Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 21, 1993 TAG: 9303190508
SECTION: TODAYS HOME PAGE: TH-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By SARAH COX
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
THERE ARE SOLUTIONS FOR THOSE WHO NEVER HAVE ENOUGH SPACE
Rick Gumpert, owner of Closet Storage Organizers, said that in his everyday dealings with closets, there is one consistent problem: "Nobody has enough closet space. The clients want me to get everything plus the kitchen sink into the closet."The problem of not having enough space - in closets, bedrooms and kitchens - is universal. But the solutions to this problem have conversely become more clever. Gumpert's company offers a relatively cost efficient answer, not only with its customized products, but with professional advice.
"We define needs, to begin with," he said. "I'll make suggestions to totally maximize space. First off, the way you gain space is by double hanging. Then we define how much you need long-hanging space."
Gumpert said he can provide drawers, baskets, shelves and rods, designed specifically for his customer's needs. For instance, he did a job for a doctor in Boones Mill - in the man's barn. "He wanted to create space to hang horse blankets," Gumpert said, so he came up with triple-hanging rods staggered in 3-foot wide sections, and in the end, devised a system to hold 18 horse blankets.
Gumpert said his products come with a lifetime warranty, and since he distributes between eight and 10 different manufacturers' products, his variety is wide.
"Every realtor will tell you - and they tell me time and time again - when people buy a house, the major things they look at are the kitchen, bath and closets. My product is a relatively inexpensive way to maximize space to fit my clients' needs and budgets," he said.
His ventilated wire is less expensive than the vinyl-covered wire products. He suggested that for homeowners building a house, they incorporate an allowance for closet organizers into their budget, or suggest that contractors leave closets empty and let homeowners organize their own spaces.
"The unique part of my product is that it hangs off the wall. We can turn a room into a closet. It's also moveable so that people who invest in closet organizer products can take them when they move," he said.
Sandra Bradley, interior designer and owner of Interiors, Inc. has also encountered some small spaces during her career. One of the most consistent challenges she faces are dormers, which can mean wasted space. Dormers are too low to walk in, too small for conventional furniture, and yet the perfect space for storage.
"Sometimes you can build in either shelves or a chest with a pillow on top and a pull-out drawer," she suggested.
Another easy and inexpensive solution are hooks, on which to hang belts, bags, collectibles, bags of toys, hats, or even jewelry. She has put hooks on the back of a closet and in a dressing room.
In kitchens, she finds that a narrow cupboard is ideal for cookie sheets or trays, and pull-out drawers reduce the rooting-around time and potential clutter hazard. Also, kitchen islands are great space-savers, particularly if they have built-in shelves, drawers and doors. Above the island you can install a pot-rack, which gets the pots out of the cupboards and up in the air. Bradley said that these racks are available in antique or shiny brass or wrought iron. Colors can also effect the way a space is perceived.
And although Bradley said that the days of all-white walls are fading fast, white does widen and brighten a room. "There is no way you can make a tiny bathroom look huge," she said, but an accent color will not diminish the size, either, if countertops and accessories are already white. "Dark wallpaper doesn't really make it look smaller with the rest of the room being white."
Turning a small space into something it was not originally intended for is another route to take. Bradley said that one of the neatest jobs she was ever involved in was making a smaller bedroom into a dressing room.
She mirrored one wall that had closets all the way across it, and put a dressing table under one window. The closets were customized to fit the owner's clothes, and the dressing table had individual compartments for various accessories and makeup. In addition, there was just enough room left over for an exercise bicycle and a chair, with a bathroom off the dressing room.
Another solution comes in the form of space-saving appliances. Holdren's Manager Dennis Goodman said that over-the-counter microwaves that double as range hoods, with built-in exhaust fans, have become particularly popular in new construction. They come with lights, plus free up counterspace that can total up to 30 inches. Another space-saver are the stackable washer and dryers. One size is available in standard, 16-pound capacity and another, what they refer to as the "skinny mini" has a 10-pound capacity. The latter model can fit into a standard closet, and the 16-pound washer and dryer set requires a larger storage area.
And for that ever-present need to be entertained while working in the kitchen . . . try under-the-counter radios and televisions. Goodman said that the G.E. Spacesaver color televisions, ranging in size from 5 1/2 to 9 inches, in both cable and non-cable ready, run anywhere from $249 to $299.
One last word on space-saver ideas, this one from designer Jodi Shirkey of Designers II. She offers Techline furniture, a particularly durable line of laminated particle board furniture that her design business will install at no extra charge.
Techline can be designed to achieve multiple purposes, she said. For instance, you can pick a headboard with storage drawers underneath; a trundle bed which rolls under a Techline single bed or a set of bunks; bookcases with a corner unit that utilizes normally wasted space; Murphy beds for offices; pull-out shelves for televisions; drop-lid desks; and cabinetry with wire baskets.