SMART STORAGE; MAKING GOOD USE OF SPACE IN THE HOME

A closet organizer shelf was put into place.

Finding new storage spaces in the home is easy -- if you know where to look.

Every house, regardless of size, contains small nooks, hidden hollows and forgotten corners that can be converted into useful storage.

Smart storage means making use of the space you have, using clever built-ins and space-saving hardware for closets, cabinets and drawers.

There's no magic for "neatening" up the house once and for all. The art of space-saving has grabbed the design world's attention in a big way.

For architects and interior designers, a big part of the job is coming up with clever storage solutions -- like window seats that open and dining room sideboards that may hide a fax machine.

Closets are the heart of a storage system, and they work very efficiently, say space planners.

Closet storage capacity can be increased by more than 50 percent with proper planning and closet organizers.

"Any closet can be customized," said Richard "Buck" Beard.

Beard should know.

The Jackson resident makes his living installing space-saving and custom-designed closet organizers.

Beard operates "Closet Doublers," a space-saving business. He knew what he was doing long before opening his business as an employee of Lee-Rowan 20 years ago.

Lee-Rowan, founded in 1939, is a leading manufacturer of complete closet organizers -- ventilated wire shelving, sliding drawer systems, door and wall racks, shoe racks, and special storage systems.

The company, with its primary manufacturing facility at Jackson, employs more than 1,000 people and leads the storage industry in its space maximization efforts.

"When I started in the Closet Doublers business a decade ago, the concept of custom-designed closets was a new one in this area," said Beard.

No longer. The idea of closet space savings has been a major attraction during a lot of home-builder shows, here and throughout the nation.

The idea of closet space savings first surfaced in Florida, noted Beard. Ventilated shelving was a must there because of mildew problems.

Closet installers are found in every state -- under such names as Closet Doublers, Fancy Closets, Space Solvers and A Place for Everything.

Most of these operations are franchise businesses. Fancy Closets is a franchise operation offered by The Closet Factory, also a manufacturer of space-saving products.

"The products we use here are those made and manufactured in Southeast Missouri, at Lee-Rowan," said Beard.

"We'll come into your home and re-vamp your closets and pantries," he said. "We'll put in ventilated shelving, shoe keepers and basket storages. We can offer an entire array of other storage systems ideas."

"We do a lot of basements and garages," he added.

Installation time is minimal, said Beard.

"We can do an average home in a half-day," he said.

Beard keeps busy.

"We work with a lot of new-home builders throughout the immediate Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois area," said Beard.

Closet storage facilities are growing, at the rate of 12 percent a year. During the recently International Housewares Show, held at McCormick Place in Chicago, suppliers unveiled even more closet storage products.

Many retailers now display entire aisles of closet organizers, say merchandise managers for Lee-Rowan. Many of the new products focus on small wire organizers that take only a minimal effort of installation.

Wall-rack products are segmented into four categories, for closets in the kitchen, garage, entertainment room and bedroom.

Hook Hang & Store is one of Lee-Rowan's major new products. It is a takeoff on wire shelving used for maximizing pantry space.

Closetmaid, another manufacturer of organizers, has adopted a "room-by-room" approach to merchandising. Introductions at the January Housewares Show at Chicago concentrated heavily on garage space savers.

Closetmaid's garage introductions ranged from hooks designed to hold hoses, tools and brooms, to a fold-away shelf that can support a bicycle helmet, water bottle and other items.

There's no shortage of places to use closet savers. National surveys have indicated that U.S. households collectively have about 576 million closets.

Motorized clothes racks are available for home closets, especially spacious areas.

The racks operate just like the industrial models found at the dry cleaners.

At one time, "Closet Carousels" were the rage for only the rich and famous set but can now be obtained in price ranges from $1,500, depending on the size of the closet.

If all else fails, and your closets are still full after space-saving measures, you may have to shed some of the items and do some rearranging.

Wardrobe consultants say people wear only 20 percent of their clothes 80 percent of the time. The rest are just there, taking up space.

So "purge the closet." And, be ruthless.

The wardrobe experts say divvy out the clothes in four stacks: (1) keepers, (2) charity (3) toss and (4) alter.

Some home organization experts suggest storing out--of-season clothes under a bed in special "rolling" drawers.

Arranging is another big asset. Clothing in the closet should be accessorized, organized by color and categorized.