Before You Shop for Storage, There's Homework to be Done

When it's time to shop for storage solutions, adequate preparation combined with asking the right questions will save you time and perhaps money, and help you to get exactly what you need and want.

The process usually involves doing research, visiting the showroom to view products and get ideas, arranging an in-home consultation with a designer (who will draw up plans and work with you to finalize them), placing the order, and arranging for installation.

Most organizing firms recommend that prospective customers start by visiting their website to get familiar with the kinds of products that are available. But they also caution against getting overly concerned about design in the early stages.

Valet's Fox observes, "Sometimes people have a tendency to try to design something on their own and then come to us and say 'this is what I want you to design' without considering the services of a professional designer. We find that in the long run it works better if customers give us their list of priorities and needs, then let us design to make sure we can accomplish those things within our design.

"For example, in a closet, one should think about how many shoes they have. And of those shoes, how many do they wear on a weekly basis, versus two to three times a year. Do they need to store those shoes in boxes, or open on shelves? How much access do they need to them? Do they want jewelry stored in the closet somewhere; and if so, behind lock and key, or not? Do they have any special height requirements for particular things?"

Modern Spaces' Sullivan adds that if customers are looking for a fairly comprehensive project, there are other things they can do to facilitate the planning process. "Bring in a floor plan, including the locations of plugs, ceiling height, location of ceiling lights; floor finish and height of baseboards; location and height of windows; swing direction of doors. The budget would also be nice to know, but most prospective customers have difficulty setting the budget until they know more about what they will get for their money."

Sullivan also believes that comparison shopping is time well spent. "Homeowners should find out the cost for custom cabinets and for the pre-fabricated, self-install cabinets that they would get from Home Depot or IKEA," he says. "If they are able to bring us a CAD drawing and price quote provided by one of these other vendors, we can do a direct comparison."

Ask questions about the little details. For example, what choices are available for materials, finishes, colors, and hardware? What 'extra touches' are available? Extras might include pull-out shelves, hamper drawers, jewelry drawers, dividers, valet hangers for putting out your clothes the night before, and special hanging areas for slacks, ties, and belts.

Most installed organizing companies do not build closet doors, though some do offer a standardized mirrored door as an option. For an Eichler-style modern door, you may need to have one built by a door company, unless you work with a higher-end custom firm such as Modern Spaces and Michael Meyer Fine Woodworking, both of which do offer custom closet doors.

Lastly, ask questions about where the products will be made and assembled, and the wait time between order placement and the fully-installed and completed job. If your products are made locally, the lead time may only be a couple of weeks, depending on workload and season. However, if they originate in Europe, expect to wait an average 12 weeks from order to completion.

Sullivan recommends a combination of shelving and drawers for complete homeowner-driven customization. "With our custom solutions, you can install drawers on full extension glides below the shelves, and you can space the shelves efficiently so that you can get into the back," he says. "We recommend, as a starting point, spacing the shelves about one foot apart (in terms of height), so you can reach into the back without having to disturb everything."

Modern Spaces creates its minimalist floor-to-ceiling closet systems using panels made of laminated medium-density fiberboard, with attention to strength and durability, according to Sullivan. "We work with the customer to design the optimal combination of materials, to ensure a system that is strong, but at a reasonable cost," he says. "As a result our systems are sturdy and won't distort, and we can use panels that are nearly ten feet long. You can't do this with just any material. And going all the way to the ceiling creates the look of a 'storage wall' with a minimalist aesthetic that virtually disappears when the doors are closed."

Organization opportunities also exist in the kitchen. Steve Doriss, of Mountain View-based Michael Meyer Fine Woodworking, is especially fond of working on kitchen remodels, since he is an avid cook himself. He likens the creative act of cooking to woodworking. "My kitchen is my workshop and the countertop is my workbench," he claims. "Both are creative acts where you take raw materials and change them to make something new. Cooks are craftsmen who use tools, and one thing that is very important to a craftsman is organization and access."

Doriss finds small Eichler spaces to be interesting and challenging to work with. "With small modern kitchens, your options are limited, so you have to be creative. My clients force me to think outside the box, helping to answer the question 'what can I do with this tight budget and small space?'" But in the end, Doriss sees himself as a translator. "I want to capture the clients' aesthetic and functional needs and give them a sense of connection with their kitchen."

Once your indoor spaces and garages have been organized, is there anything left? The answer is a resounding "yes!" Why not consider an outdoor Eichler-style storage shed for garden tools, pool materials, and other miscellaneous storage? Jonathan Cooke, owner of the San Mateo-based Renaissance Man Construction, has built several Eichler-style outdoor sheds, and even lined them with grooved Eichler exterior siding. These sheds range from basic -- a small one with a dirt floor for storing the lawn mower or pool supplies -- to an elaborate a 12- by 10-foot room with a door, window, slab floor, and electricity.

Cooke cautions homeowners to be mindful of local building codes when considering the construction of sheds. "It is especially important to pay attention to set-back limitations and height requirements, and to find out what qualifies as a shed in your area. For example, most areas limit square footage -- so that a shed cannot be more than 12 by 10, and it can only have one door and one window. Otherwise it is a building, and not a shed."

Setbacks limit how close the structure can be to the property line, and setback requirements of three feet are quite common. Height is another consideration, and according to Cooke, "sheds cannot be any higher than eight feet, otherwise the regulators will have issues."

Once you have a grasp of local code requirements, begin thinking about how you want to use your shed today and in the future. Planning for the future is smart, since going back and adding features later may be costly. "I just talked to a customer that wants a shed in the yard now, but he wants it to be an office in the future," says Cooke. "So we need to rough in the electrical in anticipation of this future application."

Pricing for a custom shed generally ranges from $50 to $100 per square foot, depending on materials and roofing choice. For the best aesthetics, Cook recommends to "duplicate the roofline of your house, so that it is coordinated. If your home is flat-roofed, consider a flat-roofed shed, and likewise if your home has a pitch to the roof."

Lastly, Cooke advises homeowners to plan carefully in terms of shed design and location, so that the overall effect works with the aesthetic of your home and property. "Don't just randomly build something. Your home is an investment, so consider that aspect also," he says.

Whatever their storage needs may be -- closet, garage, kitchen, or outdoors -- today's Eichler homeowners have a wealth of available space-saving options. With a little research and planning, you too can create that aesthetic and functional storage solution you have always dreamed about.

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