Prices vary with the size and style of the furniture. The full-wood units are the most expensive, with a cherry wood Murphy bed and cabinet costing $6,000 or more; a black laminate selection can cost $1,200. Bill Kirk said closet systems can run from $50 to $75 per linear foot, plus delivery and setup in the home. Most units can be delivered about four to six weeks from ordering.

Terrie Towers, who with her husband designed and built a 5,000-square-foot home west of Trenton last fall, was one of the Kirks' first customers. The master bedroom suite had a walk-in closet about 10 by 15 feet, and she was trying to obtain closet organizing shelves from The Home Depot.

"They weren't able to totally satisfy us, so they recommended we work with (the Kirks). He had just started the business, and installed the system himself to get acclimated to it. We've been self-employed all our adult lives, and appreciated that."

The closet opens into the bathroom, and the cabinets seem to transition into the other room. "I like a clean, built-in look, and I liked the the fact that the closets have doors on them, and you can shut them," Towers said.

The Kirks bring to the business a lifetime of interests. Bill, who has always loved woodworking, was assistant store manager at The Home Depot for 12 years. He earned a degree in business administration from the University of Florida.

Carol, a Florida State University graduate who has lived in Gainesville for 25 years, has 10 years of retail experience.

Their 17-year-old son, Jamie, a senior at Eastside High School's International Baccalaureate program, also helps out at the store.