Many homeowners dream of having a beautiful, functional closet that is designed with their unique storage needs and sense of style in mind. Whether by renovating an existing closet or repurposing other spaces to allow for more closet space, the professional team at Symmetry Closets helps homeowners from Montauk to Manhattan realize their closet dreams.
The luxury custom closet company was founded by Bonnie Reich 15 years ago. A certified women-owned business, Symmetry Closets is strategically based in Holbrook, where its offices, main showroom and factory are located. The company also has a new satellite showroom in Manhattan.
“Holbrook is a gateway to the Hamptons, where we do a lot of our work and are looking to grow,” says Reich, who leads a team of about 15 employees, including four designers who canvas the entire region to serve customers. One designer covers the East End, while the other three are responsible for Western Suffolk, Nassau and New York City, including Manhattan, Queens and much of Brooklyn. Symmetry Closets is a family business; Reich’s wife, Sheree Jeanes, serves as project manager and commercial sales manager.
While closets are its No. 1 product, Symmetry Closets also creates custom pantries, garages, wall units, mudrooms, laundry rooms and home offices. On the commercial side, Symmetry Closets provides cabinets and vanities for builders.
Reich began her career in architectural design, which she studied in college. “My first love was woodworking, including making furniture. But when I was younger, I didn’t have the courage to pursue that as a career, so I went a more traditional route,” says Reich, who spent a decade designing and detailing commercial spaces such as restaurants and boutiques in New York City. When business slowed in the aftermath of 9/11, she was looking for something else to do until business came back up. “I wound up getting involved in closet design, and I loved it,” says Reich, who quickly discovered she has a knack for finding simple, elegant solutions to any space problem and derives great satisfaction from guiding customers in transforming spaces of all shapes and sizes into dream closets.
After five years working for established custom closet companies, Reich started her own business so she would have more control over the entire process. As president of Symmetry Closets, she ensures that professional space planning is paired with excellent customer service through all stages of each project, leading to a high-quality finished product and happy customers.
Transforming Spaces
Symmetry Closets has a virtual showroom, where clients can browse storage ideas and accessories for inspiration. The design process begins with a consultation, in which the designer asks clients about their storage needs and preferences, shares ideas for solutions to meet the clients’ goals and develops an initial design plan. The designer typically visits the home to take measurements and get an idea of factors such as lighting and how the closet is orientated to other rooms.
“Then, we love to have people come to one of our showrooms, if possible, so they can start visualizing how the design will look with different materials, finishes and colors,” Reich says. “There are so many options; for example, we usually have about 40 standard colors.” The Symmetry Closets team also reviews 3-D renderings of the designs with clients to help them visualize the finished product.
Once the design is final, the company produces all the closet components in a very precise, consistent process. Most of the products are made locally, while certain custom accessories and finishes must be ordered specially. Turn-around time can be as short as three days depending on the job. Once all the components are produced, Symmetry Closets schedules the installation.
The company has been built on referrals, including online reviews. “Our customers have given us very robust reviews on Google,” Reich says. “We are proud to have more than 200 five-star reviews on Google; not a lot of independent companies can say that. We are very customer-centric. We really do care about taking care of people. We have a great team of installers; we’re always complimented on how professional and polite they are, and that they take great care in people’s homes. It’s the last touchpoint – how well you’re treated by our installation team – and our customers have been very generous in reporting how well we do.”
The Manhattan Showroom
In late August, Symmetry Closets opened a satellite showroom inside the Manhattan showroom of Häfele, a global manufacturer of decorative hardware, furniture fittings and lighting. The showroom is located at 20 West 22nd Street, on the second floor.
“For many years, we have integrated Häfele’s high-end components and lighting into our closet systems, and they asked us to build a display inside their showroom for their closet vertical,” Reich says. “This brand-new display shows the best of our high-end accessories and closet lighting.”
Products include TAG Hardware, a comprehensive line of beautifully designed accessories featuring different metals and finishes that can be mixed and matched for a flawlessly coordinated look.
As Manhattan apartments have greater space constraints than most places, the display highlights wonderful options for small spaces. “There are some cool surprises in there, such as slide-out full-length mirrors, hideaway cubbies and an integrated ironing board that you wouldn’t even know was in the closet,” Reich says.
Lighting and Other Trends
Lighting elements have become increasingly important in the closet world. “Lighting has really taken off,” Reich says. “It started with kitchens – people wanted to have lighting in their cabinets – and it moved into the closet business. The industry is maturing to embrace a lot of different ways to bring in lighting and offer a seamless look. Panels are being manufactured with lighting fully integrated into the design from the start – not as an afterthought.”
Exciting products include COB (chip-on-board) tunable LED lights, which allow the customer to control the “temperature” of the light – from warm to cool tones – to set a different look or mood. Having tunable lighting in a closet allows people to gauge how different outfits will look in different lighting.
In addition, new wireless adjustable shelf lighting is making closet systems more flexible than ever. “Previously, shelf lighting was wired, so once it was in place, shelving couldn’t be easily adjusted,” Reich says. “But closet systems are meant to be adjustable over time as people’s needs change. For instance, you might need less space to hang suits or dresses than in the past and want to put in more shelving. Now, if you move the shelves, the lighting goes with it.”
Blue and green are currently hot colors for closet panels and accessories, according to Reich. “And the natural wood tones have made a strong comeback,” she says. “Clear maples and oaks, whether with an undertone of gray or a warmer tone, are in demand.”
For more information, call 631-608-8999 or visit symmetryclosets.com.
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