Closet Re-do

It was time for a closet re-do.

I had taken a before photo, and now I just can't find it. Sorry about that.

Why do we need to re-do our closets?  Because they are a real trap for all the things we don't know what to do with.  If we don't have correct storage systems in place, we won't be able to put things away, and further to that, we won't want to put things away either.

I really wish I still had that before picture for you because my closet was packed beyond what you might think possible.  I LOVE to sew, and I have the fabric collection to prove it.  Presently those bags and boxes of fabric and patterns and cutting mats etc are sitting in our bedroom awaiting a new home.  My husband said he can't even figure out how I fit that much stuff in the closet.

Here is my closet being re-done.

I painted it using up that cheap paint that didn't work for the bathroom.  It might not look great in the bathroom but it was perfect for the inside of a closet and it freshened up the space!

After I painted it that Lunenberg blue, I decided a bit of stenciling peeking out over my hangers would be a nice touch.  I got the stencil which was worth almost $20 for only $2.99.  Yay!

Here is the stenciling finished.

Then after it was all painted I put everything back.  I was going to make this feature entry about how I made these do it yourself shoe racks on a dime, but I decided they still look kinda lumpy.  I will do a feature when I upgrade these to wooden racks.  In the interim, you can see that I did not let the fact my budget must be set aside for other needs stop me from getting organized.  An ounce of determination, and some cardboard, masking tape and paint will put a system into place, until you can make the storage system that you want.

I used to store my shoes in those hanging sleeves that just hang vertically in your closet and hold 10 pairs of shoes.  Now I store them like this.  I keep a stool at the bottom of the closet so I can reach any pair I want easily.  As I said, the cardboard is a bit lame, but I must say it is soooo easy to grab a pair of shoes or put them away.  WAY BETTER than the plastic hanging sleeves. 

Here is what I did with the bottom of my closet.  The drawers hold my blow dryer and various things that our bathroom can't hold because our bathroom has virtually no storage space.  The stacking plastic storage unit on the right holds my purses and some lint rollers.

Finally I added all the clothes back in there.  This might look like a busy closet, but it is tiny by today's standards.  This is no walk in!  I have 1 bar, and this is both my summer and winter wardrobes.  Rotating clothes doesn't work well for me, so I pare things down and keep a year round rotation of clothes in my closet.  So while this might look rather full and busy, this is all of my hanging wardrobe.

Steps to closet re-do:

1. Think about what you use in your closet and plan how the space needs to be used.

2. Remove any item that does not belong in the closet and vow to find a new home for it.  i.e. sewing projects must be moved to the basement or a utility closet.  NOT your bedroom closet.

3. Keep removing the stuff.  Get rid of the wrapping paper you stood up in the corner, the boxes of sentimental stuff from your kids, etc.  Devote this space to be your "dressing room".

4. If you plan to paint or re-decorate your walls, remove everything from the closet and do this now.

5. Consider buying or making your own shoe storage system.

6. De-clutter any clothes or shoes you don't use.

7. Put things back into the closet  and make it nice for yourself.

There you have it.  You can make your closet organized.  If you shop around for paint and get creative with the storage solutions you need, you can make a very organized closet without spending a lot of money.  The gift of this system is that when you are ready to upgrade to some sort of closet organizer, you already know the dimensions you need for your space, you will only be worried about choosing the style and product that is right for you.

Happy Organizing!

Cassie