Cambridge Closets — custom closets at the right price

Editor's note: this 2013 local-business profile is archived as published; the pricing and claims below are the company's own from that year.

Char Desmond spent years as a designer at Closet Factory. When that company closed its doors in 2008, her clients kept calling — and referring their friends. So she founded Cambridge Closets, a Naperville-area custom closet, office, and built-in cabinetry business.

Her pitch, as she put it: as owner, designer, and project manager in one, she handles everything from design to material selection to installation — and because she relies on word of mouth instead of expensive advertising and showrooms, she keeps prices down.

The company's price model at the time put it about 25% below California Closets: an average 6-foot child's closet ran about $386 installed (two hanging sections and a set of shelves), and an average 8-by-8-foot walk-in with a bank of drawers down the middle started around $1,300.

With several hundred completed projects, Cambridge Closets was positioning itself as a Chicago-area alternative to the big franchises. In 2013, the company received Houzz's "Best of Houzz 2013" recognition for design and customer service.

Her motto: "We will treat you like our neighbor, because you are!" Design consultations were free, with ideas and samples brought to your door.

Char Desmond is the owner of Cambridge Closets, Naperville. More at CambridgeClosets.com.