SURVEY FINDS HOME ORGANIZATION CAN REDUCE STRESS LEVELS

New Survey from California Closets Reveals Americans Seek Space, Comfort and Organization

Hopkinton, MA (November 3, 2008) – A recent survey conducted by California Closets, the pioneer in spatial design solutions, reveals that a lack of space and organization in the home is a source of stress for 60 percent of Americans. In addition to strain resulting from disorganized home environments, external factors are also causing Americans anxiety. In the downturn economy and slowing housing market, many Americans are trying to identify ways to increase the value of their homes and make changes that customize their existing space to make it more conducive to their current lifestyle needs.

Home Organization Reduces Stress

A growing number of Americans are identifying clutter in their homes as a source of anxiety, with over a third of survey respondents admitting their home is so disorganized that it prevents them from getting anything done. In addition to revealing how a lack of home organization causes stress, the survey also found that 85 percent of Americans experience positive benefits as a result of a well-organized home. In fact, six in ten respondents agree that an organized living space makes them feel more calm, efficient and in control.

“This survey emphasizes what California Closets has always understood, which is that an organized and well-designed living space contributes directly to a more comfortable and ultimately less stressful home environment,” said Ken Cleary, owner of California Closets New England. “For the past thirty years, California Closets has been helping homeowners find serenity in their favorite spaces with customized spatial design solutions for every room in the home.”

Designed With You In Mind

California Closets can help create beautiful, customized designs to accommodate the unique needs of every homeowner, while bringing comfort and serenity to almost any space in the home. Some of the company’s most popular design solutions include:

• The Family Gathering Space – whether it’s with entertainment/media centers, book shelves or other customized design solutions, California Closets can help create a comfortable place for friends and loved ones to gather.

• Kitchen Pantry/Wine Storage – to organize kitchen essentials and favorite bottles of wine for effortless holiday season entertaining.

• Home Office Systems – to prioritize and bring order to the endless mountain of papers and office technology as the new year brings household budget planning and tax preparation.

• Extraordinary Closets – as wardrobes shift from fall to winter, the ultimate closet provides the perfect home for the ultimate wardrobe, with designated space for this season’s hottest shoes and coolest clothes. A unique, custom closet is also the perfect gift, especially for the person who has everything.

• Craft Room – to organize hobbies, arts, crafts and even holiday gift wrapping stations in a convenient and manageable space.

• Entryway/Mudroom – to create valuable storage space at the entry of the home that can accommodate outerwear, boots, sports equipment and more, for easy accessibility and tidiness.

To create these spatial design solutions, California Closets offers a wide variety of wood grain finishes and storage accessories. The newest addition to California Closets’ design portfolio is the assortment of Lago^TM Italian finishes. Lago offers six distinct wood grain finishes – Venetian Wenge, Milano Grey, Roman Walnut, Umbrian Oak, Florentine Rosewood and Bellissima White.

All of these finishes are defined by a unique grain texture and an elegant palette of colors with the look and feel of wood veneer that enhances any décor. All of the new Lago finishes meet strict European E1 level guidelines, the global standard for clean and safe wood, exemplifying California Closets’ commitment to creating a healthier home.

About California Closets New England

California Closets New England provides individually-designed custom storage solutions for any space. Known for innovative product design, commitment to customers and creative solutions for any lifestyle, California Closets provides consumers more of life’s most valuable commodity – time. Additional information can be found at www.californiaclosets.com, in our showrooms, or by calling us at 508.544.9860 or use our 800.274.6754.

Showroom locations: Brighton, Danvers, Natick, Hyannis, Hopkinton and West Hartford, CT

California Closets Company, Inc. is owned by The Franchise Company, a subsidiary of First Service Corporation.

© 2008 California Closet Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Each franchise independently owned and operated.

California Closets – my Providence, Rhode Island weekend

California Closets - New England Showrooms

California Closets- New England does a lot of work in Rhode Island – the smallest state size-wise in land area is a very good area for our business. People in Rhode Island like to be organized. I was in Providence for a very happy occasion – one of my sons was getting married. He got very lucky by finding a very nice young lady from the Providence area and the wedding was an extremely joyous event. However, my passion for California Closets, organization and my blog were never far from my mind. So what could have possibly distracted me, even for a moment, from this fun time?

STYLE AND FUNCTIONALITY

When we were in Providence we stayed in a newly renovated downtown hotel. We needed a very large suite as we were going to host the “after party” at the end of the reception. The room we booked had just been renovated and was very stylish with a big screen tv and nice furniture. It was all very modern and elegant – the wood furniture was the same as one of the colors from our New Lago line, Venetian Wenge, and was very chic looking. The lighting fixtures were very stylish in chrome and reminiscent of a retro movie set. The sofa and chairs were very plush and everything matched perfectly. The bathroom was ultra modern with chrome fixtures, heavy glass doors, a sink that was stylishly rectangular and towel racks that were very elegant. At first look it all seemed very stylish and elegant.

It didn’t work. Looked nice, very stylish, smelled nice, but there were issues. The light fixtures – finding the on/off switch was a problem, the sofa and chairs were not very comfortable, the TV and electronics required four remotes, and the air conditioning was weak at best. Workmanship was an issue – the big glass shower door allowed the shower to leak onto the floor in the changing area, the towel racks were coming out of the wall because they had not hit the studs with the screws or used anchors, and the chrome soap/shampoo holder in the shower was the wrong design as everything fell through to the shower floor. Style was certainly a more important consideration than functionality in the renovation of this hotel room. This was all a distraction to me as at California Closets we work so hard to leave the client a storage product that is both stylish and functional. I wanted to get my design team and installers in there immediately to make this room the full style/function package.

You can go to http://californiaclosets.com/newengland and see the most elegant closets, home offices and garages. They are more than stylish – they are functional. They are functional for you as they are designed for you. We started this industry thirty years ago – and we are still are in the lead with innovation, service, and functionality.

OUR DESIGN APPROACH

Our certified designers understand the importance of making your home both pleasing to the eye and pleasing to the inner organized you. They know that they must create a design that is perfect for you. This is why they spend the time with you during your free consultation at your home. They not only measure your space but count what items you want to put into your closet or home office. They get to know you and what they can do to make our product both elegant and functional for you. The closet has to work for what you need to do day to day – not just look stylish.

OUR INSTALLERS

They understand that it is imperative that they make their end product elegant yet durable and functional. They know that we have a lifetime warranty and that they must build a system that will stand the test of time. Our belt and tie racks must be secure, the valet rods will not fall off the system, and the pull out mirrors, baskets, and drawers must all be located in the correct spot for ease of use. The job is not complete until the installer reviews your system with you. You must not be in the dark about adjust-ability, or functionality. Our designer will also follow up at job completion to make sure everything happened as planned. The final product should have the balance of style with functionality that you want – we strive to make that happen.

I know what you’re thinking – “This guy has to get a life! – just enjoy the wedding.” Don’t worry, the hotel room distracted me just a little. I told the front desk about the issues (another crackpot they thought) but alas, I think it fell on deaf ears. The next time you’re renovating a hotel room give me a call, California Closets will make it elegant and IT WILL WORK.

CALIFORNIA SONG LIST

I have heard from you on some more songs with “California” in the title or as a part of the song. I started the list with two of my favorites:

Beach Boys: California Girls

The Mamas and Papas: California Dreamin’

Stan added to the list with: Going to California by Led Zeppelin

Kyle did some work on this one – he sent me some I would never have found:

California by Metro Station

California by Joni Mitchell

Going to Cali by LL Cool J

California Love by Tupac

Californication and Dani California by the Red Hot Chili Peppers

He also added Hotel California by the Eagles – how did I not put that one on my original list?

My Ipod is not full yet – we need more!

Well, it was a fun weekend. My wife cannot understand why I don’t like to travel. It’s hard for me – being the “Monk” of the closet and storage world.

Ken Cleary, President – California Closets New England

Custom Storage Solutions

The perfect use of space can literally change your life.

At California Closets®, we’ve mastered the art of spatial design, creating custom solutions for every room of your home in a variety of configurations, finishes and styles.

Let us help you create your own Space | to Be.

Call 800.225.6901 for your complimentary in-home consultation.

For more information, contact neinfo@calclosets.com