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…and Build a File Tree That Actually Functions Like a Closet System I’ll start with a confession — since this is a safe space among closet folks: When I first started Nesting Systems, my file structure looked exactly like my teenage closet. And not the curated, color-coordinated teen closet we show in a showroom. No. I’m talking the real  kind: Random piles Categories that made sense to no human, including me Files layered in sedimentary rock formations “New Folder (2)” sitti

What One Client Taught Me About Safety, Trust, and the Conversations We Sometimes Skip I walked into my former client’s home like I had so many times before - grateful to be invited back, even though I no longer worked for the company I had when she was officially my “client”. She was warm, gracious, and generous as always. But this time, she had something heavy to share. They had hired a housekeeper - someone they trusted, someone who had been with them for over a year. And

Designers as Anthropologists One of the best skills a closet designer can develop is observation. Every client has little quirks that reveal what truly matters — how they fold (or don’t), what they reach for first, where the overflow ends up, and what always seems to migrate back to the floor. These tiny clues aren’t just “habits.” They’re data points. They tell you what systems would actually help your client live better. The Athleisure Revelation I once had a client who bun

You know how sometimes you think you’ve done everything right? You’ve got a beautiful website, stunning installs, years of experience, raving customers… …and then Google looks at your business and whispers, “Sweetie, I don’t know her.” That happened to me this week in a big, surprising way. I was creating an exhaustive list of every company in Cincinnati that installs closets — boutique, franchise, garage-focused, cabinet makers, you name it. A full-blown, Sherlock-level dig

by John Gallagher, Nesting Systems Co-Founder A while back, a Sales Manager of mine at a mid-sized closet company made a seemingly simple decision: switch to a new wall bed mechanism vendor. The pricing was better, the mechanism functioned smoother, and it could be shipped much faster than the previous vendor's mechanism. He added to the price book and told his Designers that it was ready to sell. So I sold one, singing the new mechanism's praises to my client. But that’s w

by John Gallagher, Nesting Systems Co-Founder Last year, while working as a designer at a closet company, I shared a simple little video of a wardrobe lift — one of those pull-down hanging rods — and it went viral! 23K+ likes and over 1 million views! Not because it had cinematic lighting or a trendy soundtrack, but because it solved a real  problem: short people who wanted tall closets. The comments blew up. People tagged friends. Designers started using the clip to show c

No sci-fi degree required. Just smart shortcuts and better margins. 1. Analyze Your Reviews for Gold (and Landmines) Use AI to read all...

When you walk into a closet with a slanted ceiling, most homeowners assume one thing: “Nothing can be done here.” That angled wall feels...

"Price vs. Cost: Helping Clients Understand the True Value of a Closet System Every designer has heard it: “That’s too expensive.” “Can...

Same Clothes, Different Closet (Why Brand Positioning—and Sales Confidence—Make All the Difference) In my career, I’ve worked for two...

“It’s Just a Cookie… Until It’s Not” The first time I walked into a Crumbl Cookie shop, I wasn’t expecting to learn anything about...

At Nesting Systems, we see a lot of closet companies doing good work. Good sales. Good installs. Good people. And yet—we also see...

A Philosophy of Home, Heart, and Emotional Architecture Before it’s a system, a shelf, or a sorted sock drawer, nesting is a human...