Lately, the idea of a well-organized closet has kinda rocked my world. I’m over the chaos. All. Of. The. Chaos. Over it.
We have a family closet, as a space saver in our home. But with the master bath and bedroom torn apart, that kind-of-organized space has completely imploded fallen apart under the pressure. See us: throwing everything in there that will fit, just to save our sanity while we tore the bathroom and bedroom apart during beercanmoldpocalypse 2014.
See me: losing said sanity because I just can’t function. Which means it was never truly organized with a real system, in the first place. {??!!} The gross wire shelves that I want to bash in with a baseball bat haven’t been cutting it for a while. And we’re kind of at a slow start with the bathroom, while we make our decisions wisely, and line up what we’re doing with it all. So…
Me to Jamin after stomping (read: tripping clumsily) out of our master closet: “Something’s gotta give. I just can’t.”
Jamin: Nodding in solemn agreement with a hint of dread and fear in his eyes.
Me: “Now’s the time. I mean, the rest of this side of our house is torn up. Let’s do the closet too, and then we can actually enjoy it. And then survive while we take on the rest. We don’t have to build much. I have a few ideas… It will be like a dreamy master suite.”
Jamin: Relaxing somewhat, but then tensing up again because he knows we’re only about to add to all the insanity… it’s what we do. And we’re both starting to wonder what we’ve gotten ourselves into. Maybe we should have never even called the plumber and lived with the mold???
Kiddingnotkidding.
Me: It has to get better before it gets worse, right?
Right?!
Fast forward to me, rocking in the corner creepily while I sing songs to myself and try to remove the paint from my hair. Clothes are everywhere mixed in with missing parts and faucets. Jamin is arranging the tiles like Harry in Batteries Not Included after they burn the building down. And The kids can have aaaallll the chocolate they want.
Here we go, y’all. So in the meantime, I’ve been garnering a few inspirational images. You know… to gear us up. Because even some simple shelving solutions like this, would help. Immensely.
I’m looking for something practical and easy. It’s time for easy. But these are still pretty, anyway.
And this. Because who wouldn’t want a huge beautiful light in the middle of their closet? I think it’s a Kardashian closet. I almost didn’t post it once I figured out who it belonged to…
via {With an awesome tutorial for it all – such a clever system!}
But first, as always… a little more of this.
All pretty photos aside, I need a real-life slew of solutions for our family. We have a whole lot of work in front of us, so we’re cutting back on endless labor with a few purchased items and adding the built in part, as we go… Here’s just a few of the ideas I’m pulling together, to keep it affordable, easy, and doable for us.
1. I’m looking for something a whole lot cheaper. Unfortunately, I found this rug and I kinda love it. Not bad for the price, but I have a different price range in mind. Stay tuned. It’s still purdy.
3 + 2. Expedit shelving is just the ticket with a few baskets for all the things our closet holds. Most of our clothes probably shouldn’t be hung, anyway. So in the meantime, shelving that keeps it together is a great option for something affordable that we don’t have to build…
4. Not a closet, but I kind of love the idea of art in one… since space is tight, it’s one of those wishful thinking kinda things… but we shall see! I would love to add some personality since it’s a closet for the entire family. And I secretly want to put some more vintage paper dolls I’ve been holding on to forever… to good use.
5. These baskets. For the kids’s shoes and my flats. And they’re pretty to look at.
6. The builder’s beige is still eminent. And with the exception of the garage + pantry, this will be the beginning of the end after a seven year process. {Hallelujah.} I’m thinking a nice beautiful blue like Benjamin Moore’s Breath of Fresh Air.
7. shoes like these probably aren’t feasible with limited space but still a simple idea to use in some areas!
8. A fun light {originally from 1st dibs – down with that horrible florescent!} would be amazing. But again… maybe something I can find from my own hoarding skillz to keep it affordable.
9. A full length mirror… since there may be no more standing up on the bathtub to see how I look (fingers crossed for finding a good clawfoot) would be a basic addition but oh so wonderful.
10. And this may be for an office, but the fun simple look of this peg board is something even Jamin could get excited about. I’m thinking a vertical version of this, with lots of spaces to find those belts/scarves/ties/jewelry… the list keeps going…
Have you guys tackled your closet? Have you ever felt overwhelmed by all the stuff just piling up in the middle of a big redo? Think we’re losing it? (Don’t answer that last one.)
We’d love to hear a few of your favorite solutions for your closet space + keeping it all under control!
Marie says
We have gross wire shelving in all our closets, too. Makes me crazy. My husband doesn’t find them to be gross though. How do I make him feel the grossness?! You’ve inspired me to go clean out my bedroom closet. I just had my second baby, so I have a whole closet full of clothes that I don’t love in various sizes. I actually wear about 1/20th of clothes in there!
ashley @ the handmade home says
HA! I have no idea! Maybe stack something on the wire shelves, and let them fall through, onto his clothes “accidentally” then tell him that wouldn’t have happened with nicer shelves (???) Kiddingnotkidding You could show him some pretty images and the organized alternative to the grossness. ;} Congratulations on that sweet new arrival! I am with you on the organization!
baileywife says
I have always hung my clothes up by color and LOVE the look of it and totally helps in finding things! Years ago my man made me built-ins in there, and I am now a reformed closet hoarder. I now keep the closet door OPEN because I love to see it! WHAT!?! ~Kim
ashley @ the handmade home says
I am so ready to want to keep the closet door open! I want it to feel like another well organized room! Awesome!
Kat says
I agree, wire shelving is the pits. The people who lived here before us put in wire shelving. They put it in with nails. As soon as I hung all my clothes, the entire shelf fell out of the wall. Which was awesome.
And I love the ikea expedit. We use that in our basement/mud room. Hurry though, they are discontinuing the expedit, people are snapping them up like hotcakes!
We just bought the ikea pax system for our closets. Didn’t want to invest California closets style. And didn’t want to invest in container store Elfa for more wire shelving. Going to install it this week – will let you know if we like it (and if we don’t throw it all out the window after trying to install it).
Have fun, good luck!
ashley @ the handmade home says
Wow. With nails?! Seriously!? HAHAHA! That’s terrible. A moment for the movies! Yes, we took the pilgrimage to Ikea and invested in three of those puppies! I asked what they’re replacing them with, and they said it was a different version of these (different dimensions, colors, etc.) It will be interesting for sure! Let me know how you feel about the pax. It looked like a great option. We were looking for affordable, for sure!
Ashley says
I would say this…plan to leave some empty space (an empty shelf, space in some drawers, etc). I have found that when I set up a new system and fill every nook perfectly, it doesn’t take long until something new needs to be stored and there’s no space and it seemingly ruins my organization system I loved for two weeks.
ashley @ the handmade home says
Thank you, Ashley! That’s a great tip. Definitely purging a lot more {I think this makes round three – I’ve always been the girl who holds on to the Birkenstocks because they might come back in style… guilty.} It’s time to part with a lot of this stuff! ;}
Kyla F says
There is so much goodness in this post!! I have a little closet that slants down from front to back, forming a little wedge in which I am supposed to fit my wardrobe. (Thank you genius construction man builders of my parents’ home circa 2000). This makes me want to take down a wall and start fresh. Someday when I move into my own place… a girl can dream đ
Also, thank you for the laughter that ensued from my recovery bed as I read: “beercanmoldpocalypse 2014” đ
ashley @ the handmade home says
Hope you’re feeling better, Kyla! ;}
Anna @ A Good Home says
I would so love to utilize some of those ideas! My husband I just have a pair of annoying bi-fold door closets, so they’re both shallow AND unattractive. Fabulous.
I was quite amused by the caption in one of the those photos, btw. “My beach clothes are quite different from my city clothes.” I almost spit out my coffee when I read that. The idea that someone has another home with a whole other closet that stores only her “beach clothes” is supremely hilarious to me. Sooooo not in my tax bracket đ
ashley @ the handmade home says
HA! I totally missed that one. Is it just me, or do some mags forget how obnoxiously irrelevant they are? Just saying.
Elisabeth says
Ooo! Yay for organizing the closet! I’m in the process of re-evaluating my wardrobe and it’s relevence to my life (like I live in OR where it is summer for maaaaybe 2 months and half my clothes are floaty summer dresses or tanktops. What.) so the closet has to get some attn too! And I hear you on those !$(#) wire shelves. I live in an apartment so they are in ALL the closets. I hate them. SO. MUCH. And this is not the sort of cool apartment one reads about where you can just pull those out and do what you want. LOL No, this is suburban, owned by management company so you have to deal. Someday. Someday I will have REAL SHELVES!
Kristy says
Patricks clothes are beautifully color coded. Mine are haphazardly strewn about… On a good day, some are hung. đ his dream closet would be one that he didn’t have to share… With ME!
Jessie @ Imperfectly Polished says
We went through the same thing a couple of years ago. The wire shelving was a.w.f.u.l! Our closet was much smaller than yours and we built our entire closet system (including storage bins since we are extra cheap:)) and it made a world of difference. We moved out of our house in August and are building a new house but I will forever love that closet. If you have a place for everything, it will literally stay in place. Imagine that:) here is the link to our closet if you are interested: http://imperfectlypolished.com/2012/01/09/closet-reveal/. Good luck with your closet! Can’t wait to see how it turns out:)
Tania @ Run To Radiance says
Can’t wait to see what you all do! We are planning our master suite and I am drooling over those photos you posted. I can’t wait to have more than half of a 6×2 closet!!!!!! đ
Alicia says
I love the elfa systems from container store., easy to install and clean. And thank u for the movie reference. I laughed so hard when I read your reference to batteries not included. I am doing my bathroom now and we are tripping over everything! Fingers crossed were done soon.
Melissa @ DaisyMaeBelle says
LOVING these ideas! My closet needs a major overhaul! Out with the wire shelving!!! Good luck with your projects! Life to the full! Melissa
Barcy says
I am in violent agreement with the “wire shelves suck” sentiment. I think we should all channel our inner Joan Crawford and scream “No more wire shelving!”
ashley @ the handmade home says
HA! I thought about that afterwards. Hilarious.