Ask what prompts their interest in remodeling and many homeowners' say, “We need more space.”
Steve McCamley, marketing director, Schulte, Cincinnati, says, “For a long time our solution was just to throw more space at it. A better solution is to maximize the space you already have.”
Solutions like two-tiered hanging areas, shelving, shoe cubbies, drawers, and more, let remodelers double clients' existing storage space, many manufacturers say. Different systems offer different solutions.
Denis Buch, president of DMB, McHenry, Ill., says, “As their buying habits change and their clothing changes, adjustable systems allow the homeowner to adapt closet space based on their lifestyle.” McCamley adds that adjustable systems also lessen remodelers' installation time because the modular cubbies and shelves attach to single rails installed on the wall.
Cabinet-style installations are also popular, especially among baby boomers. “These are homeowners who have disposable income and they're ready for a little more luxury and the convenience of having someone do the work for them,” says Susan Follick, marketing director, Closet-Maid, Ocala, Fla.
In adding closet organization to their list of service offerings, remodelers can choose to become official installers affiliated with a particular brand or take advantage of some manufacturers' predetermined layouts and software programs that generate closet designs.
Ranging from high-quality ventilated wire to modular systems to permanent fixtures, price-points for closet organization run the gamut. Component costs for basic reach-in closets could cost just a few hundred dollars, compared with extensive walk-in closets for $3,000 to $5,000 or more.
Regardless of the investment, Follick says that women make up 75% of the closet-buying market.
