
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, March 20, 1994                   TAG: 9404140299
SECTION: TODAY'S HOME                    PAGE: 24   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DONNA MUSSELWHITE
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

THERE'S HELP IN MAKING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR CLOSET

You're in a hurry, you're grabbing for your coat, and the inevitable finally happens - everything in the closet comes crashing to the floor.

Overstuffed closets crammed full of clothes, shoes, purses, belts, ties, leftover shopping bags and coat hangars seem to be the bane of everyone's existence.

"Don't feel bad," said Rick Gumpert of Closet Storage Organizers. "Everybody has messy closets. We all have tons of stuff and nowhere to put it. But the truth is there's usually a lot more room in your closet than you think."

Gumpert's business is based on the premise that closets contain unused space. When your belongings have finally crashed to the floor, he and his staff come to your rescue.

"We come out and analyze your belongings, what you need to store in your closet. We look at things like how many long pieces of clothing do you have, or can we double hang all your clothes. We analyze the space, analyze your belongings, and design a system to fit both."

Closet Storage Organizers carries two kinds of systems - a melamine finished laminate system that is fully adjustable, and a ventilated wire shelving system which totally hangs off the walls of the closet. The systems come in pieces which are packaged into a set-up for your closet, your pantry, your garage or any other type of storage space.

"People are just basically pack rats, we can't bear to throw anything away," says Gumpert. "So, the challenge is to find a place to store everything."

Gumpert works in both new homes under construction and in older homes. "Of course, it's easier to design great closet space while you're in the process of building. Butin an older home, we can design the system to use every inch of the existing closets."

A good example, Gumpert says, is the corner space on the sides of the closet door. "That's basically unused space. So we add shelves or hooks that put that space to use."

Another real space waster is the traditional closet rod and upper shelf. "Most people don't have a wardrobe of long clothes. They have separates - jackets, skirts, pants. Those can be stored on double rods which open up lots of space."

With the adjustable laminate system, Gumpert says, a closet can change through the years according to a person's needs. "We can do a toddler's bedroom closet and triple hang the clothing. Then as the child gets older, we can change it to double hang. The system works according to what you need."

Although many people like the idea that the closet systems can be removed when a house is sold, Gumpert suggests that homeowners look at it as additional value in the house.

"Most folks look at the kitchen, the bathroom and the closet space when they look at a house. So if you've got great closets, it's going to help when you sell your house," he said.

by CNB