My house has small closets - 58" wide and 24" deep. Two of the three have no doors on them and are trimmed in a way that makes it difficult to hang standard closet doors. So I wanted to get a system that would optimize the space and look good. After researching a lot of options online, the John Luis appeared to be good looking and highly customizable. Three days later I was unpacking the large box and planning my installation. Now that it's complete, I wanted to capture my impressions of how it went together and the final product.
Fit and Finish
As advertised, the shelves, racks and supports are all solid wood. They're made of pine and finished in either a deep burgundy color that they call Mahogany or a lighter stain they call Maple. In my opinion, naming the different finishes after specific hard woods is a bit misleading. It would be easy to think you were buying a solid mahogany or maple shelving system when in-fact it's made from the less expensive and softer pine.
I found the burgundy stain to be attractive and the pieces were well-covered. The finish seemed a little soft and marred fairly easily, though. Fortunately, the manufacturer includes a magic-marker style touch-up tool. It comes in very handy and I was glad to have it after nicking different pieces during the course of construction.
On initial inspection, I found the pieces were well-made and in good condition except one of the 24" shelves which had pretty large dents in it. They were made after the finish had been applied and in a position such that they would show if I had positioned the shelf low in the rack. Instead, I simply positioned it higher up so I couldn't see the dents. Problem solved. A couple of the shelves had knots in them but they were'nt loose and the stain and finish cover them nicely. Still, I'd prefer clear lumber.
The hardware is well-made and it all does the job it was meant to do. There are plenty of screws, brackets and assorted pieces. I found the drywall anchors especially useful since the configuration I used had me attaching shelves to the wall where there were no studs.
Assembly
Let me start by saying this is not a quick or easy project. It's more like a renovation than a simple installation. And doing it with two people would make it easier. Having said that, though, I would have had little space for anyone but me for most of the project.
I've never assembled a closet organizer before so I can't compare this to other similar systems. I have, however, done extensive home renovations, woodworking and some general carpentry so I was well-prepared with the tools for the job. The instruction manual says you need:
* Pencil
* Tape measure
* Level
* Screwdriver
* Saw
I'd say that list represents a bare minimum for getting the job done. Here's what I used and I think it would be difficult to do it with less:
* Pencil
* Tape Measure
* Gum eraser (We all make mistakes.)
* Drill and driver (Doing this job with a handheld screwdriver as is suggested in the manual would bring a grown man to tears.)
* Chop saw (Or a crosscut sled and a tablesaw.)
* Flashlight (My closet is not lit so this was essential.)
* Small and medium-sized level (A small level for front-to-back and a longer one for levelling the long shelves and vertical supports.)
* Spackling compound & touchup paint for the walls (Again, we all make mistakes. Additionally, you're bound to mar the walls during the installation.)
I probably spent 8 hours from the time I opened the box to the time I finished cleaning up. I found the instructions clear and easy to follow. But I'd caution anyone who isn't used to taking measurements, calculating distances, marking and drilling walls, and marking and cutting lumber to pay close attention to every step outlined therein. And be careful to use the exact screws called for in each operation as some are too small or too large for certain steps. And don't skip the initial planning step. It's key to a successful installation.
Final Outcome
I'm very happy with thje way the closet looks and at the vastly expanded capacity. (I now have a whopping 20 feet of shelf space and 60 inches of hanging space.) The whole thing is sturdy and functional. It was worth the effort and I plan to install one in at least one other bedroom closet.
