A Custom Closet and Shoe Cabinet for Seattle

Storage designed around the room

The brief combined a custom closet with back panels and integrated lighting, plus a separate shoe cabinet. The client compared local options with production in China before choosing the custom route.

Design discussions began in May. Final renderings and technical drawings followed in July, and the factory supplied trial-assembly photographs in September. Those photographs provided a view of the assembled cabinetry before shipment.

The first delivery was one stage of the project

The cabinetry was packed and moved to the shipping warehouse in October. The first shipment departed in late October and reached the Seattle home in December.

The overall project continued after that delivery. A local installer fitted most of the cabinetry in January, when a panel was damaged during installation and missing lighting connectors also needed to be resolved.

Replacement parts extended the schedule

Replacement components travelled by sea and arrived in April. The replacement panel had been damaged in transit, so another panel was sent by air. Its condition was better, although some chipped edges and corners remained.

Installation finished the following May. The client liked the custom configuration and lighting, while noting the remaining chips, disappointing trouser-storage hardware and a shoe cabinet deep enough only for shoes up to size 42.

Details to settle before dispatch

Custom cabinetry needs agreement on installation details as well as appearance. Storage depth, connectors, hardware and the local installer's requirements deserve attention before dispatch. Replacement parts can also add a separate shipping cycle to the schedule.

• Check storage depth against the items it needs to hold.
• Agree on the factory-to-installer handover before shipment.
• Allow for replacement-part transport when planning the completion date.