BEIRUT: Saudi Arabian company Creative Closets is helping make wrinkled dress pants, missing socks and piles of shoes a thing of the past.
Creative Closets broke into the Lebanese market about 10 months ago with the aim of normalizing built-in, customized closets. Beyond closet design and installation, the company offers other shelving and storage solutions. Providing this niche service has made it an expert in shelving materials and closet accessories.
Giving a small tour of the showroom, Toufic Katerji, manager of the company’s Lebanese branch, pointed out the copious closet accessories designed to simplify organization.
A drawer with a secure lock opened to reveal a massive, built-in jewelry box; a line of belt hooks pulled out for easy access; a laundry hamper concealed itself as part of the wall; perfectly sized prongs hung a pair of neatly pressed pants; and slats divided a drawer into units ready to store ties or pairs of socks.
“The Lebanese love new things, they want to install every accessory that we have,” he said.
Creative Closets works to maximize space efficiency. For example, the designs utilize sliding panels of wood or glass to remove the need for space-wasting hinges and doors.
“Our aim is to make use of the most space with the least amount of wood,” Katerji said. The company also builds living room entertainment units, home office wall shelving and attractive storage spaces under stairs.
Different wood samples lined a wall of the showroom: Greens and pinks for children’s rooms, as well as dark oaks to amber maple finishes, some with grainy textures and others smooth. Drawer handles ranged from basic metal squares to silver with sparkling crystals or abstract modern shapes.
Local clients prefer minimalistic designs like a plain square handle, solid white shelving or a popular finish called gray wild oak, Katerji said.
Creative Closets imports light-weight composite wood from Germany and Italy, a cheaper but durable material that allows the company to sell their service for 40 percent less on average than their Lebanese competitors, Katerji said. Closets start around $1,000 and rise in price depending on the number and detail of the closet’s accessories.
The process for installing a customized closet starts with a free consultation. Then one of the company’s designers draws up several prototypes based on the client’s preferences.
After a client chooses a scheme, Creative Closets begins to work at the site by taking measurements and calculating an estimate.
After this, the closet will be installed within two weeks, Katerji said. Creative Closets has a warehouse, administrative office and showroom in Lebanon, which facilitates the quick construction process.
The closets, which come with a 10-year warranty, utilize a special installation system. Rather than installing the shelving units directly on the wall, Creative Closets secures the unit to a wooden strip mounted to the wall. The method allows for easy removal without damaging the original walls and enables clients to transfer the closet to a new home if need be.
Since its founding in 1998, the company has standardized the purchase of customized closets in Saudi Arabia, Katerji said.
Now in Lebanon, Creative Closets offers a tempting excuse to ditch your great aunt’s hulking wardrobe.