Leading Custom Storage Company California Closets of Tennessee Expands to Knoxville and Chattanooga
Tennessee and north Alabama business of California Closets, locally owned and headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., is riding its reputation for exemplary service and industry-leading quality into East Tennessee with on-the-ground hires during continued time of operational growth
California Closets of Tennessee, a leader in custom closets and personalized home organizational systems and a locally owned business with operations based in Nashville, Tennessee, has expanded to East Tennessee, placing experienced designers to serve clients in Knoxville and Chattanooga with custom storage solutions.
California Closets is the most renowned brand in its industry, known for quality, craftsmanship, and collaborating with clients to create customized design solutions—all of which in Tennessee are produced in-house to exact specifications at the company’s Center of Excellence in Nashville. Every installation comes with a lifetime warranty.
A consistent innovation leader with the global franchise, California Closets of Tennessee won Top Franchise of the Year in 2020 out of more than 150 showrooms throughout North and South America.
It seeks to recreate its commitment to client success in East Tennessee with top-tier design leadership spearheading its growth in the region. This talent includes:
- Karen Avne, designer based in Knoxville, Tenn.
- Emily Moskal, designer based in Chattanooga, Tenn.
“Over the years, an increased interest in organization and maximizing functionality and style in the home, coupled with our commitment to client service and quality, has led to incredible growth for California Closets in Middle Tennessee,” said Kurt Schusterman, owner of California Closets of Tennessee. “Just as individuals and families have flocked to the Nashville area, we’re seeing that same momentum and demand expand statewide. We’re thrilled to have Karen and Emily based in Knoxville and Chattanooga. They represent the best of California Closets and their presence in East Tennessee immediately creates exciting opportunities for new clients across the region.”
After a distinguished career as a business executive, Schusterman acquired California Closets of Tennessee, which began in 1998 and included rights to the business across the state of Tennessee and North Alabama (Huntsville), in 2015.
Since then, the operation’s headcount in Nashville has tripled to 60 people, and its revenue has grown six-fold. Schusterman credits this growth to continued reinvestment into the company and its operations and technologies as well as a community-and-customer focused initiative that launched in 2015 and ensures a top-of-market experience from consultation to installation.
This growth led to the opening of California Closets of Tennessee’s Center of Excellence in 2021, which houses the company’s administrative offices and state-of-the-art production facility at 2601 Winford Avenue. It also has a showroom serving Williamson County located at 420 Cool Springs Boulevard in Franklin.
The Center of Excellence will manufacture for the Knoxville and Chattanooga areas as Avne and Moskal utilize their design talents to deliver custom-designed storage solutions which includes everything from closets to entertainment centers, garages, home offices and more.
More on California Closet’s East Tennessee designers:
Karen Avne, Knoxville-based designer
Karen Avne’s love of interior design started in 1985 when she joined a design studio that worked with clients to bring the vision of their newly built homes to life. Taking a detailed and customized approach to interior design, each home was thoughtfully curated to represent the homeowner’s unique style and aesthetic.
Over the years, Avne developed a deeper appreciation for the importance of creating spaces that seamlessly blended functionality and beauty. As a result, joining California Closets in 2000 was a natural next step in her design journey.
As a California Closets designer, she honed her skills of capturing and executing each client’s vision. Be it a master closet, pantry, toy room, garage or office space, Karen thrives at collaborating with her clients to find the perfect solution because she truly believes that an organized space allows you to focus on what matters most.
Emily Moskal, Chattanooga-based designer
For Emily Moskal, design, creativity and production was part of growing up. Her mother was an interior designer on HGTV in Knoxville, and she was practically raised on set—seeing firsthand the care and craftmanship that went into showstopping home transformation.
She quickly fell in love with the process of creation and interior design, which led her to the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga where she majored in production and minored in art history. After graduating, Moskal pursued her passions in Los Angeles, working in merchandising and styling as well as large-scale event design for major clients. Here she picked up many skills she uses daily at California Closets, such as tuning into the personal style of clients and ensuring flawless execution by focusing on the details that truly allow creative solutions to flourish.
After her time in L.A., she returned to Nashville, finding her way to California Closets as a designer in 2020 where she could perfectly leverage her talents and experience. With operations expanding into Chattanooga, Moskal jumped at the opportunity to return to a community she loved as a UTC Moc and always wanted to return to as a permanent home. For clients, she enjoys the opportunity to collaborate and be creative by thinking outside the box to deliver unexpected and exciting solutions.
About California Closets of Nashville
California Closets of Nashville has been serving Tennesseans since 1998 and is a top Tennessee closet, organization and storage company with the highest ranked customer satisfaction scores in North America. All closet and organization systems are made locally in Middle Tennessee and carry a lifetime warranty. To learn more, visit www.californiaclosets.com/nashville