Planning a luxury master closet is no easy feat. From custom shelving to lighting unique islands, it’s a huge project for any homeowner to tackle, but one that hopefully ends up delivering the closet of their dreams.
When building their new home, Loveland residents Erik and Lori Murphy chose Closets by Design to create their two master closets as well as one for their daughter, Mekenzie.
They’d done their homework, meeting with and receiving quotes from a number of different companies—but Closets by Design offered the best value and was able to achieve exactly what they wanted. Erik is an avid Pinterest user, and Senior Design Consultant Bob Boberg took Erik’s ideas and vision … and brought them to life.
“I ask [homeowners] what they would like to have and take a bunch of notes,” Bob says. “I say, ‘Give me your ultimate wish list, and if space allows, we’ll make it happen.’ Then we’ll get that stuff in there.’ Then I ask them to prioritize it, in case there’s not enough room and we have to remove something. But in the Murphys’ case, we didn’t have to do that.”
Erik and Lori knew they wanted to have islands in their closets, and none of the other closet competitors were capable of making that work in the given space.
Erik also wanted to do something special and surprise Lori with custom handles and drawer pulls featuring Swarovski crystals—Bob was able to install all of those custom looks.
“The main challenge was trying to get everything they wanted into the limited closet space they had,” Bob says. “We also had to coordinate my design with the electrician for lighting and electric plugs that needed to be concealed, plus coordinate with the builder.”
Other custom features in the Murphys’ closets included a custom glass-top island, LED lighting details in Erik’s, and valet rods and hanging hooks in Lori’s and Mekenzie’s.
Lori’s closet is white and elegant, while Erik’s is dark and masculine with art deco touches. Mekenzie’s is pink with a vintage vogue look.
“I’ve wanted a pink closet since I was a little kid, and now I have it!” Mekenzie says.
Mekenzie picked the colors and the fabric for the seat in her closet along with the “bubble” light fixture that also happens to match her bathroom. She wanted a counter to display special items and also be able to use it for folding clothes. Like her mom, she opted for the glass-front closet doors.
“Bob helped with a lot of the finishing details that made a big difference. All around, it was a great experience,” Erik says.
The design process for these unique closets took about 30 days with all the customization requests. Working with the building contractor, the total build from design to finish was 45 days. However, a typical design process is one to two days with installation usually within two to four weeks.
“Once they got to installation, the team from Closets by Design was always good about coming and going on schedule, within the window they promised,” Lori says. “That’s something that can be so helpful when you’re getting work done in your home.”
According to Bob, 100% customer satisfaction is his motto.
“Once it’s set and done, I want the customer to be 100% happy … happy with the look, happy with the functionality, happy they did business with us,” Bob says. “There’s a lot of follow-up after the sale and after you do the design. I was at the Murphys’ multiple times because I had to see that it was looking right, and to handle any problems that might arise.”
Bob also supports and encourages the idea of asking about the knowledge and skill of the person who is doing your closet design, especially if it’s complex or different than the norm. Bob himself has 40-plus years of design experience, more than 11 of which have been with Closets by Design.
Beyond the personalized service, Closets by Design also has the largest in-house production facility in Greater Cincinnati, including more designers and modern equipment than any company serving the area. In addition, Closets by Design has the largest showroom of on-display products, from designs that are basic to those that are highly elaborate. It's a one-stop shop for any room in your home needing more functional storage solutions.
“It’s a team effort over at Closets by Design,” Bob says. “Our installation crews are not subcontractors; they’re in-house people. We’re in charge of the whole job, which means nobody is passing the buck.”
In addition to closets, Closets by Design specializes in custom garages, home offices, entertainment centers, laundry rooms and more.
“Anything the customer needs, we can design, manufacture and install,” Bob says.
Ready to find the design solution of your dreams? Visit the showroom, browse online or call for an appointment—the right team is waiting to make your closet dreams a walk-in reality.
Cincinnati.ClosetsByDesign.com | 513.469.6130