Like every good bedroom, our now office/playroom/guest bedroom has a closet. In fact, it’s the one I used to keep all of my clothes in before we installed the built-in wardrobes in the bedroom and I earned a spot to keep clothes in the same room that I slept in (upgrade!).
But what was once my closet, and later became a bonus storage space (full of nothing but Burger’s crate) has recently turned into this:
The reason for its current state can best be described as (1) it’s now required to hold a lot more stuff and (2) it’s not doing a very good job of it. Besides being a catch-all for miscellaneous items like winter coats and extra books, its main two functions were actually to still house Burger’s chihuahua sized dog crate and to contain all of the bedding for the fold-out guest bed hidden in the sleeper sofa (that stuff used to reside on the guest bed itself, thereby freeing up a lot more of the closet). And those two functions were constantly at war because every time we traveled with Burger’s crate, we’d slide it out and the pile of linens would fall to the floor and progressively get shoved back on top of his crate when we returned (less and less tidily each time). I know, excuses excuses…
But since that closet door actually remains open most of the time, except when we have guests in there (Burger loves chilling in his crate) we knew that it was time to conquer the mess. And the first step was to create a shelf to keep the linens from toppling every time we slipped the dog create in and out. So first we cleared out most of the mess and then it was solution time.
Inspired by the lower shelf that had once been in that closet before (see the white board on the left wall of the closet above?), we decided we just wanted to build a simple system with two rails on either side of the closet that would support a large plank of wood. So off to Home Depot we went, where we picked up one 1 x 2 and two 1 x 8 planks, all of which I had cut to size at Home Depot.
The two 1 x 8s would sit side-by-side to create a 16″ shelf while resting on the 1 x 2 side rails that I would install. Plus I cut an extra 1 x 2 for the back wall, just in case I needed a little more shelf support (I didn’t end up needing it though – hooray for spare wood).
Then, with Burger’s crate still in the closet, I measured the height of my shelf – leaving a bit of breathing room. Note: Burger’s crate is taller than 12 inches, I was measuring from the top of the baseboards in the picture below. I know he’s small, but he’s not that small.
Then after making the level marks along the two sidewalls I position my rails and screwed them each in, using three screws per rail. I didn’t do anything particularly heavy duty with the screws since it’s not going to hold very heavy items (although one on each side definitely went into a stud) but if you’re doing this to hold books or gold bricks, be sure to find a few more studs or use anchors. Once each side was attached I set my planks on top of the newly installed rails and made sure everything looked level. Luckily it did.
You’ll see my rail is a bit longer than the plank. I did this just to have some wiggle room if I needed it (we could always grab a 1 x 3 and lay it across to further extend the shelf to the edge of the ledge). You’ll also notice that the shelf isn’t as deep as the closet itself. That’s because the pipe for our radon mitigation system runs up the other side of the closet wall (see the white tube on the left in the photo below, which emerges from the floor and looks a lot like molding from that angle). This large plastic pipe prevents me from making the left rail any deeper. I could’ve tried to cut the shelf around the pipe in that corner, but it honestly wasn’t important enough for me to bother.
Oh, and of course I double checked to make sure Burger’s crate actually fit under it:
Next came painting. As you’ve probably noticed in the before pictures above, the closet walls were less than pristine themselves, so I took this as an opportunity to not only paint the shelf semi-gloss white, but to actually put a fresh coat on the whole closet, hanging bar, and the back of the door. That was probably the most time intensive part of this whole process (we used Freshaire off-the-shelf white semi-gloss paint since it’s no-VOC for the beanette).
With the whole space “freshened up” it was time to put everything back in and call this project complete. Well… not everything.
We were able to pare down the guest bedroom linens by just storing the sheets on the mattress, folded up in the sofa bed and only keeping two pillows in this closet (the other two – in case our guests need extra – now live atop Sherry’s wardrobe in our bedroom). Then we were finally able to store the remaining bed-stuff a bit more stylishly on the newly constructed shelf to make the whole area look more appealing. So much better, right?
Of course, the best part of the set-up is that we can now easily remove Burger’s crate to travel without all the guest bedding tumbling down into a heap. Don’t you just love some order in the court closet?
We also cut down on the number of hanging items. All unused/old winter coats and bags got donated and the remaining few coats/jackets were moved into my bedroom wardrobe since I was able to open up some space by ditching some past-their-prime work shirts. What we’re left with is a lot of free space for guests to hang their clothes up when they arrive (and two bags that Sherry decided to keep on hand- which actually look kind of sweet in the closet, thankfully).
We also straightened things up top a bit while we were at it. We pulled out a few good reads to donate to our local book store, wrangled the scarves and gloves that had been crawling out of the basket and wrapped up some spare surge protectors (tip: keep extension cords and surge protectors from coming unraveled by wrapping the wire and then plugging them into themselves to keep them tightly bundled). Oh, and then there’s Sherry’s stack of mailing envelopes for YHL shop orders.
The last update to the closet was more of a fun one. Stacy at Name Your Design had recently sent Clara this personalized growth chart as a baby gift, so we thought the inside of this closet door was the perfect spot to hang it. And we broke out a whimsical ceramic pig hook (purchased locally at Mongrel for $5) to do the job. You know how Sherry is about ceramic animals…
So all-in-all we’d say that we made our closet a much more pleasant space to look at and live with. Honestly, you have no idea how much we’re looking forward to being able to pull out Burger’s crate for our next road trip and not have pillows and blankets crash down on top of us.
Most importantly, Burger approves of the changes too. Phew. He can be a tough critic.
Have you guys done any closet wrangling recently? Or do you have any other tricks up your sleeve when it comes to storing linens or guest bedding? We realize our situation of linen closet/dog house is fairly unique, so throw in your closet uses (especially if they’re on the unusual side like ours).
Oh and don’t forget to check out this week’s column over on BabyCenter (right here). It’s also office related, and it chronicles how anyone can DIY some pretty impactful art for an entire wall in your home in three different (and super easy/cheap) ways. Here are a few sneak peeks for ya. Check out all the details over on BabyCenter.
Psst- Wanna follow the entire office/guest bedroom/playroom makeover? Click here for the intro post, here to read about the big sleeper sofa hunt, here for the DIY desk play-by-play, here for the homemade light fixture project, here for our hacked Ikea bookcase, here for the file storage we built, here for how we squeezed in some toy storage, here for how we picked out some DIY art that we could agree on, here for how we wrangled our wires, here for the play-by-play of creating our postcard art wall and here for our magnet paint project.
Jessica @ How Sweet says
WOW! Please come organize for me!!
Courtney says
I have used space bags and was just about to suggest them too! I love them! I use them for all of my extra guest linens, towels, and extra pillows. I feel like it keeps everything really fresh, especially if, after washing them, we don’t get overnighters for a little while. I got some decorative storage boxes from TJ Maxx that I keep them in to make it look pretty, and just keep them in the guest bedroom closet so I can pull them out easily when needed. I even used them for packing on our recent beach vacation. We rented a house and needed to pack our own linens, along with all of our clothes, our five month old’s toys, and our larger size pup…worked great!
Jessica says
I LOVE the paint color in that room– which I think from your FAQ page is Glidden’s “sand white”? Since they have discontinued this color, do you know if BM or SW makes a similar color? Thanks! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Glidden’s Natural Linen is basically the exact same color- hopefully you can just get it color matched!
xo,
s
Kate! says
Hey guys,
I’m curious of the fate of Sherry’s little corner “office” in the den — is it still used? Has it been changed? Or am I sniffing a future post about a new use for that corner? :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kate,
We’re definitely going to cover that in a future post! We opted to leave that table and chair there in the den for casual internet surfing and letter writing on nights and weekends (when we don’t want to be tucked away in the office). We eventually picture it being a good spot for Clara to do homework and draw pictures too, so keeping it there (right near the kitchen and the rest of our house’s living area) seems to make sense for the long haul!
xo,
s
Meaghan says
Thanks for including the link to your BabyCenter blog post – I never remember what day you guys have new posts there, and I love reading those as well :) So, keep pimping your other writings!
Sarah says
Looks amazing!! Cleaning closets is so intimidating! Question, what are you doing with your old office nook in the family room?
Ashley G says
This question came to mind after seeing the cute straw bag hanging in the closet…do you guys use a diaper bag for Clara or do you just throw things in your purse? You should do a post on the organized diaper bag/how to only pack the must haves…instead of a suitcase! =)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Ashley G,
We actually mentioned how I avoided a diaper bag (saving money and feeling a bit more stylish) with an easy insert that I stash in a spacious clearance purse I got from the Gap in this post (see #2): https://www.younghouselove.com/2010/06/something-free-five-lifesavers/
Hope it helps! As for how I keep it organized, I just have my wallet in my purse, the diaper and wipe kit that we linked to in the post above, a small burp cloth, and an extra outfit- just in case. It’s actually pretty manageable since Clara is exclusively breastfed so we don’t have to bring snacks and bibs and she doesn’t even take a pacifier very often so we don’t tote that around either.
xo,
s
Emily @ The Happy Home says
too cute! i wish our monster’s cage fit in the bottom of a closet. unfortunately, he’s about 65 lbs and needs a kennel the size of a sub-compact. he’s now been integrated into our decor. but you’ve inspired me to clean and organize the extra-large closet in David’s office!
Amy Wolff says
LOVING the BabyCenter posts!!!
You make me motivated to get my closets organized. Hopefully I get some motivation soon! :-)
Pam says
Great post, but I have a question for you. Do you ever feel like some items are constantly being moved from one closet back to the other? Your winter coats, for instance. Recently I cleaned out the hallway linen closet and decided that extra tablecloths and placemats should be in the kitchen pantry closet. It makes more sense, and I can easily see what I have to choose from.
When it came time to clean out the pantry, I decided there wasn’t really room for those items so off they went, back to the linen closet. I really do have ample closet and storage space in the house. Maybe after two years, I’m still figuring out where everything should be kept!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Pam,
We actually find that if we take the time to really think about where things go and place them there we rarely move them again. It probably makes the most sense to store our coats in a hall closet, but since our house doesn’t have one, grouping coats with our clothes in our room makes more sense than keeping them in the guest room. Just really thinking about what will work best for us and make the most sense in our small space seems to work out for us. But we’ve been here four years and we’re still adjusting things so we definitely don’t have it all down!
xo,
s
LoquaciousLaura says
Hey guys, I may have worded my comment badly, I used to have PAX but now I have a real, honest to goodness closet. I’m thinking — how to store something like, hmmmm, 35 pairs of shoes when you mostly have shirts/pants hanging, so a ton of floor space. Recommendations for going vertical? Shallow depth shelves?
Any thoughts are welcome. The closet is a gigantic mess right now.
I am a shoe fiend but I can’t hold my … well, shoes.
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve seen over the door shoe racks that might help? Maybe just visit The Container Store and see what they have?
xo,
s
Melissa says
My daughter’s closet just got a major clean out –
http://houseography.blogspot.com/2010/08/another-closet-clean-out-elizabeths.html
Next up is the coat closet which I haven’t opened since it’s been 95 degrees for 3 months! The day is coming soon though! Funny how every closet clean-out starts with a big pile of stuff to be donated and sold. :)
Elizabeth says
I love how even Burger’s toy looks happy with the new organized space!
Erin says
I just cleaned out my overstuffed linen closet too!
http://thedrumgoolefamily.wordpress.com/2010/07/23/no-longer-over-stuffed/
Great job on yours!
Charlene @ Sweetchic says
GOLLY, is there ANYTHING you guys can’t improve? Seriously, I am so amazed that you can make a small closet look SO fab, coordinated, organized and cheerful!
RJ says
Great idea with the low shelf, I’ll have to remember that for when we redo the nursery closet!
Our cat loves to sleep on our guest bed, so we only put the sheets on when we actually have guests. In the meantime they get stored in a hanging sweater cubby in the guest closet along with our guest towels, that way they’re always handy and there’s never any guessing as to which sheets fit which bed!
Sarah says
I have the same book! The Complete Organic Pregnancy! I love it. It was my favorite book to read while pregnant.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, I really liked it too! That and Gorgeously Green!
xo,
s
Kelly says
you guys rock. new baby and you’re still cleaning and reorganizing your closets. mad props!
http://www.kellyloves.wordpress.com
***** says
As a matter of fact I sent you guys the link to my closet wrangling! Turning it into my now “CLOFFICE”….
http://www.esudano.blogspot.com
stacy says
hi s + j,
perfect spot for clara’s growth chart! so glad you were able to put it to good use :). thanks for the mention…
lots of love,
stacy
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Stacy,
No thank you! We love love love it- and we can’t wait to get Clara’s little measurements on there. Actually she’s around 24″ so we can probably make our first height recording right now!
xo,
s
Aimee @ In THIS Life says
Our dual-purpose room is the boys’ playroom. When guests come to town, it’s converted with a double-height Aerobed. When the playroom isn’t being used as a guest room, the pillows and linens live under my husband’s and my bed in Space Bags, and the Aerobed itself lives on the bottom of the linen closet. I blogged about it (although not nearly as beautifully as you) several months ago: http://aimeewrites.wordpress.com/2010/02/16/instant-guest-room/
ens says
i LOVE your blog – you make everything look so perfect! Thank you for all of the inspiration!
Christi says
When we remodeled our basement we made a small closet to house the vac, pool cues and games. I love that the vac has a designated, easy access spot! Eventually I can see it being used as a toy closet for kids someday :)
Crystal says
Feels so great to have a clean and clutter free closet even if folks don’t see it when they go visit. A couple suggestions…the envelopes could be placed in a clear container ($3 at Walmart) without a top that way the envelopes don’t shift easily. And the extra pillows and bedding (which is gorgeous by the way) I hide ours under our beds. But first I place them in plastic bags and throw in a couple of dryer sheets for protection and freshness. I think having the bare linens/pillows sitting on the shelf are prone to collecting dust and dog shedding particles. Just a suggestion ;o)
Ashley says
Thanks for such a great, informative and detailed post. These are the kind I love reading your blog for.
My personal closet angst: All bedrooms in my 1950s ranch house have double sliding wooden doors, the kind with rollers at the top. They’re quite unstylish, but not easy to replace without serious alterations to the door frames.
Alas … I’ll just have to make do by keeping the insides organized with inspiration from your blog!
Natalie says
That was a great idea to create a shelf of your own to fit the space. It really looks nice! Well done :)
nadine says
Hi, stupid question- where are those pillowcases from? i <3 them.
YoungHouseLove says
I got them as a gift from Pottery Barn a few months back (on clearance) but I don’t think they still sell them. Maybe try ebay? They were called “woodland” something. Maybe “organic woodland”? Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Rachel Hires says
SINK ME!
Just has the parents over for dinner and have the best mom and mother and law. They did the dishes!
Carmen says
Loved today’s post. The ideas are great and I will get to work soon. You mentioned something about a diy growth chart in a past post, is it similar to the one you hung up in the guest room? Can you give us a hint about what kind of materials we need? Thanks so much.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Carmen,
We have so many posts to cover, and we mention ideas all the time! So just stay tuned if we drop hints about something that you hope to see in the future. The post might not be up the very next day, but it’s coming (usually within a few weeks to a month)! Our DIY growth chart involves paint and a wall or doorway. Should be lots of fun!
xo,
s
Stacy says
I’m currently in the middle of my master bedrooms closet reno. So far it’s been cleaned out, patched up & painted. Now to tackle the actual organizer. This parts scares me. I hope I dont mess up the freshly painted walls.
Love Mongrels by the way. I just dont get to Carytown often enough. Too bad they dont sell items online.
Mary says
SINK ME! Sink is clean, empty and feeling unloved :)
jja says
I have cats and adore them, but anyway would not like to put sleeping stuff for my guests or me in the same walk in as sleeping place for my dog?! Besides if the door is open most of the time these things get dirty very soon. I love my pets but I also love clean beddings, and would put beddings for guests somewhere where the door is closed all the time. Besides that, I love how you organized everything.
Jennifer S. says
This was a helpful post because I’m thinking about transforming my closet from the typical shelf/rod combination to lowering the rod to the bottom and adding a couple more shelves as you did above. I’m going to reuse some oak planks that used to be part of a CD rack that my husband and I made about 16 years ago that we no longer use. I really want to get this done soon so I can get rid of my dresser!
Katie says
I love the alphabet artwork and the cute paperclips holding it up! It feels sophisticated and cute at the same time!
Katie
http://www.ps-travelblog.com
Aimee says
I’m actually in the process of painting and organizing my linen closet. Cleaning 52 years worth of dirt off the walls (it was pretty nasty) and painting it bright white is making a huge difference. I am actually painting the shelf in the closet bright pink. Pink has nothing to do with the rest of my house’s color scheme, but it is so fun to paint this little shelf such a bright color!
MariahKW says
This is sort of an unrelated but I just say this post http://lifehacker.com/5606007/build-a-cord+concealing-and-spacious-workspace?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+lifehacker%2Ffull+%28Lifehacker%29&utm_content=Google+Reader over on LifeHacker.com and it made me think of the work you’ve been doing in your office, especially the cord hiding project.
Rain gutters… who knew!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah we love that idea! Thanks so much for sharing the link!
xo,
s
Annie says
I would love a roundup of all the cool places to shop in Richmond. I went to decorator’s outlet and Williams and sherrill last time on your recommendation, but where else will fulfill my non-Target/BB&B cravings when I’m on a shopping trip to the big smoke?
I’m secretly pleased to see you have book overflow. Try as I might to have pretty bookshelves I’m thwarted by all the BOOKS I have to put on them.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Annie,
Just click the Topics tab up by the search box and scroll down and click “Richmond Related”- it’s a ton of posts about places we love here in Richmond. Hope it helps!
xo,
s