ITS BAILIWICK ORGANIZATION AND STORAGE SOLUTIONS, THIS NATIONAL COMPANY AIMS TO TURN CLOSET FANTASIES INTO REALITIES

BY AMANDA McCOY • PHOTOS BY NICKOLAUS SARGENT

Closets in the city encompass an uncommon diversity of shapes and sizes, from expansive walk-ins to practical reach-ins behind sliding doors, to armoires and other tight quarters solutions. While space is always a coveted commodity, one element that will immediately enhance any type of storage is organization. A touch of personalized style doesn’t hurt, either.

When The Container Store retail chain was launched in Dallas in 1978, its offerings included custom shelving and drawer systems designed to enhance functionality and maximize square footage whether in a pantry, office, garage, craft room, or closet. These storage solutions proved to be a hit, and its catalog now spans four different closet lines. In 2017, the company made its way to Staten Island, in New Springville.

Its lines include Elfa Classic original shelving and drawer system; Elfa Décor (a more deluxe version of the Classic, including wooden shelves, three different trim finishes, and swanky options like a gliding shoe shelf and an accessory and jewelry system); and Laren, the most luxurious of the lines, with inch thick and floor based construction and a medley of deluxe options like islands, LED lighting, and high end finishes.

When the store rolled out its newest closet, Avera, in April of last year, its aim was to fill the space between the two Elfa lines and the store’s most upscale line. “With that new Avera line, we are able to fill the price gap and offer a solution between an average master closet designed with our Elfa Décor and Laren,” explained The Container Store Vice President of Custom Closets, Erin Hogue.

These new offerings took the style punditry world by storm. Kathleen Barnes, famed blogger behind Carrie Bradshaw Lied (carriebradshawlied.com), had an Avera system installed when she moved into a new house in Georgia, and the remodeling contractors for actress Sophia Bush (from films Marshall, Acts of Violence, and Incredibles 2), utilized Avera, Elfa, and Laren lines when redesigning her Hollywood bungalow.

With over 40 years of experience in design, the company has done much to get this process down to an artful science. In store or at home consultations are complimentary, and the designers work with clients one on one to create spaces.

“Our closet designers set the experience apart,” added Hogue.

“They are experts, not just on custom closets and spaces, but storage and organization. They understand what will work long term and can put together a complete solution to make the most of every space.”

The Container Store
283 Platinum Avenue, Suite 1365, Staten Island / 929.900.7120 629 Sixth Avenue, Manhattan / 212.366.4200
725 Lexington Avenue / New York, NY 10022 / 212.366.4200 / containerstore.com