Today Carmen writes:
Dear Diva, My New Year’s resolution is to get more organized! Thus far I’ve organized my kitchen and pantry, but now I need to move onto the closet in my master bedroom. There is tons of space, but I’m a little hesitate to begin. I’m looking at going with a ClosetMaid do-it-yourself organizer, but I don’t know if I should go for the wire or the wood system components. The wood look is nice, but I’m not sure if it is worth the extra money. Please help! Thanks so much for your help!
Well Carmen, you are definitely not alone with the get organized New Year’s resolution. In fact, January is typically a good month to start organizing the inside of your home, even if it’s not your resolution. The reason being that a lot of people are in the process of putting away the holiday decorations and finding a place to store any new holiday swag they might have received. So, it’s the perfect time to organize your home and make each room more usable for the year to come!
Recently I found myself in a similar situation and had to decide between the exact ClosetMaid organizers you’ve described. Ultimately I chose the wire components, but I know that look is not for everyone. With that in mind, you’ll find the 3 main factors below that I used to help me determine which closet organizer was right for me.
Cost: This was definitely a factor I considered because I had multiple closets to makeover and I wanted to get the most bang for my buck. The fact of the matter is that the wire organizers are just more economical. However, if you are only making over one closet, you can probably afford to be picky in making your selection. I suggest making a list of what you need for each closet system and then tallying up the difference dollarwise between the two. You may be able to offset the price difference by going with one less “wood-looking” unit, using shelves instead of drawers, or adding more hang bars to your closet system. Don’t just go with the wire closet system because it’s less expensive, instead explore all of your options! If you need help doing this, check out ClosetMaid’s website or go to your local authorized retailer and ask an associate for help. I spent a lot of time on the ClosetMaid website, but in the end the associate at my local home improvement store was the biggest help. She saved me money by suggesting an arrangement that I hadn’t even thought about. Plus, by doing the research you’ll have a better idea of what you are looking at price wise for each system.
Appearance: No matter how much less expensive the wire closet system may be, it’s not a good choice if you actually prefer the wood look instead. When you get done with your hard work, you want to be able to appreciate it! Not just wish you could have purchased something else entirely. So while cost is definitely a point to consider when selecting a closet system, make sure you aren’t just installing something you’ll want to replace in a year or two. It’s also worth noting that the wire look is a better option if you like more of a casual or industrial look for your closet. If instead however, your style leans towards the more traditional, then you’ll want to stick with the wood laminate closet system.
Also remember that with the wire system, even if you purchase the drawers, you will still be able to see all of the items you store in it. With the wooden themed closet systems, the drawers come with a solid door. This means you can store your underwear effectively without seeing it! Speaking for myself however, I don’t mind seeing in all of the drawers in my closet, so the wire look wasn’t a big deal. But this type of layout isn’t for everyone. So, bear this in mind when making your selection.
Versatility: The last factor I considered before making my purchase, was how versatile the closet system was in the long run. When I say versatile, I mean how easy it is to change the closet system components. For example, my organizational style changes frequently. So I wanted to make sure that what I purchased was very versatile. As luck would have it, both closet organizers happen to be fairly versatile. But. . . there is no question in my mind that the wire closet system is going to be far easier for me to change in the long run. The reason being that the only pieces that are fixed are the standards you hook the brackets into. This means the brackets are easily repositioned for your organizational needs.
While with the wood look, several of the components can be changed inside each wood unit but the main units are stationary. Meaning that if you wanted to change your overall layout you could, but you would have to uninstall and reinstall each unit to change it. For my needs, this was more work than I wanted. However, if you don’t see your needs changing or don’t over organize your closet like I do, then this would be a moot issue!
No matter which type of ClosetMaid system you choose, I’m confident that if you do your research and consider the three factors I shared above, you’ll end up purchasing the one that is right for you. Remember, not to just consider the overall cost of the unit, or how it looks when making your decision. Instead take each of the above points into consideration and you’ll be sure to you pick the unit that best fits your needs for years to come! Additionally, if you’ve done the research and still can’t make a decision on what type of organizer is right for you, there are a variety of companies out there that specialize in designing and installing closet organizers. So, you are not alone and there is professional help available for this task!
Do you have questions about the selecting or the installation of: tile, carpet or wall treatments (window blinds, etc)? Then email me your tale of woe (diva(at)homemakeoverdiva.com) and perhaps I will be able to answer your questions right here at the Home Makeover Diva Blog!