Sylvia and Sean Brady, Closet Factory owners
To the Trade
The Closet Factory
Sylvia and Sean Brady, the new owners of Little Rock's Closet Factory, continue the custom design and local craftmanship of this organizational haven
BY
Laura Keech Allen
PHOTOGRAPHY
Janet Warlick
STYLED BY
Jessica McSpadden

When Sylvia and Sean Brady purchased Closet Factory from Lisa and Mark Leggett in January, they fulfilled a pair of longtime dreams: to own a business together and to help Arkansans improve the quality of their lives through organization. Located in a 10,000-square-foot showroom and manufacturing space in downtown Little Rock, Closet Factory continues to provide the best in client-focused organization, with the bulk of their original employees, including Lisa as a senior design consultant.

Sylvia and Sean bring a wealth of new experience and excitement to the business. Sean, a commercial real estate agent with a background in sales and management in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry, boasts what Sylvia calls "a strong entrepreneurial spirit." Sylvia, who has an art degree and is an avid collector, is uniquely able to help her clients organize their own homes, as she spent the last nine years as a stay-at-home mom to eight-year-old Mary Helene and four-year-old John Anderson. "I've always enjoyed creating a happy and peaceful home for our family," she says. "So I understand firsthand the need to organize all aspects of the family life."

For Closet Factory's clients, all this translates into unique, personal service, handled by Closet Factory professionals every step of the way, beginning with a consultation in the home. "We encourage people not to clean up for us," Sylvia says. "We can learn a lot from how you are currently using—or not using—your space." Whether creating a custom storage solution for a closet, laundry room, pantry, home office, garage or other space, the design process is key, and the consultant's first step is to listen to the client's needs for the space. They draw a plan to scale, and then, as Sylvia says, "the real fun begins" with the selection of materials, hardware, lighting and other finishes.
 
In the downtown manufacturing space, Closet Factory's craftsmen custom build each storage system, installing the unit on-site in two to six weeks. No two designs are ever the same, though clients can get a great idea of the options available to them by visiting the showroom. Set up in vignettes representing the wide variety of spaces the team can design, it's truly a wonderland of organizational options. "Our showroom is a great place to get a visual idea of the many areas of a home we can design," Sylvia says, "as well as the accessories and materials available."

For the Bradys, their work fills an important niche in today's world. "The desire to simplify is almost universal," Sylvia says. "It improves productivity, eliminates stress and really improves your overall quality of life."