Keep Your New Year's Resolution: Clean Out and Remodel Your Willow Glen Garage

Posted by Larry Fox on Jan 11, 2017 11:00:17 AM

Willow Glen is a bustling whirlwind this time of year. Between decorations, ski gear, and holiday ephemera, “San Jose’s Local Treasure” ends up full of clutter and mess in the back rooms, closets, and garage spaces across the neighborhood. Old town charm takes a lot of “stuff” to pull off—especially when the holidays hit.

Every new year, we seem to get a barrage of clients coming to us saying that it’s their New Year’s resolution to finally clean out their garages. They’ve allowed their garages to be taken up with clutter until they’re practically useless even for car parking. These desperate organizers come in droves, seeking creative and efficient ways to get their storage under control.

Topics: garage organization, Custom Garages, Willow Glen, slat walls, bike racks, Omni Track

Custom Design Helps Willow Glen Husband and Wife Share a Small Closet

Posted by Larry Fox on Oct 20, 2016 1:01:51 PM

Renovating a home isn’t a vacation for most folks, but a client I worked with in the Willow Glen area of San Jose was more stressed than usual. She was going through a remodel of a gorgeous Colonial Revival built back in the mid-1900s. The house needed updates, of course, but she’d also purchased it with her second husband. Once the remodel was done, they would be moving in together with all of their kids—and sharing a closet for the first time.

Topics: Custom Closets, External Wardrobe, Willow Glen, Freestanding Closet, Custom Garage Storage, Slide-Out Tie Racks

A Custom Home Needs Custom Cabinets: Working with the Challenges of Willow Glen Architecture

Posted by Larry Fox on Sep 20, 2016 3:21:56 PM

After years of working in Northern California, I know what kinds of homes to expect in different areas. In Sunnyvale, you’ll see Eichlers. In San Francisco, condos and beautiful “painted ladies”. But in Willow Glen, one of my favorite little areas of San Jose, I’ve learned to expect the unexpected. Many blocks are a melange of housing styles, from Victorian to Colonial, or Prairie to Spanish Eclectic, built with only the dreams and wishes of the original owner in mind.

Topics: Custom Home Offices, Custom Cabinets, Willow Glen, custom media center, Custom Wardrobes

Custom Cabinetry Lets Willow Glen Residents Turn Garages Into Neighborhood Hangouts

Posted by Larry Fox on Jun 28, 2016 4:55:58 PM

It’s summer in Willow Glen right now, and when I drive through the area, I see plenty of people outside. And why not? It’s sunny (I haven’t seen a cloud all week) and in the 80s. If I didn’t have to work, I’d be outside too. Willow Glen has a great downtown, but its heart lies in its neighborhoods, where people regularly get together to enjoy the weather and each other. All that neighborliness makes it an amazing spot for block parties.

Topics: multi-function rooms, Willow Glen, Garage Storage Systems, custom garage cabinets

Creating a Freestanding Closet in Your Willow Glen Basement: Transforming Space in San Jose's "Small Town"

Posted by Larry Fox on May 5, 2016 4:32:47 PM

Have you ever gone shopping in Willow Glen? This growing neighborhood in San Jose – known as its “Small Town”– is full of charming houses and luxury condominiums, with dozens of boutiques around Lincoln Avenue. There’s a lot to buy, from hot new tech to antiques. And if you’re anything like me, when you buy new stuff, you make a solemn pledge to get rid of the old stuff – a pledge that’s quickly broken. And so the clothes, and the electronics, and the knickknacks pile up in our homes.

Topics: Custom Cabinets, External Wardrobe, Willow Glen, Basement Storage Systems, Freestanding Closet System, San Jose