Despite its name, California Closets extends its reach far beyond California, and offers services that go beyond basic closet solutions. The franchise has served Oregon and Southwest Washington since 1984 and Bend since 1990. Strong demand led to the opening of a showroom in 2016. Design consultations, manufacturing, installation and warranty services are handled in-house by local employees.
Executive Sales and Design Consultants Charity Riley and Amy Bodi emphasize the company’s focus on whole-home storage, excluding kitchens. “We create custom storage for offices, garages, mudrooms, laundries and unique spaces such as under stairs, wine bars and dry bars,” Bodi said. “We’re a hybrid between furniture and cabinet companies.” The company offers a range of cabinet materials, including woodgrain, solid finishes, high-gloss, matte and decorative elements such as metals, leather composites and glass. Custom-made in Tualatin, the furniture comes with an extensive selection of hardware and lighting, ensuring every job is built-to-order for a truly custom design.
California Closets uses top-quality functional hardware, concealed, soft-close drawer glides and door hinges, details that clients may not see, but can always feel.
Q&A with Amy Bodi and Charity Riley, Executive Sales and Design Consultants
What steps should I expect when starting a project with California Closets?
The first step is a complimentary consultation with a designer. Clients are invited to visit the showroom and bring photos, rough measurements and sources of inspiration while exploring various wall systems and materials on display. For local clients, visiting the home job site can be more effective, allowing us to gather information about their priorities, preferences and needs directly. Depending on the complexity of the space, we may set up our laptops on-site to create a design using a CAD program to generate a 3D rendering. This allows for real-time collaboration on revisions, with the quote adjusting as we make changes. Alternatively, we may use the initial consultation to collect information, design off-site and email a set of preliminary designs.
What can clients expect after the design and budget phase is complete?
We book the installation. Because nothing is prefabricated, installations are scheduled four to eight weeks in advance, depending on the size and complexity of the project. The delay gives homeowners time to prepare the space, such as tearing out existing storage systems, patching and painting walls, checking that outlets and electrical components are in the proper place and even installing flooring.
What storage solutions are locals asking for?
With Central Oregon’s thriving tourism and remote workforce, home office solutions and wall (or Murphy) beds are in high demand. People don’t want to sacrifice an entire room for a guest who stays just a night or two. In smaller homes, wall beds maximize space. Converting a bedroom or integrating an office into an existing area is a practical solution. Another area often needing attention is the garage, which is not just for cars here in Bend, but often storage for bikes, kayaks, paddleboards, ski gear and outdoor toys common in this area. We also love the challenge of finding solutions for small spaces, which are the most impactful for owners.
What are the significant misimpressions that clients come with?
The biggest one is that we’re too expensive. We are very much in alignment with our competitors. We offer clients our showroom, experienced designers, control of their budget, real-time 3D images and local installers. If anything needs attention or adjustment, we send our installers to fix warranty issues.
Another misimpression is that California Closets only does large jobs or spaces. In fact, the smaller and “weirder” the space, the more impactful it is when designed with intention. Anyone can make a large, rectangular space useful, but our products and services are optimized when we have to think outside the box.