When was the last time you were surprised by how happy something made you?
Since working with Dayton Designer Closets on a project, local homeowner Dave Johnson* says, “It just makes me smile whenever I walk in my closet because it’s such a pretty place and everything is where it’s supposed to be."
Dave hired Dayton Designer Closets for a number of reasons. First, he loved that the business is locally owned and operated. But he also had some real design challenges that needed to be solved.
Lead Designer Amber Morrow says, “When you walk in, to the left they have a washer and dryer. Part of the wall juts out and recesses again creating an empty space that is pretty deep and not very wide. We installed pull out shelving that is 24” deep. Now they have a place to store their luggage and out-of-season clothes.”
The main storage features of the updated closet/laundry room include pull-down hanging rods to maximize vertical space, as well as 20” deep pullout drawers which can store two or three pairs of shoes each. This new design was so efficient that the family had space to display their high-end watches with the aid of accent puck lighting on the drawer stack under the window.
Owner-operator Rachael Fahncke explains, “Our design options don’t reduce practicality in small spaces but enhance storage options as well as aesthetics."
Trust the Process
The process that Rachael and her design team follow is both simple and thorough. First, they meet the client in their home. The home visit includes an assessment of the actual space, and an inventory of the items that the homeowner currently has in their closet, plus whatever items the client would like to add in.
This also gives the designer an opportunity to get a feel for the kind of aesthetic the rest of the home has. Then the design team creates at least two mock-ups. Coming into the showroom to look at the designs gives the homeowner a chance to view color samples, materials and accessory options.
Beyond the basics of which shelves should go where, Dayton Designer Closets digs deep to find out what exactly prompted their client to come in. For example - are the sweaters folded because the customer wants them to be folded, or would they prefer they be hung? Are there any items that the customer wishes would fit in the closet but don’t?
Rachael shares, “We take the time to get to know what the customer needs. What we’re doing for people is such a personal thing. We’re in the most private part of their home. You really get to know people that way."
Dave wanted to follow some design trends, like internal lights, floor to ceiling storage and a display area. He got everything he asked for, but what he really loved was the experience.
He says, “They had a wide range of products to select from, and they ultimately had exactly what we were looking for. They worked well with the other contractors, and their follow through was exceptional. They checked in at three months, six months, and one year, which I thought was excellent customer service."
For Dave, it was important that he could trust that his project was as important to his contractor as it was to him. And being a small business gave Rachael, Amber and their team the capacity to be truly invested.
“People like knowing that I own the company and a lot of times I’m the one going out there," Rachael says. "They like seeing the same faces and knowing this is actually a local company. It just feels like family when you’re working with us.”
Dayton Designer Closets
7678 McEwen Rd Suite C, Centerville
937.519.4094 | DaytonDesignerClosets.com
*Name changed to protect privacy
“It just makes me smile whenever I walk in my closet because it’s such a pretty place and everything is where it’s supposed to be."