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Thinking Outside the Closet Custom closets are just one of the many storage solutions California Closets Albany can create for your home.
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alifornia Closets is a great name for a nationally renowned brand that has been providing clients with custom closet and storage solutions for more than 40 years. But, here in the Capital Region, in the midst of an ongoing pandemic that’s kept homeowners in their homes more than ever before, the name “California Closets” only scratches the surface of all the brand’s Albany-based franchise can do. For one, the storage units sold locally are actually built locally, too—not in some far-off west coast locale as the name suggests. “What many people don’t know is that we manufacture our product locally at our facility in Albany,” says Joy Rafferty, who has co-owned the local franchise with her husband, Sean, since 2003. “Our installation team then professionally installs the custom product in the client’s home. We are a full-service company, with local employees doing all the work. We’ve built our team from four people to 40 since we began this business.”
And then there’s the “Closet” part of the name. Whether you’re looking for a top-of-the-line walk-in or to make the most of a less-than-spacious space on a budget, the California Closets Albany team certainly has you covered. But they also do much, much more than closets. “We can build just about anything, but we’re asked a lot to create mudroom systems,” Rafferty says. “Especially in the winter months, people are eager to have a space for all of their boots, coats and hats.” And when the pandemic began, Joy and Sean saw new needs arise: “We’ve seen a noticeable increase in home offices and media centers. People are watching more TV and want something custom that surrounds it, and we’ve created more All of California Closets Albany’s products are designed and constructed locally.
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(from top) During COVID, California Closets Albany saw a spike in customers looking for custom home offices; California Closets can create built-ins for any room in the house.
home offices in the last 18 months than ever before—everything from a simple desk and drawers to entire rooms with multiple workstations, overhead shelves and cabinetry.” So, while “California Closets and Mudrooms and Entertainment Centers and Home Offices” may be a more accurate name for the Raffertys’ business, understandably, the couple sticks with “California Closets.” And those customers who aren’t in on the best-kept secret in the home storage biz? Well, they can prepare to be amazed by all the possibilities. ■
