For those of you who are lucky enough to live within driving distance of a Container Store, you may be familiar with their Elfa storage systems. For the rest of you, I want to introduce you to this amazing system, which serves as the perfect foundation for organizing a variety of spaces within your home.
Elfa is The Container Store’s brand of fully customizable modular shelving and drawer systems. It can be used in any room of your home, including a closet, office, garage or pantry. Elfa shelving/drawer systems provide the vital “skeleton” of vertical storage space that serves as the foundation for an organized room, at a fraction of the cost of custom built-in shelving.
The most common place where you will see Elfa storage systems in action is bedrooms closets. Of course, there are many products on the market today designed to improve closet storage space. The advantages of the Elfa system over most other closet storage systems are two-fold: a) the installation involves much less damage to your walls compared to conventional stationary shelving (see The Borrowed Abode’s blog post that nicely illustrates this comparison), and b) Elfa’s track and rail system enables the end user to fully customize their closet to meet their unique storage needs.
There are other systems available in the big box home improvement stores that are similar to Elfa in terms of their basic design. In my hands-on research, however, I have found that Elfa systems are far superior in terms of their strength, durability, and ease of use. For example, I have consistently found that the add-on drawer systems for the other brands are fairly flimsy, and difficult to open and close compared to the Elfa drawers. Both Good Housekeeping and consumer review sites have arrived at the same conclusion.
Elfa storage systems come in a variety of styles and finishes, including the classic white framework with white ventilated shelving, as featured in this pantry system:
If you aspire to a more upscale look, this Elfa home office system might be just the answer. It features a platinum track/bracket system and one of the many solid “décor shelf” options:
In addition to the original wall-mounted version, Elfa storage systems also come in a freestanding version. Freestanding shelves come in handy when you are dealing with walls that are not easy to drill into, such as the example above. They are also a great option for renters who want to avoid wall repairs later on when it’s time to move out.
Here’s another example of a freestanding Elfa system for the mudroom:
Using Elfa storage, you can create a dynamite kid’s bedroom study area:
One of my favorite spaces for introducing some Elfa magic is in the craft room:
In case you were wondering, yes, you can even use Elfa to organize the contents of your garage:
Another critical advantage of choosing an Elfa storage system for your home is the benefit of the Container Store’s amazing customer service. They provide free design assistance in the form of an in-store consultation (for those of you lucky enough to have a local store) or via their on-line design center. If you prefer to speak to a human, you can access their design experts at no cost via phone or live chat as well.
Did I mention they also offer an installation service? If you are not the DIY type, this definitely comes in handy!
Now is a great time to invest in Elfa storage systems for your home, as the Container Store is currently running their semi-annual Elfa sale, in which all system components and installation services are 30% off. Elfa shelving is a component of a few client redesign projects, so we will be taking advantage of the sale. Over the coming months, my home will serve as an Elfa system laboratory as I work to improve upon the functionality of several neglected spaces. You’ll be hearing more about that in upcoming blog posts. How about you? What part of your home can use a little Elfa “magic”?
Interested in learning more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms LLC? Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com
