Save More Than Just Space: 6 Reasons to Go Pro in Designing Storage

From new luxury high-rises where space is at a premium to large single-family homes, clients and residents expect to find smarter storage solutions to keep their home — and the possessions they keep in it — looking great. The small details like shelves and cabinets can become big burdens for architects and builders when it comes to sourcing materials, designing closets and installing them.

That’s why industry leader ClosetMaid now offers Professional Services, which helps organize and simplify your project as well as your client’s closet. Here are the six reasons why you’ll want the pros to take over:

1. Personal, On-Call Organizers

Dedicated Professional Service Representatives (PSRs) make up the cornerstone of ClosetMaid’s Professional Services, offering clients personalized expertise in organization and ClosetMaid’s extensive list of product offerings. These professionals have been trained to evaluate and advise on large-scale developments down to single home remodels. Builders, contractors and architects can explain their needs, ideas and specs to a dedicated PSR — Professional Service Representative — and get back drawings and details showing what storage solutions may be right for the job. From that point on, they can shelve worrying about closets, racks and other storage elements throughout the entire project.

2. Shelving That Really Fits In

To show off what they can do, service reps don’t just consider the dimensions of the space you have to work with. They also take into account precise design visions. The extensive options available in the ClosetMaid line range from the elegant, polished cabinets of the MasterSuite premier system to heavy-duty ventilated shelving that supports up to 100 pounds per linear foot. For past projects, like MN custom homes at Lake Washington in Bellevue, Washington, the ClosetMaid dealer designed the closet systems to fit the unique contours of multiple rooms of the house. The result was a custom project featuring his-and-her closet islands with colors perfectly matched to the soft palette of the master suite and sturdier chrome shelving to fit the needs and look of the kitchen and mudroom.

3. Staying on Budget

This level of customization and detail is desirable for most projects, but too often the amount left in the budget determines the look and feel of storage options. Service reps help achieve quality custom shelves that are much more than an afterthought or last-minute fix. They provide up-front, reliable estimates for your vision and practical solutions that mix and match between product lines to stick to budget without compromising aesthetics. Attractive wood-trim facings applied to the more economical wire systems, for example, ensure thoughtful touches will still stand out on walls at any price point without you having to source multiple products.

4. Getting the Best Materials

For architects, designers and contractors striving to offer the greenest builds possible, ClosetMaid’s pro services can help you show off certifications on every last detail. Their ventilated shelving lines were recently SCS-certified™ for Indoor Advantage™ Gold, and boast a minimum 91-percent-recycled steel content. These and other certifications for the wire systems can help contribute qualifying criteria for MR and IEQ credit categories of LEED v4, and all ClosetMaid systems are ready for the West Coast, meeting California 01350 indoor air quality standards and CARB Phase 2 requirements.

5. Leaving Installation to Flexible Experts

As a full-service offering created for professionals who already have a lot of construction on their minds, Pro Services was designed to ensure that you have fewer loose screws to worry about. ClosetMaid’s extensive installer network, the largest in the country, means that your team can rely on a certified installation to be arranged at your convenience. Additionally, ClosetMaid’s streamlined process doesn’t require paint or caulk afterward, so you can expect your custom closet to be ready after the paint job, before the floors and without any headaches trying to coordinate between multiple contractors or clean up after the install — a huge time-saver for builders and renovators alike.

6. Giving Clients Options

All ClosetMaid authorized professional installations come with a free-replacement warranty to keep clients happy, but what keeps them even happier are the custom packages you can design with your PSR. For large-scale developments like apartment complexes or hotels, you can offer clients easy access to ClosetMaid’s wide range of products with Good/Better/Best or Standard/Upgrade option packages that allow choices between different finishes and price points. But, designers can be sure each option is still tailored to the specific room and project.

ClosetMaid’s innovative systems have been organizing consumers’ lives for more than 50 years. With the creation of Professional Services, architects and builders can bring some of that organization and innovation to every room of a project with just a phone call.

This article recently appeared on Architizer.