From Crap-tastic to Craft-tastic (Closet makeover #1)

With the exception of Martha Stewart and professional organizers, I am willing to bet everybody has a junk drawer, an accumulated stuff pile, or if you are like me, a shameful-on-the verge- of hoarding closet. Or 2...Or 3...Don't judge me...

The first closet I am tackling is the closet in the spare aka "girly" room. This isn't the worst closet in the house but it was just enough messy to make me kind of crazy.

It began as this (eek!) waayyyy back in 2012. Then I proceeded to ignore it for a very, very long time. Out of sight, out of mind.

 Um ... it got a little better (kinda) in 2014, as I purged some of the stuff . 

 Then I tried to organize it a bit more  but it still wasn't working for me

Poor Billy the Snowman. I would leave him out in the room but he freaks out my dogs and
I am afraid I would come home to twigs and fluff!

I re-used various pieces from around the house. The closet organizer pieces were at one time used in  my kitchen for storage, now they are actually being used in a closet, ha!

 The white cubbies were once part of my creative corner makeover. Honestly- it was so cramped I gave up on using it. But now THIS is more along the lines of what I had envisioned. The worktop (the sewing machine is sitting on) came from Ikea for $0.75. It was a piece of something it has holes from screws/ pegs but I don't care. I attached it to the repurposed laminate shelf with L brackets. It is a super-snug fit. I don't think even if I had measured it, would the fit be as perfect, haha. The foot stool slides in when not in use, but there is room to sit as well.

And when the curtains are closed, my cat Sam-Sam curls up on the footstool.
He has claimed his perfect napping spot!

The worklight is from Ikea (which I purchased maybe  4 yrs ago?)  I ran out of cable cord tacks, was too lazy/ cold to run out buy any so I made my own use cable ties and nail brads. The trick is to take a lighter, heat the tip of the nail and press it into the cable tie. I snipped them into 1 1/2 inch pieces and they worked like a charm to secure the cord.  The power strip mounted on the inside corner of the closet. Plenty of outlets for the sewing machine or a glue gun.

There is plenty of room for fabrics, notions and what-nots. For larger sewing or  craft projects I have a folding table can be easily retrieved for use. It isn't over the top or magazine worthy, but this  demonstrates creative solutions when faced with limited space and budget constraints.  

From undefined to a Dressing Room (almost)

This particular space has always been a bit awkward. When we first purchased our home in 2000 this "room" was classified as 2/3 bedroom. The prior owners had used it as bedroom for years. No freaking way.

Let me count the ways this was so, so wrong

1. There was no wall by the stairs, only a wobbly metal porch railing.

2. You walked through this space to access the front bedroom. (Which initially we thought was a closet because the door was a bi-fold closet door.)

3. There was dark walnut paneling.

4. And olive green carpet from the 60/70's

5. Actual usable room dimensions--6.5 ft depth and 14 ft. wide.

6. And the ceiling slopes (roof eave).

7. Speaking of ceiling, it is covered in these glued on acoustical tiles.

8. The window is 23 in wide by 26 in tall. And it is 6 inches from the floor because it under the eave.

9. Only 1 electrical outlet in the room.

10. No heat vent

11. Which means no AC in hot n humid summer

12. The "closet" in the room is barely the depth of a hanger, is 4 ft. wide and is also nestled under the eave. Not much usable space. Not to mention it is dark and creepy. And spiders have been known to make themselves at home in the dark recesses. bleh.

13. And there was this weird shelf cubby whose shelves brackets would bend when you tried to put any decent sized (weighted) books on it.

Are you jealous yet? ha ha. I have looked everywhere but can't find any of the before pictures that I can use because they are so dark. The room was very, very cave like. While our daughter was at home this undefined little space has been many things. An office. A TV lounge room. A reading nook. A catch all. We finally added a wall by the stairwell in 2008. (Which was great because you no longer felt like you were doomed to plummet over the edge down the stairwell.) The final wall was added in 2010.

And since I am always struggling to find decent storage in my rather diminutive house, I thought a dressing room was a great ideal.  Of course my hubbs says it is a closet. But dressing room is soooo much more in keeping with the age of my house.

Here it is in it's current incarnation. I am not finished yet, definitely a work in progress.

The room is painted Winter Calm.  It is a smokey pale purple. Kinda girly. But I luuurrvvee it! The shoebench is a $5 dollar ottoman from a thrift store. It is topped with a $3 cushion from IKEA. Since the hubbs is over 6ft tall this sits higher and is more comfortable (for him). I have some upholstery weight fabric and need to make a box slipcover. And see the chiffonier (the large white dresser thing)? That was a Goodwill find for $40!! I like the top portion that opens like an armoire because it has a divider section.  I use it to store extra bed linens.

 The mirror was free from the apartment complex where the hubbs works. He needs to mount it to the wall and then I can add some molding trim.

My stuff grouped by colors, haha. I may be a little OCD.

I REALLY  like sandals. I need a job where I can wear jammies and sandals because those are the items I have the most .

My tower of purses

As you can see I was generous and let the hubbs have have the awkward closet, haha. This area still needs painted (still has the dark walnut paneling) and if you look down you can see the olive green carpet. So schmexy , huh?

 This is that weird cubby, but it looks like it was always meant  to have the drawers. I still need to paint or maybe a nice pop of wallpaper behind these. And I sooo need a new ironing board. And yes my t-shirts are also grouped by color.

This is the weird little window. The funny thing is I bought these shutters at a Goodwill a few years back for $8 and never really did anything with them...until now. They fit perfectly! Don't you just love when that happens? I love listening to music while I am upstairs cleaning or getting ready to go out. This was the perfect spot.

What's left to do in here? 

1. Hang the mirror and add trim

2. Paint the cubby and the hubb's closet.

3. Upholster/ slipcover the shoe bench and paint the legs.

4. Install the hubb's cap rack

5. Make and install a custom belt organizer panel.

6. Install hooks for my scarves.

7. Paint the chiffonier and replace/ paint the hardware

8. Swap out the hardware on the drawers so it doesn't look so cheap

9. New ironing board

10. New flooring

11. Add some art

12. New light fixture

13. Add a door  (or curtains) to make the room more private
14. Eventually I would like to add nice rattan baskets for the t-shirt cubbies. 

I really love this room. It wasn't a huge project or even that costly. All the closet organizer stuff only set me back $150.00. There is such a sense of  serenity in this room. I think it is a nice way to center yourself before going out in the frenzied world. All my hangers are matching (major pet peeve--I can't stand mismatched hangers.  "NO WIRE HANGERS EVER!"   Yikes! I just flashed on Mommie Dearest! Now if  only I can train the hubbs to keep everything neat and organized (but without beating him). haha  Anyone have additional organizing tips they want to share?