Let's Get Organized

Summer is looming, and that frenzied annual ritual known as spring cleaning hopefully is complete. Now, all that's left is figuring out what to do with the piles of winter sweaters, blankets and holiday decorations that have served their seasonal purpose and are now simply taking up space.

In soggy Florida, with its high water table, there are no basements. And our undersized attics get too hot and humid in the summer to be an all-purpose storage solution. That means closets and garages must pick up the storage slack.

Smart homeowners make the most of these small spaces by installing custom closet and garage systems.

Consider the closet. In its traditional three-foot-deep, one-shelf, one-rod incarnation, the unadorned closet is quickly becoming an anachronism. That's why sometimes elaborate closet systems are becoming standard on higher-end homes and a popular option even on starter homes.

Today's custom closets make the most efficient use of limited space by using a combination of rods, open shelves, drawers of varying depths and shoe cubbies or shelves. If space allows, some custom walk-in closets boast center islands with additional shelves or drawers, flat counter spaces on which to fold clothes or do touch-up ironing and even shoe-shine benches.

And garage systems usually encompass a mix of shelves, wall racks, hooks, cabinets and countertops, providing workspace for making household repairs and storage space for tools, gardening supplies and sports equipment. Among the most popular offerings: rolling cabinets and horizontal-track walls.

When it comes to custom closets and garages, people are looking for durable, organized systems that are also aesthetically pleasing, says John Scopelliti, owner of Closet Logic in Tampa. "People want comfort. They want the finer things in life," he says. "They work hard and they need something that's organized and that looks nice."

Clark Williams, president of Clearwater-based More Space Place, agrees. Chandeliers, crown molding and glass shelving doors are being incorporated into his custom closets, while real wood countertops and lit cabinets are showing up in his garages. "They're getting more ornate," he notes.

Custom closets allow a homeowner to accommodate collections comfortably-purses, shoes, ties and the like. A bling-loving client of the Closet Factory in Tampa, for example, recently had 17 jewelry drawers installed in one closet, says company spokeswoman Jennifer O'Hara.

And custom closets are not just for master bedrooms anymore, say local storage-system professionals. They're going in children's rooms, guest quarters, linen closets, pantries and laundry rooms. Scopelliti, for example, recently installed seven custom closets in one-albeit very large-home.

In fact, today's custom closets do a lot more than provide storage. Painted in bright, pleasing colors, these once-ignored spaces have also become venues to display vases, old-fashioned decorative hat boxes and framed pictures alongside folded sweaters and hanging pants.

The price for such superior organization is less than you might think. Large, complex custom closets may cost as much as $6,000, Scopelliti says, while smaller, more basic installations can run as little as $250. A good rule of thumb, he adds, is $350 for the average reach-in closet and $40 to $50 per linear foot for the average walk-in closet.

Closet Logic, like most closet companies, sends designers to prospective clients' homes to discuss options, measure space and assess contents. Then they create a plan based on the client's chosen materials (real wood, laminate or chrome), colors (white, cherry, mahogany or oak) and styles (traditional or modern, raised or flat panels or glass doors).

Often, clients opt for rattan, brass or chrome baskets instead of basic drawers. And they can add extras such as tie and belt racks, hampers and lockable jewelry drawers.

When the new closets are complete, Scopelliti's designers return to help the client "move in" to the new space. The whole process, from consultation to completion, generally takes a few weeks.

More Space Place has showrooms throughout Tampa Bay where prospective customers can see how the systems look in real life. Designs range from a simple reach-in closet for $300 to $400 to a larger reach-in for $400 to $1,000. Walk-in closets run about $2,000, and garages start at $50 per linear foot.

For most people, the bedroom closet is the first challenge they face each day, Scopelliti notes. Better to wake to a comforting, attractive and organized space rather than digging through debris to find an unwrinkled skirt or a tie that hasn't fallen to the floor and become covered with dust bunnies.

In fact, having an organized closet can save up to 15 minutes a day spent searching for clothes. "That's four days saved a year," Williams notes.

Of course, a custom closet or garage will only save time and energy if you continue to use it correctly, long after the designers have left, says interior designer Elizabeth Akers of PJ Newman Fine Furniture & Interiors in Tampa.

According to Akers, your closet and garage must be organized in a way that you can truly see yourself maintaining. For example, Akers advises, don't buy loads of storage shoeboxes if you know you won't take the time at the end of the day to repackage and restack your heels in their rightful recepticals. "Ask yourself, 'Will I do this?'" she says. "Imagine yourself in your daily routine."

Akers also suggests storing only items used within each room in that room's closet; clothes in the bedroom closet, for example, and towels in the linen or bathroom closet.

And never store perishables, or anything that will melt, in garages, Akers cautions. Rather, use extra garage storage space for vases and other seldom-used decorative items or for small appliances that would otherwise clog your kitchen cabinets. Anything stored in a garage should be clean, thoroughly dry and in an airtight container, she adds.

Finally, aim to make each closet functional, no matter how it's "supposed" to be used.

In Florida, for instance, many people don't feel they need a hall closet for boots and winter coats. Instead, use that space to store holiday decorations, office supplies if you have a home office, or the children's board games.

"Just because there's a hall closet doesn't mean it has to be used like that," Akers says. "There's no rule."