Finally! Custom Closets for Virginia Beach!

Closet Factory Case Study
Designer: Joyce Worthey
The Story: Transform a home office from Chaos to Clarity

The Challenge: I am a business owner who works from their home and literally ‘existed’ in a state of chaos! I am usually in my office by 7:00 a.m. and rarely leave it before 7:00p.m. so it is vital that the environment is one of comfort and functionality. I spent the first two years of home office life working in awkward dysfunctional space and today my office is a work of art and highly functional!

Humans typically don’t change their behavior until they are in enough pain! I reached that point after looking around at the piles of paper and filing on the floor and realized that I literally was in pain after the first 90 minutes of each day. My desk was the wrong height, I had the wrong kind of chair and I had no workspace and no filing capacity!

The Solution:
1. The Closet Factory Free Consultation – Joyce spent time with me looking at the space available and reviewed my needs as it related to workspace, filing space, shelf space and drawer space. She presented me with drawing designs and showcased the multiple product choices offered through Closet Factory.
2. The Design – After a few conversations on Joyce’s creative design ideas, we finalized the drawings, I chose my wood, hardware and countertop preferences. Joyce’s attention to detail in my office space was exemplary and she ensured that the specifications were customized to me! With a neck injury, details such as the height of the work surface were paramount to long term success of the space.
3. Installation – the Closet Factory installation team arrived at my home four weeks later and in one day completed construction. Joyce was there to ensure everything went according to plan. The team were professional, polite, friendly and clean! Closet Factory installers not only vacuumed before they left but did so throughout the day and also wiped down the surfaces prior to departure! So unusual these days!

The Results:
“Time is my most precious commodity and being organized and efficient gains multiple extra hours in the day! Joyce designed a work environment that took me from a state of befuddlement to a state of high functionality, organization and productivity! The transformation was miraculous!”

Sarah Dale, President, Know No Bounds LLC

Jeff Bruzzesi
Owner, Closet Factory

By Victoria Hecht The Virginian-Pilot

JEFF BRUZZESI’S custom- closet systems are the stuff of dreams for shoe mavens, garage buffs and shopaholics who struggle to wedge their wardrobes into 1950s-era closets. And while his company’s work graces Homearama houses – this year earning gold, sil Builders Association’s annual showcase of homes – the majority of Closet Factory’s jobs are for those without endless budgets. Sandbridge resident Bruzze five years ago. Since then, he’s expanded the business from seven employees in 2003 to 28 today, and the production plant has tripled in size.

The company eschews modular units, instead creating custom systems for each client. Be laundry rooms, garages, entertainment centers, wine storage and even wall systems with Murphy beds. Jobs can range from basic reach-in closets to high-end dressing rooms, with the materials and budgets just as diverse. All systems are adjustable, Bruzzesi said, giving more bang for the buck .

Closet Factory allows the Deep Creek High and Old Do his heart. He began framing houses in college and launched a contracting business, which he ran part time before buying Closet Factory. Bruzzesi was also operations manager for Adams Out door Advertising until 2002. “It’s been a fun ride,” he said of Closet Factory.” “One of the nice things about owning this business is enriching people’s lives.”

What sparked your interest in helping people organize their homes, offices, lives?
I love the way we can make construction meet function on a very personal day-to-day ap that are capable of that.

What are the benefits of a cus tom-closet system?
Busy people appreciate be ing organized. (It) adds precious time to your day.

Is there any area of the home that benefits the most from closet/organizing systems?
We have clients who have had us design systems through the home of fice, pantry, book shelves. They keep adding new custom units because each system improves their quality of life.

What’s the most common prob lem people have in regard to home organization?
Under-utilizing their space. A common misconception is that we cannot help people who have small spaces. Some of our best work is done in reorganizing a small space , giving the client added storage and versatility.

Walk us through what you and your consultants do.
We schedule a free in-home design consultation with the cli they dislike about their closet, for example, and what improvements they would like to see. The designercomes up with a space plan that meets the client’s organizational, aesthetic and budgetary needs.

Do you have a most memorable home you helped?
The Habitat House or the St. Jude Home. In each of these homes we were able to install our product and help a fami needed a helping hand.

What do you enjoy most about your work and why?
I really love the fact that we can improve people’s lives with our product. Never gets old.

What’s the favorite thing about your own home?
The fact that I built it myself from the ground up. It took me a year to complete and is one of my proudest accomplishments.

Victoria Hecht, (757) 446-2614, victoria.hecht@pilotonline.com

Ready for a Spring Closet Makeover?

By Design Consultant Barbara McCandless

With warmer weather on its way, now is a great time to go through your clothes closets and get ready for the spring and summer seasons. I suggest bringing three boxes or large bags into your closet, and sort as follows:

MEND/CLEAN/ALTER
Take these clothes to the dry cleaner and/or alterations shop today!

GIVE AWAY
Approach your clothes with a critical eye. Anything that is out of style, doesn’t fit, or just never was that flattering goes in this box. Do you have clothes in your closet that are a size or two (or more) too small that you’re saving for when you lose weight? Why not be honest with yourself, and release those clothes to a charity? If you’re sure that this is the year you’re going to fit into them, OK, keep them but see the tip at the end of this article. Take this box to your favorite charity’s drop-off spot today!

THROW AWAY
If it’s hopelessly stained, torn or otherwise worn out, just throw it out.

If possible, move your winter clothes to another space in your home. I like to move my out of season clothes to my dresser drawers (roll garments rather than fold to avoid wrinkles) and the closet in my spare bedroom, and keep only current season clothes in my bedroom closet. Under the bed storage bags or boxes are also handy for overflow storage.

To discover what you truly wear versus what takes space in your closet try this simple tip. Turn all the hangers in your closet so that they are facing the wrong way; i.e. with the end of the hook facing you. Once you have worn a garment and you’re putting it back in the closet, hang the hanger the right way. This way, at the end of the season, or even the end of the year, you’ll know which clothes you actually wear, and which ones are just taking up valuable space.

Two Types of Closets

By: Tamra Lenz, Senior Design Consultant, Closet Factory

There are two types of closets. The organized energy “giving” closets because they make you feel good when you look inside. No clutter or mess. Or the energy “taking” closets that I don’t think need to be described. You might own a couple of your own!

According to the experts, we wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. Some people have thousands of dollars worth of clothing but still feel they have nothing to wear. In fact many still have clothes with the tags attached! Today is the day to take action! But where do you start? My suggestion, start small. If you don’t, the task will seem too daunting and you won’t start at all.

Begin with one plastic shopping bag from your favorite store. Walk around your house with the goal of filling it up with things that can be thrown away. Fill one plastic bag every day for a week. Get the family involved! Give each of them a bag of their own. And once you start the process, it gets easier and easier to continue.

Once you’ve thrown away everything you can, it’s time to purge those things that you’ve outgrown. These are things that wouldn’t be regarded as trash. Consider giving these items to people who might appreciate them. Don’t forget that consignment shops appreciate your “left-over,” as do thrift stores and charities (and most of us could use the extra tax deduction!)