The Importance of Organization in Small, Luxury Spaces

One burgeoning trend in upscale multifamily residential architecture today is the growing demand for more — and better quality — storage space. At the same time, demand for smaller living spaces is high – there’s less upkeep, lower energy costs, and typically less stress overall. To address both of these demands in small, amenity-filled spaces, architects design not just for looks, but for organization. This approach is paramount to an attractive and usable home.

Fortunately, ClosetMaid® works with architects and designers to provide beautiful and usable storage and organization systems in luxury multifamily applications.

Of the four distinct wood systems the company offers, its MasterSuite® is the top-of-the-line closet and storage system. It’s manufactured from a combination of robust, industrial-grade engineered wood with a highly durable melamine finish and solid wood drawers. It’s built for lasting luxury and flexibility, too. MasterSuite provides almost limitless configurations of shelves, cabinets, drawers and hang rods to accommodate any functional requirement in virtually any space. In addition, MasterSuite offers a number of attractive design options and accessories to meet the needs of residential applications where maximizing storage space is a must. We take a look at two recent applications that exemplify MasterSuite’s flexibility in design.

In Houston, Hanover Post Oak

The newest luxury high-rise apartment complex in Houston’s Galleria area, Hanover Post Oak is sited conveniently near boutiques like Hermès of Paris and Herman Miller — a location that’s tough to beat for upscale residents. Hanover Post Oak takes its amenities up to the next level, and thanks to ClosetMaid, it also offers beautifully organized walk-in closets to showcase the cutting-edge threads from those nearby luxury brands. Solomon Cordwell Buenz designed the complex with beauty and functionality in mind: Each penthouse master bedroom features a custom MasterSuite storage system. These spacious walk-ins offer an array of options chosen by The Hanover Company’s management team, including corner shelves, valet rods, shoe racks, complementing chrome hardware and a large center island.

ClosetMaid provides the Professional Services Representative™ program to assist builders and designers in choosing the design options they want and need. The Hanover Company relied on ClosetMaid for several design options before coming to its ideal solution. The company chose the walk-in system not only because it’s more affordable than traditional built-in-place casework, but also because it makes functional storage architecturally attractive.

In San Diego, Form 15

Form 15 is a six-story mid-rise on the corner of 15th and Market Street in San Diego’s East Village, just blocks away from Petco Park, the Thomas Jefferson School of Law and the New School of Architecture. It’s known for unparalleled luxury — both inside and out.

When it opened its doors to new tenants in August 2014, Form 15 exuded elegance in both design and function. Each apartment features stainless steel appliances, pendant lighting and hardwood floors, all wrapped in beautiful color schemes. The building boasts a rooftop deck with city skyline views, two-story gym, media room with full kitchen, community room, dog run and a quarter-acre pool accompanied by fire pits and sunbathing chairs.

Its 242 residential units range from studios to three-bedroom apartments, each equipped with ClosetMaid storage systems. While designing the luxury apartments, Holland Partner Group and VBI Doors chose ClosetMaid to outfit the rooms to meet tenants’ styles and storage needs. Luxurious living extends to every Form 15 closet. Master bedrooms offer an abundance of space for clothing, linens and shoes thanks to MasterSuite storage systems, for a smarter and more functional alternative to the usual cut-on-site, built-in-place storage option.

Industrial-grade engineered wood with a durable white melamine finish provides not only high-quality, scratch- and stain-resistant shelving and hanging units, but also a professionally designed, efficient solution for busy urban lifestyles. Floor-mounted installations in the master closet space feature MasterSuite’s adjustable shelving option with locking shelf pins for enhanced safety. In addition, CARB 93120 Phase 2 compliant MasterSuite helps promote healthier indoor air quality.

In agreement with the master bedroom’s generous storage space, Form 15 laundry rooms feature ClosetMaid Heavy Duty ventilated wire shelving. Finished in white, the shelves can hold up to 100 pounds per linear foot, making them perfect for heavy laundry detergents and cleaning solutions. Plus, as the only brand of wire shelving with welds at every wire-to-wire intersection and a highly durable, fully encapsulating vinyl coating, these ClosetMaid shelves will remain free from chipping, discoloration and rusting for years.

All ClosetMaid ventilated wire systems are SCS-certified™ for a minimum 91 percent recycled content with 87 percent post-consumer and 4 percent pre-consumer recycled steel. They are also SCS-certified for Indoor Air Quality and meet California Department of Public Health standards for family residences, open-plan and private office stations, and school classrooms.

Having worked with ClosetMaid in the past, the project team didn’t think twice about choosing ClosetMaid systems for Form 15. Subcontractor VBI Doors recommended ClosetMaid to Holland Partner Group, and production and installation moved faster than expected due to ClosetMaid’s continual support throughout the process.

ClosetMaid was then tasked with providing the necessary materials to stay on track with the advancing schedule. Professional Services Representatives were on hand at all times to provide solutions and advice for builders, developers, contractors, remodelers, architects and interior designers.