Order From Chaos

“Women go nuts for this stuff,” says Loyda Woods, owner of California Closets in Longwood. “I’m amazed at how excited they get, although as a wife and a mom, I understand.”

Woods says this is the time of year when husbands seeking to delight their wives with something practical yet exciting can score major brownie points.

“We can even orchestrate a surprise,” Woods says, “We can get [the wife] out of the house while our crews go to work.”

Woods and other organizational experts can entirely revamp closet or pantry space or simply add space-saving accessories such as baskets, racks, trays and even slide-in wall pockets for ironing boards.

Reorganizing a master bedroom closet can be a particular challenge. Woods says before she gets started, she evaluates everything about her clients, including how they hang their clothes, whether they’re right- or left-handed and, most important, what they actually use the closet for.

“The closet should be for those things you intend on wearing, not your 20-year-old wedding dress,” she says. “So, if you modify your behavior, you can change your space. You can transform a sparsely utilitarian space to a custom boudoir.”

She says such makeovers are both practical and aesthetically appealing, especially when replacing standard white wire shelving with classic woods. There’s even an eco-friendly greenboard available for customers who wish to be eco-friendly.

Organization also relieves stress. “Having a master closet that’s neat and organized makes getting ready in the morning so much easier,” says Wayne Clark, president of ClosetMaster in Orlando, which opened in 1997.?

Clark says pull-out valets, for example, can do wonders for people in a hurry. You just pull out what you’re going to wear that day—from head to toe—without giving the matter any additional thought.????

He adds that the overall trend is toward much bigger closets, which dovetails nicely with a trend toward more living space. By moving dressers, drawers and the hampers into a closet, for example, a bedroom suddenly becomes larger.

Indeed, the closet has evolved into a room all itself. “Sometimes people will come to us and ask about a standard closet,” says Clark. “There is no standard, except the fact that you need 24 inches for hanging something on a hanger.”

Laura Luchian, senior designer at ClosetMaster, says closets have really morphed into dressing rooms. “A closet is where you hang a sweater,” she notes, “while a dressing room is where you get ready.”

Luchian is designing more closets to include chairs, vanities and dressers as well as lighting and power outlets. And she likes to build in space for packing and unpacking suitcases as well.??

Jack Green, president of the Closet Factory, was the master closet designer for the past three New American Homes in Orlando and is set to take charge of closets for the showhome built in conjunction with the International Builder’s Show, slated for this winter in Las Vegas.

Green agrees that master closets should be designed with the client’s personal preferences in mind. “For example, some people like to fold jeans, some like to hang them,” he says. “Those are the kinds of things you want to find out up front.”

Green adds that major construction projects aren’t usually necessary. In most cases, he says, there’s ample space. It’s just that it’s poorly organized. “With the right design, we can get more utilization in the space we have,” he says.

An organized pantry is also high on Clark’s stress-reducing list. ClosetMaster can create order from chaos with specially designed baskets for overflow vegetables, tray storage for snacks, vertical storage for platters and adjustable can racks.

He also believes that if space allows, a pantry should be a functional room with a workstation to store breadmakers and other small appliances as well as a place to put groceries down when you come home from the store.

But, of course, it’s easier to plan ahead for adequate closet and pantry space than it is to expand and adapt existing space.

“I don’t know how many times I go into a house and there’s no linen closet,” says Luchian. “And dinky laundry rooms. Those are two of the biggest faux pas in every house.”

That’s why Tracy DeCarlo, owner of Detailed Solutions and author of The Difference is in the Details: The Homeowner’s Planning Guide to Building a Functional Home, has become an integral part of the design team in many Central Florida homes.

DeCarlo has become an expert in organizing people’s messes before it’s too late. “I educate clients on what may be missing before construction starts, especially with storage space,” she says.

Like Luchian, DeCarlo says more emphasis should be placed on the laundry room. And she believes the garage is too often an afterthought. “Those two areas get left off,” she says. “They’re not designed for the functionality that they need.”

In the laundry room, DeCarlo notes, it’s vital to include a sink as well as space for hanging clothes, a surface to sort laundry, a place for a garbage can and a hook or bar to hang a towel.

Ironing boards likewise need to be addressed.? Will the needed 48-inch board fold down to the right or left? Where will it be stored? Do you need an outlet?

The garage, a notorious dump- ing ground, should be planned to accommodate storage cabinets, a workbench and adequate lighting and outlets. DeCarlo adds that there’s also valuable real estate to be found on the garage walls. “Toys, ladders, lawn equipment and bicycles all need to find a home,” she notes.

Woods agrees that the garage should receive more attention because it’s a focal point for most people. “Unless you’re living in an apartment, you’re probably entering your home through the garage,” she says.

So if your closets and pantry are a mess and you’re embarrassed to keep your garage door open, you should consider contacting one of these experts.

Help has arrived, just in time for the holidays and new year.

Space Re-Do is Well Worth the Investment
Although there’s little data on the return on investment of remodeling and reorganizing storage space, few would disagree that the mental satisfaction alone makes it worthwhile.?

Loyda Woods, owner of California Closets in Longwood, says homeowners should dwell less on making their money back and more on preserving what they’ve already spent their money on.

“What is your wardrobe worth?” Woods asks, noting that many people spend thousands of dollars on clothes, shoes, purses and ties but stuff their sometimes pricy belongings into mismanaged, crowded closets. “Your wardrobe is your brand, and your master closet is a personal branding tool.”

Woods says her average closet project costs about $3,200, although she has completed some for as little as $800 and others for as much as $8,000.

The fact is that a reorganized, remodeled or brand-new laundry room, closet, garage or pantry can also increase the value of your home and its appeal to prospective buyers is priceless, especially in an inventory-rich market.

For example, a National Association of Realtors study recently found that a laundry room not located in a garage or basement may increase market value by 15 percent.

“In this current market, it’s a beauty contest in a pricing war,” says Kathleen Gallagher-McIver, broker associate with RE/MAX Town & Country Realty and president elect of the Orlando Regional Realtor Association.

She says buyers want to walk into a home with a “wow” factor.? “Taking a buyer into a home that’s neat, organized and priced right is almost a dead ringer,” she adds.

Woods agrees: “It’s a plus. It helps sell houses. It makes a big difference.”