please call one of our designers and they will design a closet organizer system to utilize the taller wall space.

Our next blog post will walk you through the process of entering your closet organizer layout (basically the foot print) into our online closet organizer design tool.  This step is required for Walk In closets only.  To learn more about our products or to begin designing your very own custom closet organizers, please go to Closet Organizers USA.

Closet Organizers Design Tool Instructions – Part One

Closet Organizers USA provides an online closet organizer design tool that allows our customers to create their own closet organizer designs.  It is a comprehensive design tool written with the end user in mind.  It is easy to use and compatible with all browsers and even works well on net books or tablets like the iPad (i.e. no Flash or special software is needed).

In an attempt to satisfy over 80% of closet layouts while still being simple to use, our closet organizer design tool works for Reach In and Walk In closets with the typical square/rectangular shape with 3, 4 or 5 walls and a standard 96” or less ceiling height.  However, if your closet has a unique layout, a slanted ceiling or any other characteristic that our design tool does not handle, we would be happy to create a design for you using our internal closet organizer design tool.  With our internal software, our professional designers can easily create a design for any layout or configuration…and our design service a free!  For design help or any other questions about our products or services, please call our toll free number at 1-866-418-1328.

Before starting your closet organizer design online, you should draw a sketch of your closet floor plan and write down the necessary measurements.  For a Reach In closet, you will need the following:

• Measure the width (in inches) of the Left, Back and Right walls.
  • Even though you are not putting any closet units on the side walls, it is important for our closet organizer design tool to know the depth of your Reach In closet.  We use this measurement to determine if pull out drawers, baskets or hampers will fit in your closet.
• Determine your door type
  • Standard door, french doors, bi-fold door(s), sliding door(s), or no door at all.
• Measure the width (in inches) of the Front Left and Front Right walls.  These are the walls on either side of the door opening.  We need these measurements to determine the actual opening width available for drawers, baskets or hampers to open.  To get the proper measurements, follow these steps:
  • For a closet with no door, measure the width (in inches) from the front corners inside the closet to the beginning of the door opening on each side.  If your door opening is flush with the side wall (i.e. there is no front wall) on one or both sides, just enter 1” for the measurement.
  • For a closet with a standard door, french doors or bi-fold door(s), you should open the doors completely before taking the measurements.  Measure the width (in inches) from the front corners inside the closet to where the door(s) or molding will be cleared.  If your door opening is flush with the side wall (i.e. there is no front wall) on one or both sides, just enter 1” for the measurement.
  • For sliding doors, we need to get four measurements. 
    • First, push all the doors to the left.  The FL measurement is from the front left corner inside the closet to where the end of the doors will be cleared.
    • Second, with the doors still pushed to the left, measure from the front right corner inside the closet to the beginning of the door opening.  This is the FR measurement.
    • Now, push all the doors to the right. The FL-2 measurement is from the front left corner inside the closet to the beginning of the door opening. 
    • Finally, with the doors still pushed to the right, measure from the front right corner inside the closet to where the end of the doors will be cleared.  This is the FR-2 measurement.
• Measure the height of your closet (in inches). 

For a Walk In closet, you will need the following:

• Measure the width (in inches) of the Left, Back and Right walls.
  • If there are any sections on these walls that need to be avoided (i.e. access panels, windows, furniture pieces, a second doorway, etc.), take the time to mark them on your sketch and measure the distance of these areas to each corner.
• Measure the width (in inches) of the Front Left and Front Right walls.
  • You only want to measure the area of these walls that can be used for the closet organizer units.  Therefore, the measurement for these walls will go from the front inside corners to the beginning of the door’s molding. 
  • If there are any sections on these walls that need to be avoided (i.e. access panels, windows, furniture pieces, a second doorway, etc.), take the time to mark them on your sketch and measure the distance of these areas to the corner and the inside edge of the door molding.
• Measure the height of your closet (in inches). 

Our next blog post will walk you through the process of entering these measurements into our online closet organizer design tool.  To learn more about our products or to begin designing your very own custom closet organizers, please go to Closet Organizers USA.

Closet Organizer Shoe Shelves – Flat vs. Slanted

Designing a closet organizer is very personal.  As designers, we talk with people every day about their current closet “situation” and what type of “relationship” they have with that “neglected” pair of boots that they fell in “love” with at the mall and just “couldn’t live without”.

When it comes to designing closet organizers, one of the determining factors that a good designer will focus on is exactly what the client currently has in their closet.  As you can imagine, the contents of a person’s closet is as distinct as their fingerprint and the one area that is particularly unique is footwear.

Everyone has a different collection of shoes and no two people have the same fashion sense.  The one thing we all have in common, however, is that we can only wear one pair at a time.  So what happens to the other 1 to 300 pairs that are left behind?

Closet organizers are a great way to get that pile of “lefts” and “rights” off the floor and onto the shelf.  Typically, customers choose between either flat shoe shelves or slanted shelves with fences.  The advantages of the flat shoe shelf are many:

• They are adjustable up or down on the closet organizers vertical panels.  This makes them very flexible for storing anything from sandals to cowboy boots.
• The closet organizer shoe units can be custom cut to any width.  This makes them ideal for a tight spot in your closet allowing you to store one pair per shelf.  Or, you can measure your actual shoe width and get a shoe unit that will easily store multiple pairs per shelf.
• They are less expensive than the slanted shoe shelves with fences.

Slanted shoe shelves with metal fences, similar to the style you would see in a shoe store at the mall, have some nice features as well:

• They can be installed at any height but are not that easy to move after the initial installation.  However, they do lock into place and provide a very sturdy shelf for your more expensive shoes.
• Let’s face it…some shoes are like art work…just gorgeous!  The closet organizer slanted shoe shelf displays your fabulous shoe collection and greets you every morning with a perfect view of your favorite pumps.
• Because of the metal fences installed at the front of the shelf, these closet organizer shoe units typically come in 18, 24 and 30 inch widths.

When you decide to organize your closet, consider your shoes as well as the rest of the contents to make sure that your closet organizer will meet all your needs.  At Closet Organizers USA, we offer both of these styles of shoe shelves.  You can use our online closet organizer design tool or call our toll free number to speak to one of our closet designers.  The design service is free.

Closet Organizers FAQS – What is Melamine?

When shopping for closet organizers, it is often difficult to understand exactly what you are buying.  One of the questions we are often asked is to describe the term “melamine”. 

Melamine is an organic compound that is often combined with formaldehyde to produce melamine resin, a synthetic polymer which is fire resistant and heat tolerant. Melamine resin is a very versatile material with a highly stable structure and is commonly used in the construction of closet organizer shelves and vertical panels. The surface of the material is designed to be easily wiped and cleaned, resulting in durable and dirt resistant closet organizer units.

Most closet organizer companies use melamine shelves and vertical panels in their closet organizer designs.  It is durable, structurally sound, comes in a wide variety of colors and styles, and costs less that solid wood or wood laminate.  Most consumers would not be willing to spend the kind of money required to put a solid wood organizer into their closet, so melamine provides a similar look and feel for a much more reasonable price.

Although melamine offers flexibility to design and create closet organizers in all sizes and colors, it is not a particularly easy material for the DIY homeowner to work with.  Cutting or drilling holes into melamine requires the use of the proper blades and drills to prevent chipping.  An easier way to build custom closet organizers to meet your unique needs would be to purchase the melamine shelves and vertical panels already cut and drilled from a closet organizer supplier.

Closet Organizers USA has been providing custom closet organizers to contractors and homeowners for the past ten years.  You can use their online design tool to create your own design or call their toll free number to work with one of their in-house designers to create a closet organizer design specific to your needs.  This design service is free and the closet organizers can be assembled quickly and easily by a DIY homeowner or a local handyman.

For more information, please visit the Closet Organizers USA website.

Organizing Your Closet – A Great New Year's Resolution

What is your New Year's resolution for 2011?  Losing weight...learning to play the piano...becoming fluent in a second language?  Well, good luck.

As you know, most resolutions made during the euphoria of the holiday season tend to be loftier than expected once the adrenaline from New Year's Eve wears off.  So why not choose a resolution that is not only attainable, but will pay dividends every single day for the rest of the year? 

Closet organizers are the latest trend in home remodeling projects.   This often overlooked room is making a resurgence and custom closet organizers have become the “go to” project for homeowners across the country.  All the home shows have been featuring closet organization overhauls and it is becoming a sought after amenity for home buyers.  It is being listed as a “must have” along with hardwood floors and granite countertops.

Creating a closet organizer design is not as difficult as it may appear.  There are online sites that provide design tools for the average homeowner or contractor to use to maximize the organization of their closet space.  By entering the wall measurements and selecting a recommended layout, you can quickly and easily begin to fine tune a closet organizer design that works best for you.  And, if you prefer to leave the design to the experts, most of these web sites also offer free design services from an experienced closet organizer.

Closet Organizers USA provides an online closet design tool that is so easy to use it can actually be fun.  After entering in your measurements and picking your floor plan layout, the system will pre-fill your closet with a popular design.  With a few clicks of your mouse, you can make changes to the units and before you know it...you've created the perfect closet organizer.

So, consider starting the new year off with a resolution that can be accomplished sooner than later.  And who knows, now that you've found your running shoes, maybe you can start using them to reach your next goal.

Organize Your Life...One Shoe at a Time

How much time do you spend looking for a Left when you have a Right?  Maybe you have a Black and you need a Blue?

What are we talking about?  Shoes.

We have all been frustrated and annoyed by the chaos that is our closet.  Although your intentions are pure, after cleaning out your closet for the ump-teenth time, it only takes a few months for the craziness to return.

What's the answer?  Organize!

Organizing your closet is easier than you think.  Below are some simple steps you can follow to get your closet under control:

1. Empty your closet...Completely (did someone say simple?).
   OK.  Outside of a root canal, this may be the last thing you want to do.  But it has to be done.  Come on, bite the bullet and clean it out.
    
2. Discard old unused items.
   Listen, if you haven't worn something in over a year, get rid of it.  We all have those items that just don't seem to fit any more, or are simply out of style. Put them all into a box and surprise a friend or family member who might get some use out of your "dust catchers". If no one wants them, drop them at your favorite charity, there are always people in need that can put these items to great use.
    
3. Group like items together.
   Before you can fill your closet back up, you need to understand what it is you are filling it with.  Let's organize your clothing just like a 5th Avenue store. Separate your pants from your shirts, your dresses from your skirts, your ties from your belts, your shoes from your hats, etc.  Separation, grouping and space utilization of similar items are the hallmarks of a well designed and executed custom closet organizing system.
    
4. Install the right Closet Organizer units.
   Now that you have a good idea what is going in the closet, you can add the proper amount of hang bars, shelves, drawers and shoe racks to keep your closet organized.  These can range from inexpensive wire racks and plastic bins to high end wood cabinets custom built to fit exactly to your closet's dimensions.

Still not convinced?  Consider the following:  By installing a closet organizer system, you could gain anywhere from 25% to as much as 70% more storage space!

Closet organizers are now being featured on all the home improvement shows as the new craze in homeowner design.  Closets are no longer just the small, dark, stuffy rooms used to quickly hide everything when unannounced visitors arrive.  Consumers are now realizing the beauty and functionality of a well organized closet.

Organize your closet today and begin taking charge of your life...one pair of shoes at a time.