Organizing Your Home with Annie Hanson of The Closet Niche
When it comes to home organization in the Lake Norman area, few names are as recognized as The Closet Niche. In this episode of the We Are Lake Norman podcast, host Ryan Webber sits down with Annie Hanson, owner of The Closet Niche, to discuss her journey from working for other custom closet companies to building one of the most trusted home organization businesses in Mooresville, Cornelius, Davidson, and the greater Lake Norman region.
From Corporate Sales to Custom Closets
Annie Hanson's path to entrepreneurship wasn't a straight line. With a background in sales and marketing since age 13, Annie was working for a company in Elmsford, New York when a family friend suggested she explore the custom closet industry. Her initial reaction? "For like, closets? I don't know anything about that."
But as Annie explains, when something keeps coming up in your life, it's worth paying attention. After giving it a try with a custom closet company in Fort Mill, South Carolina, she discovered an unexpected passion. "About three months into it, I was like, I think I surprised myself. I'm like, I'm actually really good at this. I'm a closet lady."
Building The Closet Niche: A Lake Norman Success Story
What started as encouragement from clients and builders eventually became a full-fledged business. Annie recalls a pivotal moment when a female builder in the Lake Norman area—someone who understood the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated industry—told her directly: "I really think that you should open your own closet company because, you know, first and foremost, you'll have our support."
That support proved invaluable. Annie launched The Closet Niche from her garage, and within just two and a half weeks, she had installs booked out every single day. Today, the company has grown to seven full-time employees plus two seasonal workers, serving homeowners throughout the Lake Norman region including:
Mooresville, NC
Cornelius, NC
Davidson, NC
Huntersville, NC
Denver, NC
The Peninsula at Lake Norman
More Than Just Closets: Complete Home Organization Solutions
Despite the name, The Closet Niche offers far more than closet organization. As Annie emphasizes, "We're so much more than just closets. We actually do everything except kitchens and baths."
Services Include:
Custom Closets - Master bedroom closets, walk-in closets, reach-in closets
Garage Organization - Custom cabinets and storage solutions
Pantry Systems - Maximizing kitchen storage space
Laundry Room Organization - Functional and beautiful laundry spaces
Built-Ins - Custom entertainment centers and shelving
Wall Beds - Murphy beds for multi-functional rooms
Home Office Solutions - Organized workspace design
The Boutique Approach: Relationships Over Numbers
What sets The Closet Niche apart from franchise operations and larger competitors in the Charlotte and Lake Norman markets is Annie's commitment to a boutique, relationship-based approach.
"It's not numbers, it's not an Excel spreadsheet for me," Annie explains. "I'm not sitting and ticking by the hurting them in and out as fast as I can. I'm not a franchise approach. I'm more of a boutique approach."
This philosophy extends to every aspect of the business:
Personal Follow-Up
Annie personally calls every single customer after installation—whether the job was sold by her or one of her designers—to ensure they had a positive experience from beginning to end.
All-Employee Training
Every employee at The Closet Niche, regardless of their role, must participate in an installation. "How can you talk about what all our company does if you don't understand all the aspects of our company as a whole?" Annie asks. This ensures designers understand how cabinets are actually installed, and everyone appreciates the importance of each team member's role.
In-House Installation Team
Unlike many competitors who subcontract installation work, The Closet Niche keeps everything in-house. Annie's installation team has worked for her for over two years, and they take their craftsmanship seriously. "They clean up after themselves. They are held accountable, and they hold themselves accountable," she notes.
Current Trends in Custom Closet Design
For Lake Norman homeowners considering a closet renovation, Annie shares some of the hottest trends in custom organization:
Moving Away from Traditional Furniture
"Most people are not doing dressers, chest of drawers, wardrobes, things like that inside their bedrooms anymore," Annie reveals. Instead, homeowners are incorporating these storage solutions directly into their closets—even in smaller spaces.
Customizable Drawer Systems
Every drawer can be customized in depth, height, and width. The Closet Niche offers over 30 color options, and Annie stays current with Sherwin Williams' annual color trends to ensure clients have access to the latest design aesthetics.
Popular Color Trends
Darker wood tones are making a comeback
Neutral colors remain popular
Black, white, and gray continue to be requested
Custom colors to match home décor
Smart Accessories
Modern closet accessories go far beyond basic shelving:
Valet rods that pull in and out
Belt and tie racks for organized accessories
Motorized shoe racks that rotate at the touch of a button
Tilted shoe fences for display-worthy organization
Pull-down wardrobe lifts to maximize vertical space
Leather-lined jewelry drawers with glass tops
Locking drawers with keypad entry for valuables
The Lighting Revolution: Seeing True Colors
One of the most innovative features of The Closet Niche's new design studio is the ability to adjust lighting based on the Kelvin temperature of a client's home lighting. This might sound technical, but it solves a major problem in the custom cabinet industry.
"The lighting, especially fluorescent lighting to a warmer lighting, will actually completely change the color concepts of what your cabinets look like," Annie explains. Cabinet colors can pull different tints under different lighting conditions—a brushed nickel finish might look gold under fluorescent lights but appear true to color in natural lighting.
At the new 13,000 square foot design studio in Talbert Business Park (opening soon), clients can see exactly what their cabinet selections will look like under their home's specific lighting conditions. This eliminates the disappointment of colors looking different after installation.
A Showcase Project: The Peninsula Closet
When asked about her most impressive project, Annie lights up discussing a recent installation at The Peninsula at Lake Norman—right next door to Michael Jordan's property.
The client came to Annie after pricing out the project with a carpenter and another closet company, both of which quoted six figures. The Closet Niche delivered the same high-end result for half the price.
The project included:
Floor-to-ceiling custom cabinetry
Leather drawer faces
Acrylic doors and drawer faces
Custom lighting throughout
An acrylic island with soapstone countertop
Mirrored and glass doors
Wardrobe dips for gowns
Custom cabinet doors to conceal clothing
According to Annie, the client has told her repeatedly that the closet is "by far her favorite area in her home to showcase."
The Process: From Inquiry to Installation
One of the biggest frustrations homeowners face with contractors is lack of communication and unclear timelines. The Closet Niche has developed a streamlined process that sets clear expectations:
Timeline Breakdown:
Initial Inquiry to Consultation: 2-3 days
Design Rendering: 3-5 business days after consultation
Design Studio Visit: Optional but recommended
Installation: 7 days to 2.5 weeks after approval
Installation Duration: Most projects completed in one day
The Design Studio Experience
Clients are invited to visit The Closet Niche's design studio in Talbert Business Park, Mooresville, to touch and feel materials, see color options in person, and make real-time design changes on a large TV screen. Many clients find themselves adding features once they see all the possibilities in person.
Communication is Key
Annie emphasizes multiple touchpoints throughout the process: "Communication is key. In my business, I have to communicate it multiple times that you're sure this is what you're wanting, you're sure. Here's the final line drawings. Let's write off, you know, both sign off that before we produce this, this is it."
Best Price Guarantee for Lake Norman Homeowners
Annie is careful to distinguish between "best price" and "lowest price." The Closet Niche offers a best price guarantee compared to competitors, but this doesn't mean cheap or inexpensive.
"I truly believe that you can still have a nice, good quality product that I put a lifetime warranty on and still make it an affordable price," Annie says. "I am not IKEA. It's not an IKEA product by any means."
For the Peninsula project mentioned earlier, The Closet Niche came in at half the cost of competitors while delivering the same luxury result. This value proposition has helped the company thrive, with 75-80% of business coming from referrals and repeat customers.
Expanding to Serve Lake Norman Better
The Closet Niche is growing to meet demand in the Lake Norman area. After operating from Annie's garage and then leasing a 2,200 square foot space in Talbert Business Park for three years, the company recently purchased its first building—a 13,000 square foot facility also located in Talbert Business Park, right across from Roush Yates Manufacturing and next to the Mooresville Rec Center.
The new space will feature:
Expanded design studio with innovative lighting technology
More display options for clients to visualize their projects
Room for future expansion and potential manufacturing
Professional meeting spaces
While the build-out has taken longer than Annie hoped (she closed on the building during the week of July 4th), the wait will be worth it for Lake Norman homeowners seeking the ultimate design experience.
Why Choose Local for Your Home Organization Needs
Throughout the conversation, both Annie and Ryan emphasize the importance of supporting local Lake Norman businesses. As Ryan notes from his own experience running Webber Marketing, "The number one way you can grow a business, any business, doesn't matter what, especially local businesses though, it is a personal relationship with your community, with the people in your community."
Annie agrees wholeheartedly: "Without these customers, without these people, I wouldn't have my job that I've got. So it matters from that first initial phone call, and you need to bring it back to the basics constantly."
This commitment to community extends beyond just customer service. The Closet Niche partners with other local Lake Norman businesses, including flooring companies for garage projects, creating a network of trusted local contractors who have been personally vetted by Annie.
The Work-Life Balance Challenge
Running a successful business in Lake Norman while maintaining work-life balance is an ongoing challenge Annie openly discusses. As a self-described workaholic, she learned early on the importance of separating work and home life.
After initially running the business from her garage, Annie quickly realized that having employees show up at her home each day wasn't sustainable. "A part of me is like, no, I need to be able to separate the two. I need to. I love getting out of the house to go to the office. Because when I'm here, I think about work. When I go home, I don't have to think about it."
This separation helps Annie stay motivated and productive while also being present for her family, including her husband who sold his Snap-On Tools franchise to work for The Closet Niche full-time.
From NASCAR to Custom Closets: A Family Business
Annie's husband brings his own interesting background to the business. After spending 16.5 years in NASCAR, he purchased a Snap-On Tools franchise before eventually joining The Closet Niche full-time as the company's growth demanded more hands on deck.
This family partnership reflects the personal, relationship-driven nature of the business—something that resonates with Lake Norman residents who value knowing the people behind the companies they hire.
Ready to Transform Your Lake Norman Home?
Whether you're dealing with wire rack closets in a new home, need to maximize storage in a smaller space, or want to create a luxury closet experience like the showcase project at The Peninsula, The Closet Niche offers customized solutions for every budget and style.
Contact The Closet Niche:
Phone: 704-635-1150
Website: www.theclosetniche.com
Location: Talbert Business Park, Mooresville, NC
Service Area: Lake Norman, Mooresville, Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville, Denver, and surrounding areas
Follow on Social Media:
Facebook: The Closet Niche
Instagram: @theclosetniche
Listen to the Full Episode
Want to hear more about Annie's entrepreneurial journey, get detailed advice on closet organization, and learn about the latest trends in home storage? Listen to the full episode of the We Are Lake Norman podcast on:
Or your favorite podcast platform
About We Are Lake Norman Podcast
Hosted by Ryan Webber of Webber Marketing, the We Are Lake Norman podcast features interviews with interesting people, local celebrities, and small business owners in the Lake Norman area of North Carolina. Each episode shares the stories behind the businesses and individuals that make this community special.
Connect with Ryan Webber:
Website: www.webbermarketing.com
Instagram: @ryanwebbermarketing
Email: [email protected]
Are you a Lake Norman business owner or local personality with a story to share? Contact Webber Marketing to be featured on an upcoming episode of We Are Lake Norman.
