Gulf Construction Online - Closet experts get creative with space

gulfBID, gulfInteriors & Gulf Property Show

Closet experts get creative with space

01 April 2015

Creative Closets, a pioneer in introducing the smart closet concept in the Middle East, will be showcasing its innovative products on a larger and elegant stand at gulfInteriors this year, confident of receiving a good response to its participation.

At the show, the company will be unveiling a new collection of products that will showcase its new colour and texture choices, new wood lines as well as a new range of sliding door profiles and accessories for its closets.

“These products will make their regional debut at gulfInteriors, which is an important event for us that provides a marketing platform to display our products and services,” says Tarek Shaltout, commercial manager who covers the company’s markets in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. “We are very optimistic for this year’s event.”

Established in 1997, Creative Closets has over the years become one of the most reputable and best recognised names in the market for customised home storage and organisational systems in the region.

“Over 50,000 users in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Lebanon, Qatar and Egypt attest to the high quality of our products and service. We are, by far, the region’s leading specialised manufacturer of contemporary household storage solutions,” says Shaltout.

Today, it operates 15 showrooms and four production facilities in six countries across the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon and Egypt.

Creative Closets specialises in bespoke household storage systems. Its product range includes closets, wardrobes, bookcases, TV cabinets, pantries, and any other fixed household storage system excluding kitchens.

According to Shaltout, what sets Creative Closets apart from other suppliers is its ability to optimise storage space economically in a wide spectrum of design and material options. “Any space or volume in any room that is not used can be converted into storage space. Storage solutions are a function of volume rather than area.”

He says there are three major stages in any storage system project: design, production, and installation. “The design function is an interactive process between the client and us. This starts with a meeting where one of our designers gathers information related to the space available for the storage system, its purpose, and any other relevant information on the project,” Shaltout explains.

Creative ideas.

Over the years, Creative Closets has developed its production process into a systematic and efficient operation. The work involved in executing a project is broken down into well-defined sets of tasks each handled by a specialised team member. The turnover volumes generated by Creative Closets enable it achieve this economically and effectively.

“In 2008, we launched our customised ERP (enterprise resource planning) system. Today we think it’s the best in the industry. This year, our ERP and design software package will both be linked to our CNC (computerised numerical control) production equipment, taking us to yet a new stage in our development process. This ensures a very high quality of finishing,” explains Shaltout.

He says the company uses machines that were supplied by some of the best companies in the field – Homag and Altendorf, among other world-recognised names. “Our design-patented automatic curved-panel edge-banding machine is probably the first installed in the Middle East and was one of less than 50 installed all over the world (2013),” he adds.

Shaltout says installation, the last stage in the process, is the most intricate since it is a manual operation and because practically no two jobs are alike. “The closet is assembled on site. Once the structure is in place, all internal components, such as adjustable shelves, drawers, hanging bars, and accessories, are mounted into the structure, each with its appropriate assembly hardware.”

Regarding materials and supplies, he says Creative Closets differs from most other suppliers in that it carries in its stock the widest range of raw material. “Our multi warehouses stock over $4 million worth of material ranging from wooden sheets, sliding-door systems, and organisational accessories. This large and varied stock offers its clients infinite colour and design possibilities and ensures a faster delivery time.”

Standard wood partitions and shelves are made of 18-mm-thick high specification medium-density fibre-board (MDF) or particle board. The client can choose wooden sheets from Egger, a reputable Austrian company, or from Cleaf, an Italian manufacturer of luxurious panels. Other quality suppliers include Sonae of Portugal and Kastamonu of Turkey.

“Even the best wood and drawers can fail if the wrong hardware is used to connect them. We therefore use the best hardware suppliers to ensure that all internal components are connected and mounted in accordance with the highest standards,” Shaltout says, adding that the hardware is sourced from Hettick, Blum and Hafele, three of the best known names in their field.

Speaking of sliding doors, he says these have become very popular with closets and as room dividers. They are elegant and practical and can be designed with any of a numerous variety of inserts to complement all wood finishes, he adds. Creative Closets partners with two of the best companies in the field: raumplus of Germany, and Sogal of France.

As an icing on the cake, all Creative Closets products come with a 10-year warranty and are backed by its customer care division and maintenance team. This warranty will be passed on to future owners, if the project is sold in total or in part.

The company has supplied its products to major housing complexes, hotels and furnished apartments, hospitals, chalets, airports, palaces, government agencies and embassies in the region. Among its largest projects last year was the California Compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where it supplied some 1,592 closets.

Other projects include the Adex Compound in Riyadh, where 200 units were installed and Jubail Development Company Villas in Dammam (70 units), both in Saudi Arabia; Al Hassan Villas Compound (20 units) and Kadi Properties Hotel Apartments (200 units) in Bahrain; and Arnaout Building in Beirut, Lebanon (64 units).

Creative Closests is at Stand 2B19 at gulfInteriors.