Custom Closets & Shelving in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn

The brick row house

Attached brick houses are the neighborhood's backbone. They are typically long and narrow, with a front room, a middle room and a rear kitchen on the first floor, bedrooms upstairs and a basement below. Typical storage problems include a cramped front hall, small bedroom closets and an unfinished basement full of boxes.

The usual fixes: a bench and locker wall in the entry or side passage, floor-to-ceiling wardrobes on the longest bedroom wall, and a basement shelving wall with deep shelves for bins and seasonal items. Because the stairs are narrow, units are built in modules and assembled in place.

The detached or semi-detached house

Detached houses give you more options. A mudroom off the side door can have lockers for each family member. Attic space under a pitched roof lends itself to knee-wall cabinets that use the low edges. A finished basement can host a media wall, a craft area or a home office with built-in desk and shelving.

The co-op apartment

Bay Ridge co-ops tend to have comfortable rooms and thin closets. A pair of wall-to-wall wardrobes in the main bedroom, an entry cabinet and a pantry wall in the kitchen make a noticeable difference. Co-op owners will want to read the building's alteration rules before they do anything, since boards usually require paperwork even for carpentry.

Household storage should be forgiving. The best layouts follow a few simple rules.

• Put frequent things at hand height. Kids' clothes, daily coats and school bags go between knee and shoulder level. Seasonal and archival items go high or low.
• Give every person a zone. Individual lockers or sections stop piles from forming.
• Prefer drawers to deep shelves. A drawer shows everything at once; a deep shelf hides the back.
• Use durable finishes. Painted hardwood or high-wear laminate on mudroom and kids' room units stands up to impact.
• Plan for growth. Adjustable shelves and rods let a unit change as children grow.
• Light the dark corners. Closet and basement shelves are used more when you can see into them.

A well-planned unit does not need to be large. A 14-inch-deep wall of lockers, with a bench and a shoe drawer, solves a front hall that a freestanding cabinet never could.

We build custom closets and shelving across Bay Ridge in ZIP codes 11209 and 11220. That covers the residential blocks of brick row houses, the leafy streets of detached homes, the apartment buildings and co-ops along the main avenues and the areas bordering neighboring communities.

Bay Ridge is a mix of brick row houses, co-ops and detached homes, and that mix shapes our approach: row houses need narrow-stair-friendly modules, detached homes allow mudrooms and attic storage, and co-ops require board paperwork. If you are weighing other Brooklyn neighborhoods or own property elsewhere, see our pages for Park Slope, Williamsburg and DUMBO, or our broader Brooklyn renovation services overview.

If you own a co-op unit, the building will want to approve your work before it begins. Typical requirements include a scope description, drawings or sketches, a schedule and proof that your contractor carries insurance.

The certificate of insurance, often called a COI, is the document the building cares about most. It shows the contractor's liability coverage and names the building and managing agent as additional parties. Without it, the doorman or super may refuse entry. Our guide to the certificate of insurance for NYC renovations explains what it contains and how to request one, and we handle the request for you on projects with us.

Construction in New York City is generally limited by the Noise Code to weekdays around 7 AM to 6 PM, and co-ops commonly allow shorter windows. We follow the stricter rule.

Most construction work in the city needs a Department of Buildings permit, filed through DOB NOW: Build by a New York State registered design professional. The DOB's page on obtaining a permit outlines how it works. For fitted closets and shelving, the question is what the work touches.

• Cabinetry that changes no plumbing, electrical, structure or egress generally does not need a DOB permit.
• New circuits for lighting or outlets are electrical work that may need a licensed electrician and a filing, depending on scope.
• Finishing a basement or attic into living space is a larger alteration that usually involves a design professional and a permit.
• Waterfront-adjacent blocks may fall within flood zones, where flood-resistant materials rules can apply to lower levels; verify with the DOB.

Our Do I Need a Permit? page covers common cases and helps you decide what to ask.

Many Bay Ridge houses were built decades before 1978. Paint on trim, doors and walls may contain lead, and the EPA requires anyone paid to disturb paint in such homes to be certified and use lead-safe work practices. The EPA's RRP program page explains the rule. If you have young children or are expecting, ask us how we handle containment and cleanup.

Basements need separate attention. Moisture is the biggest enemy of stored goods and wood, so we recommend inspecting for dampness first, using moisture-resistant materials near the floor and leaving air gaps behind units on exterior walls. Shelving on a basement floor should stand on feet or a sealed plinth rather than sitting directly on concrete.

A little preparation shortens the job and protects your belongings. Our guide to preparing your apartment for contractors covers the details, and this short list applies to most Bay Ridge homes.

1. Clear the room and the path from the entrance, including stairs and landings.
2. Empty the existing closet or wall that will be replaced.
3. Move valuables, electronics and fragile items to another room.
4. Arrange pet and child care away from the work area.
5. Confirm parking or building access for the crew and materials.
6. Make sure power and a working bathroom are available.
7. Let neighbors in attached houses or co-op buildings know when noise will occur.

Entry and side door. In row houses the front hall is rarely more than four feet wide. A 12-inch-deep locker wall with a bench can fit, and a mirror panel on the end opens the space. Where a side passage exists, the same idea becomes a full mudroom with hooks, boot trays and a shelf for gloves and hats.

Kitchen edge. Older kitchens in Bay Ridge often have little pantry space. A full-height pantry wall, even 12 inches deep, can pull dry goods, small appliances and cookware off the counters. A rolling cart tucked in a recess handles cutting boards and baking sheets. If the kitchen is changing, coordinate with our kitchen and bath remodel team so doors and finishes match.

Kids' rooms. Two children, one small room: a built-in bunk with drawers underneath and a wardrobe at the foot frees more floor than any separate furniture. Choose rounded edges and durable paint, and set the top rod low with a second rod above for later years.

Primary bedroom. A wall-to-wall wardrobe with a center tower of drawers, flanking hanging sections and a top shelf for luggage turns a plain bedroom into a calm one. Add shallow nightstand niches in the same wall to remove lamps and side tables.

Basement. A finished or semi-finished basement benefits from a shelving wall with open bays for bins and a closed section for tools, plus a laundry counter with cabinets above. Keep everything off the floor, and mind moisture.

Attic. Where roof slopes cut headroom, low knee-wall cabinets turn dead corners into drawers and doors. Insulation and ventilation need to stay intact behind them, so check with us or a design professional before cutting into roof or wall assemblies.

If any of these sounds like your house, send us photos and rough dimensions and we will respond with a sketch idea and the questions we would ask at the visit.