The Curated Closet

The Curated Closet

There are no shortages of “Sex and the City” references when it comes to the closet Mr. Big had made for Carrie – I know you know the one. If not, perhaps you’re a “Housewives” fan. Who can forget Lisa Vanderpump’s fashion oasis she humbly refers to as a closet? Custom made to suit all their needs, no pre-fab would do. Now and option for fashion collectors around the Bay, Jerry Taylor, President and CEO of Closet Factory Gulf Coast, gives us a peek into paradise.

By Hayley Hill

Having organized many closets over the years, I can confirm that organizing one closet leads to needing new closets. Customized closets. So many of us store the strangest things in what should be our personal sanctuary. On any given day you will find school lunch snacks hidden from my kids, rolls of holiday wrapping paper mid-July, and possibly a few annoying toys I can’t bear to hear anymore. Add – oh yeah – a bike tire that needs patching. If Karl Lagerfeld were alive to see his vintage pieces surrounded by Little Debbies and a bike pump, it would kill him. However, it’s just the way I live. A lot of us do.

Meeting Jerry of Closet Factory reminded me of how much I long for organization and spaces that don’t make my heart race. “Your closet is the most personal space in your home,” Jerry explains. “An organized and peaceful space will make life more enjoyable. Everyone has a unique wardrobe and belongings, and we design a custom solution around you. We don’t expect your things to fit into a ‘precut’ system,” he shares. Ah-ha. Customization is key.

“We make virtually everything we install at our factory in Daphne, and this allows us to be very responsive to a client’s needs and to provide actual custom storage,” Jerry details. “We maximize every available inch of your space. Also, we don’t order pre-sized systems from someone else, put it in your space, and fill around it. We design and manufacture a system that is actually customized to meet your needs. Our primary goal is to design a system that you will love, and no one puts more into your closets and other spaces than we do,” he adds.

Avoiding those ineffective wall-hung systems is priority number one. “We provide structurally sound floor-based systems, meaning the weight of our systems is on the floor,” Jerry explains. “This gives our clients the unique ability to adjust the system to their own needs. We are dedicated to delivering exactly the product you want, from a classic white melamine design all the way to stained wood. By listening, we involve clients in every step of the design process, and every system we make is as unique as the person who owns it,” Jerry says.

Dreaming and scheming, I wonder how the process works. “It’s easy,” he says. “A designer visits your home, measures the space, and takes an inventory of your belongings. If you’re limited on space, we maximize every bit and even make it adjustable for when your needs change. We design a place for everything and ask questions to ensure we meet your financial, functional, and aesthetic needs, and then give you a quote with several options. Once all decisions are confirmed, we schedule the install date and pride ourselves on showing up on schedule and ensuring your satisfaction. Clients also receive a Lifetime Warranty against defects in workmanship and materials,” Jerry explains.

Originally from Huntsville and living in Fairhope for the last 10 years, Jerry formerly practiced law for roughly 28 years and was involved in product liability and nursing home and pharmaceutical liability litigation all over the country. Not wanting to completely retire, he and his wife Lisa opened their Closet Factory franchise three years ago. “We have the benefit of over 35 years of experience in the custom storage industry,” Jerry says. “We are part of one of the industry’s most admired and recognized brands with a very long track record of success. Because of this, we are able to turn our clients’ spaces into organizational works of art, building around their needs to provide highly functional and aesthetically pleasing storage. We are the authority in storage solutions,” Jerry says.

And, it doesn’t stop at closets. Listing custom storage solutions for offices, entertainment centers, garage systems, pantries, bookshelves, kid zones, laundry rooms, and more, Jerry shares, “Closets are only the beginning in terms of the storage solutions we provide. We have even created mancaves in some garages that are amazing.” So, what’s the general scope of jobs? “We have installed storage systems of all types and sizes, from $750 pantries to $60K+ master closets.”

Working with home industry insiders is another important aspect, as it confirms their experience. “We work with top interior designers, custom home builders, large builders, remodelers, condominium builders, commercial builders, organizers, and, of course, lots of homeowners all over Baldwin County and Mobile,” Jerry says. “To the east, we have installed storage from Pensacola all the way to 30A and Panama City. To the west, we have installed all along the coast to the Louisiana/Mississippi line.”

And while I drift off dreaming about the closet to end all closets, I hear a child digging through my below-par closet for school snacks at bedtime. I roll over and make a mental note that not only will I have drawers upon drawers for all my fashion treasures; I will also have ones that lock.

25251 Friendship Road, Daphne

251.243.2225

ClosetFactory.com