there’s no limit when designing your
Dream Closet By BethAnne Brink-Cox, house & home feature writer
We’re all being encouraged to shop for Christmas early, and maybe your closets, like mine, already have some gifts hidden. That could make you realize your closets aren’t big enough! Well, after Christmas they could seem even smaller, as you put away those new clothes or sheets and towels or toys, and you’ll think ‘where am I going to put all this stuff?’ Time to start planning your dream closet, whatever that might encompass. Rolando Ortiz and his niece Alaina Hawkins, of Closet Craft, Inc. in Goshen, are just the ones to help you do that. Alaina said,”The largest master closets we’ve done so far are around 300 square feet. As far as special requests, we’ve incorporated all sorts of things, from self-winding watch vaults in cabinets, hutches specially made for coffee makers, islands with wine fridges, makeup vanities, and lately we’ve even designed closets with rolling ladders to reach those high up items!” Hawkins went on to say that “Common things we are generally including lately are jewelry drawers or hidden jewelry pullout drawers with keypad locks. We’re also incorporating sleek laundry hampers, ironing board pullouts, and our favorite: LED lights to illuminate clothes softly while dressing, or to better see and display all wardrobe staples and mementos.” There are certainly preferences as to the flooring, too, whether it be carpeting, rugs, or simple bare floors, and Hawkins explained, “We’ve worked with all types of flooring, but our highest recommendation when it comes to complete remodels or new builds is to include heated floors if it aligns well within your project budget. It’s also wise to bring flooring samples to your consultation or take home closet finish samples to ensure everything still ties together beautifully before you make a final decision.” 6 | Michiana House and Home | December 2021 |
Christmas notwithstanding, Hawkins said, “Quite frankly, it’s never too early to start designing your dream closet! We get involved before you even break ground, because the closet experience has changed. We’re typically involved with other subs for electrical, windows, counters, etc. to help design the best details that make a long-term difference for the experience you seek. In the last five years, we’ve definitely seen a boom in closets becoming less of just storage and more of a hangout for homeowners as they’ve built and remodeled. For example, the term ‘cloffice’ is not foreign to us anymore, as more bloggers in the area are posting pictures and doing clothing try-on hauls in their closet space, so we’re designing luxury-like dressing rooms to create an experience tailored to the homeowner’s style. We start every project with the bare basics of great closet design for better organization: first we give as much hanging space as possible, add in adequate shelving or drawers and once those bones are solid we stylize with some flair.” Like what, I wondered? Hawkins said, “Like changing all the hardware to gold, black or the newest trend of slate metal for extra wow. And another recent trend is adding wallpaper accents to a wall or even the ceiling. Our favorite way to change style is by changing door and drawer profiles to Shaker fronts and glass accents with LED enhancements throughout.” And this is a busy business! “A majority of our work is through new construction homes where we’re providing all the closets: pantry, linens, bedrooms. Remodel projects often just ask for help in the master or pantry. Some fun projects lately have been designing more garages to maximize storage space for outdoor supplies and gear,” said Hawkins. “Our business never stopped during the quarantine and in fact increased, as many homeowners wanted to maximize their spaces because they could finally focus on building their dream closets! We haven’t felt the effects of material shortages as strongly as others have, which would slow down installs. But being a small team does provide its challenges, pushing through our busy seasons that have almost doubled in volume and size. We take a lot of pride in the craftsmanship we provide and we always ensure it’s done well. Our team’s great efforts have created some beautiful closets in the last few years and our clients are still loving them to this day.”
Photos courtesy of Closet Craft, Goshen
Just as it is with your children, you can’t really pick a favorite, but Hawkins said, “Each one of our top closets has something special which makes it a favorite. But our whole team loves a closet we completed last fall in Michigan, with a darker grey wood-grain finish with Shaker glass doors, LED lights and just the right amount of space for everything you need. Most importantly though, we always remind our clients that closets can be simple or glamorous, but clothes don’t care where or how they hang, and at the end of the day it will always be just a closet that helps you stay organized!’ n