Organizing my stuff!1
June 13, 2011 9:39 AM Subscribe
Hi MeFi, I'm looking for a good modular shelving system to organize a couple of closets and my garage. So far all I've got is BRODER from IKEA. Is there anything else out there that you'd recommend? Thanks!
Metro shelving, but just about any restaurant supply place will sell something similar.
posted by Ideefixe at 9:50 AM on June 13, 2011
posted by Ideefixe at 9:50 AM on June 13, 2011
My partner and I really love elfa. We've done the wall-mounted setup in two closets and several areas of the garage and it's great. Very high quality components and a lot of flexibility. Not cheap at all, though if you can wait they do have an annual 30% off elfa sale that starts in January and runs for a month or two.
posted by jroybal at 9:51 AM on June 13, 2011
posted by jroybal at 9:51 AM on June 13, 2011
Ikea's Broder is probably good enough. My house has a lot of Elfa, which I'm perfectly satisfied with, but is kinda expensive. It's nice being able to get everything off the floor.
One nice thing about the Elfa that Broder doesn't have is drawer-glide modules. That's what we use in our closets in lieu of dressers with drawers. So if you want that, Elfa's the way to go.
posted by adamrice at 10:21 AM on June 13, 2011
One nice thing about the Elfa that Broder doesn't have is drawer-glide modules. That's what we use in our closets in lieu of dressers with drawers. So if you want that, Elfa's the way to go.
posted by adamrice at 10:21 AM on June 13, 2011
Nthing elfa. The Container Store has in-house designers (at stores and online) that will work with you to plan your spaces for free. Also there's another sale in August or September that covers all shelving there -- I think it's 25% vs the January sale, but when you need it, you need it. Most of elfa is part of that sale (just not the drawers I think).
posted by pupstocks at 10:23 AM on June 13, 2011
posted by pupstocks at 10:23 AM on June 13, 2011
Another thought in the Elfa vs. Ikea comparison. I've never decked out a closet in Elfa stuff, but I do have one of their tall skinny wire basket things in my kitchen, with a wood surface on top. That one component was breathtakingly expensive; I don't think I got it on sale and it was over $100.
BUT this Elfa shelf unit is absolutely, positively, rock solid STURDY. As in I would feel completely confident sitting my plus-size bulk on top of the damn thing. Suffice to say that this is not a common feature of Ikea products, not even the products specifically marketed as seating. I also have some no-name wire basket storage things that are way less sturdy and do things like bow in the middle under too much weight, necessitating dinking around with crossbar supports in the center levels and stuff like that.
All this by way of saying: give some honest thought as to how much *stuff* you're going to be putting in your shelving systems, how much weight they'll bear. If it were me I would ask for some sort of technical specs for both systems, how much load they can bear, I'd bet both IKEA and Container Store will have these. I've had wooden closet rods bend under the weight of clothes on hangers and a clothes-horse friend of mine actually had her closet rod break, so this is not an outlandish concern.
The IKEA stuff might be perfectly suitable for your purpose, but the Elfa stuff will be sturdy enough to survive just about anything.
posted by Sublimity at 10:37 AM on June 13, 2011
BUT this Elfa shelf unit is absolutely, positively, rock solid STURDY. As in I would feel completely confident sitting my plus-size bulk on top of the damn thing. Suffice to say that this is not a common feature of Ikea products, not even the products specifically marketed as seating. I also have some no-name wire basket storage things that are way less sturdy and do things like bow in the middle under too much weight, necessitating dinking around with crossbar supports in the center levels and stuff like that.
All this by way of saying: give some honest thought as to how much *stuff* you're going to be putting in your shelving systems, how much weight they'll bear. If it were me I would ask for some sort of technical specs for both systems, how much load they can bear, I'd bet both IKEA and Container Store will have these. I've had wooden closet rods bend under the weight of clothes on hangers and a clothes-horse friend of mine actually had her closet rod break, so this is not an outlandish concern.
The IKEA stuff might be perfectly suitable for your purpose, but the Elfa stuff will be sturdy enough to survive just about anything.
posted by Sublimity at 10:37 AM on June 13, 2011
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posted by brainmouse at 9:43 AM on June 13, 2011