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Being in my twenties in New York, I know that the apartment I am in now will not be mine forever. That is why, when I moved in, I decided to focus on buying particularly functional pieces rather than mere ones. This fact – plus a situation in a small room and closet – has prompted me to look for a bedside table that can serve two purposes and provide additional storage space. My research has led to the epicenter of everything that is stored: the container store. There, I designed my own Elfa Mesh wardrobe drawer system and it is probably one of the smartest purchases I made for my apartment.
The Elfa wardrobe drawer system
Elfa is exclusive to The Container Store, known for its best-selling closet solutions that optimize space and facilitate organization. The Closet Mesh Drawer System is a stand-alone storage unit featuring a frame made from Elfa's signature, strong epoxy-bonded steel, and filled with drawers finely woven mesh that can hold all kinds of products, even the smallest.
You can choose to buy a prefabricated unit or customize yours with specific dimensions to what you are looking for. Whether you choose to create your own or opt for the ready-made installation, you can choose between an all-white or clbadic silver mesh.
I chose to create my own unit to make sure it would fit in my room. Elfa offers a custom online drawer planner that guides you through the customization process and helps you see what the device will look like in real time. Here is a brief overview of how you can customize the device:
1. Choose a color: Options are easy, white or silver. Money definitely has a more industrial look, so I went for the white.
2. Choose a height: Options range from 17.5 to 81 inches tall. The more you grow, the more storage you can get. I chose a 29 inch unit, which works perfectly as a bedside table next to my 1 inch bed frame and my 10 inch mattress.
3. Choose a width: Sizes start at 10 inches (extra narrow) and go up to 22 inches (extra wide). I went for average to 18 inches.
4. Complete: You can coat the device with a surface of white melamine, driftwood melamine, a butcher block or leave the top open. I went with the white for a monochromatic look.
5. Choose feet, labels and stops: choose frame the feet of the unit you want to keep or the casters (which are like wheels) if you want more mobility. Add stops if you want to make sure your drawers never fall. I did not buy any stops, but my device is pushed against a wall and I had no problem with the drawers coming out of the frame. I did not add tags, but if you're really trying to organize, it might be a good addition.
6. Choose your drawers: Instead of S, M, L, the drawers have a size of 1, 2 or 3, indicating how many slides each drawer should hold. The one is the shallower drawer and the 3 the deeper one. The height of your unit will determine the number of drawers you can install.
My 29 inch unit has 7 riders, so I filled it with a 3 riders, a 2 riders and two 1 riders. The 3-runner is on the bottom, holding bulky items like emergency toiletries and cleaning products. The 2-runner is in the middle, holding similar products, although it is a little less comfortable. The two top drawers are 1 drawer and contain paper items and other small items. In the end, my unit cost just over $ 150.
Bottom line
These drawers are not cheap, but their value lies in their functionality. With the ability to customize the height, width, and size of the drawers, you can easily create a system that's right for your storage needs. If you have enough space, you can make it even easier by purchasing one of the preconfigured systems.
Drawers make everything you put inside easily accessible, and the finely woven mesh construction offers the perfect balance of visibility and privacy, so you can easily find your items without displaying everything. The neutral colors and minimal style make this unit a timeless piece that can fit into any room and be used to store just about anything, making it the original expense.
Create your own Elfa Mesh Closet drawer system, available at The Container Store, starting at $ 100
Purchase a ready-to-use white mesh drawer system for Elfa, available at The Container Store, starting at $ 150.
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