Closet Factory

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First, before I write this review, I do want to say, everyone at
Closet Factory (CF) was very, very kind. However, that's where the
positive review ends.
1.  On May 9th, we designed our closet, contracted and
scheduled CF for installation. We provided a budget, our needs, and style we
liked.  Unfortunately, the "standard" doors didn't match the
standard drawers and were an additional cost. CF was kind enough to honor the
originally quoted price. 
2. Initially the closets were to be installed 2 weeks later, however, given
that I was very pregnant (actually delivered two days later, May 11th), we
pushed out the installation to the beginning of June.  However, when I
called to confirm (mind you, I called them, they didn't call me), they were not
prepared for the installation. We were pushed out to the end of June. 
Then again. Then the date was moved I believe two more times, but still
installed in June. Mind you they cashed our deposit immediately (back in May).
3.We were led to believe that the installation would be between
9-11, however, the installer clarified that was the ARRIVAL time of the
installer, not the installation process, which was between 4-5 hours. This
wasn't clear to us, and I need to be elsewhere at the end of that time period.
BIG MISTAKE!! Three things:
    1. The drawers were not the drawer sizes we ordered. Five wrong drawers.
    2. The doors were not hung level. I"m not sure who would look at it and
say, eh that?s good enough.
    3. The design we discussed was to make the outlets available. The closet system
installed did not allow for this.
4. We communicated the issues and they were apologetic and reordered the
drawers, and planned on fixing the other mistakes.  Essentially were told
they were busy with so many other customers that it was going to be another 6
weeks or so before things would be corrected.  I had to look at those crooked
doors for way too long. (Oh btw, they cashed our second check immediately prior
to correcting the problem back in June.)
5. I called them numerous times to see about the installation because they
couldn't commit to a date. I suspect they hoped I would go away!
6. Finally fixed everything at the end of August, and did give a few nice add ons, which I
appreciate. Although, my top drawer has never worked correctly, but I have no
time or patience to have it fixed, even though they have a "lifetime
guarantee." May - August is way too long to install a simple closet system. 
Buyer beware. But, they are very nice people; we just had a really really BAD
experience and cannot in good faith recommend them. 

They did nothing. They followed up once they had been here. I sent them some questions and they didn't respond to that and I haven't heard from them since. I can't say anything good about them. Initially their response was good then it petered out and vanished. They came out when they said they'd come. I would like my money back if that was possible.

.

My design consultant, Helene, was really terrific.
I couldn't be happier with the results

If I could have hired a contractor who can come out and do a really lovely closet with wood, it would have been nice. The only recommendation I would make for them is to make sure that someone is really comfortable with how much they are going to wire the component because you can have small little areas. They are fine for shallow closet, but for bigger ones it is better to go with some other service provider. I paid 200$ extra to create small partitions within the closet. They were very responsive and faster than I thought.

I had read reviews about The Closet Factory on Angie's List in the spring.  I was very interested in the company based on a review by one individual who had an issue and how happy he was with the resolution.   I finally decided to move forward with this project in July and set up an appointment with them.  One of their designers, Margaret Milano, came to the house and listened to what I was trying to accomplish and took a series of measurements and notes.  She promised to get back to us with some preliminary designs within a week and did so.  We had some back and forth by e-mail and phone to make changes and tweaks to the proposal.  In the middle of August we went to the Closet Factory design studio to look a material samples and make selections of colors of cabinets, hardware, desk top material, etc.  Based on our schedules we had to push the installation to early November.  The work was completed over a two day period.  We had cleared the entire room and the team worked a full two days on installation.  The works was very well done with a great attention to detail.  The fit of the all of the components is seamless.  The end result is stunning.  It's such a pleasure to work in this room now that the new office has been installed;.  Both my wife and I work out of our home and we can both work in this space quite comfortably based on the layout designed by Margaret.  I am very happy with the entire process.

It went well and I was very happy with end result. I did get a few extras like Lucite shoe shelves, but otherwise the closet upgrades were standard. One note I did have is that I was expecting a bit more awareness of space. The installers simply wore their sneakers through my home. They were great and even helped with a few adjustments without complaint when asked, but I was expecting them to wear something like a show cover that mattress delivery persons wear for example.

It turned out fine. I don't really have dislikes. They were professional and good but they had to come back and reschedule d a couple of times because they weren't able to finish the installment the first time.

The designer was lovely and she followed up so that I did not loose out on the significant "Big Deal" savings (as I was very busy and lost track of the deadline) and so I was able to have the system installed before my deal expired - which I really appreciated! The designer provided 3 design options for each of my 3 bedroom closets: the master was largest, the 2 other closets were both 4' wide (both were closets in kids' bedrooms). One of the 4' closets had a design with more shelving and less hanging space and was more expensive, so I went with the least expensive option, more appropriate for a girl than a boy - as both my kids are grown and the need was generic. The Closet Factory system is built from the floor up, not hung from the walls, (as I think most other closet systems are) so it requires the closet floor to be all set. That was not the case in my master bedroom (which would have required the carpeting to be removed), so I ended up going with the design that was the simplest (best for a girl) and least expensive, as that floor was  exposed hardwood and all set to go. The installer was very nice and the job was done well and efficiently. My suggestions would be:

1) remove all the old closet shelving support from the walls and spackle the holes and paint as may be needed BEFORE the closet installer comes. I did not think about that because they said they would do that, but now I have a closet full of patched holes and now I will need to have my handyman work around the installed closet sections to clean that up.  It would have been much easier if the designer had had a conversation with me about this and I could have tried to plan for it in advance. I might not have gotten around to it, but I'd have been aware of the issue.

2) I had wooden baseboard trim along the inside perimeter of my closet - not sure if this is common or not. I wish the designer had  discussed with me how I wanted to deal with the baseboard (or how they would plan to deal with it).  I would have told them that I would want the baseboard removed before installation  - or I'd have had my handyman remove it with the other shelving that was in place. Since that discussion did not happen,  the installer arrived with the vertical support planks already having a cut out at the rear bottom, in order to fit against the decorative rear trim, so it was too late to do anything about that. Now the top inch of the trim is  sticking up behind the floor planks of the closet system. I can live with it, but it looks weird to me. Maybe my handyman will be able to do something with that.

3)  The installer did  remove the side trim, at my request, and caulked around the edges, so there are no vertical gaps and that part looks good (walls are never plumb so there are usually gaps in this system, but he fixed those).  However, in the process of removing the side trim, the sloppy edges of the hardwood under the trim became visible. I did not think to ask the installer to leave the trim for me, until he had neatly cleaned up the area and left with the wood. Not a big deal -  just another item I failed to think about at the time. I'll  need to have new baseboard installed inside the closet.

I think the personnel was great  to deal with, the price for the Big Deal was fabulous and the people I dealt with all did a great job. If I decide to use a floor-supported closet system for my other closets in the future, I would definitely use them and I would recommend them. I take some responsibility for not thinking things through or asking enough questions, but I also think the designer should have had a discussion with me about the removal of the old shelving and the baseboard trim in anticipation of the installation and the impact of not doing that. It would have eliminated some aggravation for me. I don't know how their regular pricing compares to a similar design with a different company, but I do think their metal (chrome) shelf and pole support parts and their metal poles are much better quality than the plastic supports and plastic covered wooden poles that I've seen used by other systems.

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The overall design and installation went very well. (I really liked my designer, Victoria!) We had some scheduling glitches, mostly mine, but CF was accommodating. The installer was professional and friendly and did a good job, especially in my old farmhouse with very uneven floors.
Total cost was $3k. I couldn't have done it myself, so I went with it - especially because I liked the design services, though I didn't shop around to see if this way a competitive rate.

Absolutely positively fantastic.  I Love, Love, Love my new closet.  I could not be happier!! I have a walk-in Master Bedroom closet which was, what I called, a walk-in and stand there closet because all it had was an L-shaped shelf/hanging unit.  It was full of stuff and all you could do was step in it.  I didn't think too much about it because the closet isn't really a huge closet but it is a pretty good sized closet.  Now, with the new closet system in there - it is truly a walk-in closet - Just Beautiful!!!  So very very happy.
The designer was completely upfront with me as far as what opportunities and limitations we faced with this project.  Of course I wanted everything.  I wanted drawers, I wanted doors, I wanted hanging space, and shoe space and basically I wanted everything.  She truly helped me see what my needs were and how my wants could turn this into a massively expensive project.  I am so, so very grateful for that.  When she came to my house the closet space was empty as I was preparing to have new flooring put down and I had removed the existing shelving.  All my clothes were in another closet - so off we go to the other closet.  There we talked about what I had, what I needed and how to make it all work and be affordable.  She was very, very patient with me listening to everything I had to say.  She addressed each and every question I brought up.  She went over with my why some of the things I wanted would not work.and why.  The end design was something I was very pleased with.  I was not prepared for how absolutely gorgeous the actual product/end result was going to be.
The original install date was for 9/25 but I had to move it due to a work conflict which they were wonderful about accommodating me.  The installer arrived on time as requested and honored all of my requests as far as making sure shoes were off/or protected (I had just had new hardwood floors installed in the room).  Installation took about 3-4 hours as projected.   The cutting work was done outside in the driveway.  The garage was available to him as well if needed.  Clean up was perfect - you would never know anyone was there.  
And, oh, my beautiful beautiful closet.  I wish I had pictures that did justice to just how absolutely gorgeous and functional this closet is.  It looks like a million dollar closet - it makes me feel like a million dollars.  I never want to leave it when I am in it - thank you so much Closets By Design - I LOVE MY CLOSET!  It was the best money I've spent on my home!

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It was fine.  They called back quickly.  They were on time and did the job quickly.  A draw face and pole is on back order so I am waiting for those.  It was a lot more expensive than I expected.

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I purchased an Angie's List big deal for $99 for $500 worth of custom closet/ cabinetry. They were superb about scheduling quickly and quite flexible with making an appointment. Judy came in to look at 2 spaces I wanted considered, 1 of which was a simple laundry closet set of shelves, the other, a small master closet I wanted to have work a bit better for me.  Ultimately, I opted only for the laundry closet shelving. This was namely because the master closet plan we discussed and I received a mapped plan for,  didn't seem to me to be a huge upgrade or difference from what I already had, and with a price tag in the thousands, it felt nice but not at all necessary. The laundry closet shelving was scheduled within a couple weeks and just installed. It adds enormous functionality to the space, but in all honesty, were there not a "deal" for it, I would not have paid the quoted $500+ for it. It is essentially 5 shelves, 12" across, and 9-10" deep, made of an MDF-equivalent looking material. It's great for what I have, but had I been without this deal, would have opted to just use out-of-the-box shelves from a major retailer.
In sum--the experience with the company was fantastic, the office was easy to schedule with, the designer Judy was competent and flexible, the installation was easy and the installer was super friendly. For my needs, however, the cost would likely not have been something I could or would justify in "real" life.

They have been very accommodating. They mapped out how the closet will fit in. Also, they have been great about communicating with Angie's List about getting me the deal even though it was expired.

When I called Closet Factory, I was given an appointment with their designer Judy Pruitt, who is a lovely lady, for a few days later. She quickly figured out what we needed and was patient with us, making several trips to our place. The advice she gave  was very helpful as we did not know much about closet design. I had also been looking at other companies but once we decided to go with Closet Factory, everything was like clockwork. They delivered and installed everything when they said they would, and did a great job cleaning up after themselves - I needn't have worried about a mess. When I discovered a problem with one of the closets, they were very responsive and fixed it when they said they would. They certainly stand behind their product.  The armoire looks great and I couldn't possibly keep the place tidy and organized without the closets . Overall I'd say that Closet Factory has been very reliable and great to do business with so I recommend them wholeheartedly. I will be contacting them again once we start working on our basement.

I can not say enough good things about my experience with Closet factory and David Townsend, and his team to include Kim,  Doug and Dave.  I made contact via the website and inquired about the possibility of installing a wallbed  in NH.  David called me that that afternoon.  After the options where provided, a written estimate was given with three options.  No pressure just honest opinions from David and his experiences with a high use location.   Working with Kim via email and phone to schedule the install on the agreed upon date and time.  Kim even worked with my property manager to gain access tot he condo.  

The quality of the craftsmanship and the expertise of the install team was extraordinary.  Cleaned the mess they made, removed the waste product. 

Fast forward 4 months later, I received a phone call from the property manager about an issue with the bed.  I asked for pictures.   It appeared some jumped on the bed and bent one of the braces then attempted to close the bed causing enough torsion "pop" the bed out of it's frame.  (risk of rental)  I'm not sure what happen but I forwarded the pictures to David and asked if he could look into it and repair it.   This occurred  on Saturday Morning (7 Sept).  David and his team asked if they could go see the bed on Tuesday (10 Sept) as he nor any of his team members have seen anything like it.  After inspection of the bed they determined they needed to replace a part and speculated on the cause of the failure and returned to replace the part on Friday 13 Sept.  NO CHARGE  let me repeat  NO CHARGE

Bottom line the condo is approximately 2 hours drive  from the store.  The amount of man hours  just to travel to NH and  to assess and return to repair a bed that they could have easily said it was my renters fault and charge me a repair bill.   I'm impressed.  David Townsend stands behind his products.  You could order a Murphy Bed online have it shipped, build your own casement.  I don't think you will get he customer service that you will received from David and his team.  It might cost a little bit more but David answers his own phone and stands behind his products.  I have shared my story with my fellow condo owners on our blog.  Some have shared horror stories on trying to order replacement parts  taken months....making their condo units unusable or possibility of injury.

Will I use him again, in a heart beat

Thanks again

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They are great! Judy was the person I worked with and she is very responsive, and made good suggestions on how to enhance the project without making me feel like I was being up-sold.