Smart Design for Small Spaces

A master bedroom transformation by California Closets

As the size of new homes and condominiums get smaller, the square footage allocated to traditional storage space is starting to disappear.The most common problem that downsizers or new homebuyers face is often just that the lack of storage space. Custom cabinetry can solve this dilemma – and it is a much preferred option to using bulky furniture which takes up precious square footage.When people ask themselves how they can create more space, the answer lies in making more effective and efficient use of what they already have.The simplest way is closet organizers.

We deal with a lot of townhome and condo owners whose storage space is limited,

says Emma Beaty, a Design Consultant at California Closets.Recently, Beaty worked with a couple who love their neighbourhood but found their 1990s-era townhome lacking much-needed storage in their master bedroom. The owners were looking to update their closets and add built-in cabinetry in their bedroom for additional storage.

During their initial consultation, she asked them several questions to find out exactly what they required.Questions for a bedroom would typically include, how much space do we need to allocate to short/long hanging items? Are you looking to store shoes in the closet, and if so, how many pairs? Do you fold or hang sweaters? What types of things do you like to put in drawers? What kind of aesthetic are you going for?A designer can spend anywhere from 2-20+ hours on a project, depending on the complexity of the job, she adds.Once Beaty had a clear picture of the homeowners needs, she used her interactive CAD program to design a 3-D colour rendering to present to them. Once they saw what it looked like they were able to make immediate changes to the rendering. Our program is very advanced, so as changes are made, the pricing is automatically adjusted so there are no surprises.

The first portion of the project included a simple closet system and replacing the old short brass sliding doors with floor to ceiling sliding doors. The floor to ceiling sliding doors draw the eye up to the top of the room, making their bedroom appear larger and more spacious, she notes. For the bed surround, we went for a very sleek, contemporary look that still added a tonne of storage, adds Beaty.The beauty of custom built storage is that it makes everything easy, accessible and beautiful.We do much more than simple closets¦California Closets also has a full line of locally produced custom cabinetry. Our franchise has mastered smart design for small spaces which is what we did for this project. she adds.