Since opening their first California Closets Michigan (californiaclosets.com/michigan) showroom almost 36 years ago, Ray and Sheilah Markham have grown their business — and their family.
Sheilah started out as a salesperson with California Closets Connecticut, while Ray, who had a background in sales, played pro hockey with the New York Rangers. Presented with the opportunity to open a franchise in Michigan, they launched new careers with the personalized storage solutions company.
Adding to their locations in Troy and Birmingham, the couple last year opened a 30,000-square-foot flagship showroom and design studio in Wixom, which also houses a production facility with a dedicated team of engineers.
Since then, the next generation of the family has taken the reins: Siblings Ray Markham, Jr., COO, and Jenna Wittbrodt, CEO, bring backgrounds in finance and sales and design, respectively, to the family business. Below, we caught up with Jenna Wittbrodt.
Tell us about California Closets?
California Closets originated the custom-closet industry in 1978. Today, the brand operates a multinational franchise and company-owned organization with showrooms across the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
California Closets Michigan was established in 1988 by the Markham family and is distinguished by a legacy of innovation, organizational expertise, quality craftsmanship and design authority. From beautiful closets and home offices to hard-working kitchen pantries and media centers, we design custom home storage that adds value to your life and home by making space for what belongs. It’s what we call ‘Practical Magic.’
What services do you offer?
We are a full-service, custom-designed home-storage company working with residential clients and trade professionals alike. We collaborate to execute thoughtful designs that cater to each project’s needs for functionality, durability, aesthetic, timeline and budget. All of our services are performed by employees — never subcontractors — including manufacturing at our state-of-th-art facility in Wixom — and installation.
How does the process work?
We start with a complimentary design consultation, either in-home or using blueprints/drawings in one of our showrooms. During this initial visit, which can last approximately two hours, the designer will take the time to get a feel for the project’s space, take an inventory of belongings — seeking to learn the goals and needs for the space — then make recommendations to maximize every inch.
For instance, for a closet design, it’s important to account for the types of clothing that will be stored (how many long-handing sections are needed versus short). In a home office, it’s valuable to know if the area will be shared, and how power needs to be integrated. Then, the design process is totally collaborative using our proprietary 3D software — a personalized 3D design is created, allowing clients to see exactly how the final product will look in their space. Finally, the project is custom-crafted using North American materials and expertly installed.
“Closets” is in your name. Which other areas of the home do you specialize in?
Though we created the closet category nearly 50 years ago, people are still often surprised that we also specialize in high-quality Murphy beds and office spaces. Additionally, our expertise now expands far beyond closets to include almost every room in the home: walk-in, kids, guest, linen and entryway closets; mudrooms; pantries; wine bars and entertainment centers; garages; bookshelves and home libraries; fireplace surrounds and living areas; craft rooms; even commercial and retail spaces.
How do you customize styles for each client?
We pride ourselves on functional and beautifully crafted designs. Our professional designers have interior design backgrounds and we partner with many in Metro Detroit and Northern Michigan. With versatile offerings in both premium materials and curated woodgrain and matte finishes as well as hardware, door and drawer styles and storage accessories, we’re able to customize each design to the client’s desired aesthetic — whether transitional, modern or contemporary.
Can you work with all budgets?
Absolutely, which also takes people by surprise. The beauty of our process is that it is truly personalized for each client. Our consultations are collaborative and transparent. Clients have the ability to see how a quote builds by adding, removing and playing with our many design details. We also offer price matching and are incredibly competitive in the market overall. We understand, no matter what the budget, the significance of our clients’ investment. To that, all pricing is inclusive of the product, installation and limited lifetime warranty.
What sets you apart from other builders/designers?
First and foremost, it is our people. Our company works from a set of specific core values that drive everything we do. We are a unified team that is empowered, valued and motivated to deliver excellence. We take the utmost pride in our work, and our team delivers a lasting, custom-crafted product and highly personalized experience. There is never a one-size-fits-all approach — every single project is unique and execution includes thoughtful design details that might be overlooked by other companies.
We have a robust trade-industry presence and work with designers, builders, architects and organizers alike who also understand and appreciate the value of our expertise and full-service approach. We collaborate with these businesses, working to support their unique needs and clientele. Every product we offer, design and install goes through extensive research and development, and we pride ourselves not only on functional, beautiful spaces, but designs that will stand the test of time.
Which geographic areas do you service?
Our franchise showroom and manufacturing center is in Wixom. We also have a recently updated showroom in Birmingham, and in 2019, our showroom at the Michigan Design Center opened.
Our showrooms are another facet that sets us apart — allowing clients the ability to experience our product firsthand. Our company services almost all of Michigan, both Metro Detroit and Northern.
Tell us about your products and their attributes?
Our premium materials include elevated construction and design points which are standard, not upgrades. Our drawers use steel, full-extension under-mount runners with soft-close mechanisms and our standard drawer offering is birchwood with dovetail construction. Our boards are finished with laser edge-banding — not glue — and our standard depth for shelves is 14” versus 12” with other companies.
What do you love about what you do?
I find it incredibly fulfilling to work with amazing customers and a fantastic team. Delivering on our promises and seeing designs come to life during installation is rewarding, especially knowing that we’re making a real difference and impact in our customers’ day-to-day lives by not only enhancing their organization but creating spaces they can enjoy for a lifetime.
"We collaborate to execute thoughtful designs that cater to each project’s needs for functionality, durability, aesthetics, timeline and budget." — Jenna Wittbrodt
"Our designers take the time to get a feel for the project’s space and inventory belongings to maximize every inch." — Jenna Wittbrodt
"People are often surprised that we also specialize in other items, like high-quality Murphy beds and office spaces." — Jenna Wittbrodt