Did You Know Closets of Tulsa Designs Commercial Spaces, Too?

Our latest retail install goes live next month at Beau&Arrow's new downtown Tulsa location! Though Closets of Tulsa is best known for our residential projects, we LOVE designing custom closet shelving systems for local entrepreneurs and businesses of any size.

Our team has been particularly energized and inspired by this boutique in The Boxyard, a micro shopping/dining/drinking hub made of shipping containers at the corner of Third and Frankfort.

Fast forward: See The Finished Project

I love so many things about this project—our forward-thinking, risk-taking and creative young client, Megan Saltink, being No. 1. I'm also thrilled that the compact, unconventional development feels sleeker and more expansive than seems possible!

Here's just a taste of the other local businesses coming to The Boxyard: an ice cream parlor, a science shop, a menswear store, the new home of Dwelling Spaces, and more indoor and outdoor ways to enjoy Tulsa. I can't wait!

An early adopter of The Boxyard, Beau&Arrow snagged a prime street-level spot in the middle of the plaza! The north-facing storefront is in the far left of the frame.

Converting a Shipping Container into a Dream Closet

Beau&Arrow was a natural fit for Closets of Tulsa because Megan wanted the store to feel like a dream closet. She hoped customers would walk in and feel at home—and imagine the clothing and accessories in their own closets!

To achieve this, she’ll display just one of each item on the racks, with the rest of her inventory in the back.

“Boutiques are all moving to this kind of look,” Megan told me. “So I think this type of retail is a whole new market that’s probably searching for a service like Closets of Tulsa.

“But it’s hard to find—especially custom, built exactly for your space, and exactly what you wanted, that’s not just prefabbed.”

Strategic space planning made Beau&Arrow's side-by-side shipping containers feel open, modern and inviting.

Unique Joys and Challenges of a Shipping Container Closet Design

The shipping containers presented a few challenges unique to this project. To secure the shelving installation, we worked around the steel walls (no studs or drywall) by cabling the system to steel loops in the container ceiling.

Additionally, the side-by-side shipping containers are relatively deep but each only 8 feet wide. Strategic space planning allowed us to accommodate customers with disabilities, maximize efficiency and achieve the look Megan was after.

The result will be a streamlined, chic boutique as at home in Tulsa as it would be in New York City.

"The Midwest is so used to having so much space," Megan said. "I think this is going to be really interesting, because it can be done—you don’t have to have 3,000 square feet for a retail space for it to work.”

I love how Megan’s finish selections will make Beau&Arrow's clothing and accessories pop. The eye-catching geometry of the container walls stands on its own with a simple treatment of smoky charcoal paint. Underfoot: the original plywood container floor, lightly sanded and stained a rich tone.

It's a brilliant backdrop to the white closet shelving and other touches of comfortable luxury to come. Beau&Arrow is well on its way to Megan's vision of mid-century modern industrial: steel, marble, velvet—stay tuned to see the finished space!

Client Testimonial