My Dream Closet: Part II: The Reality Check

Good morning,

Remember a long time ago when I posted about my dream closet here ? As I said in my post everything I listed is my "Dream Closet", but in reality I had to make the most I could out of the space I had, on a shoe string budget, and still make it feel some how luxurious and functional.

This was a challenge I overcame. I want to share it with you possibly space deprived readers as well as closet enthusiasts alike because having an organized closet WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE! My closet may not be the most beautiful closet in the world, and it certainly isn't the largest, but man am I happy we invested in building them out.

Let's talk turkey!:

Shoes And Shelves

Shoes and shelves:  The more the better! I for one have a few pairs, and I would venture to guess that so do most of you. Give your self a place to put them! I put mine heel to toe which gives a tiny bit more room for one extra pair;) Also, take em high, as in all the way up to the ceiling. Use every bit of your vertical space to accommodate for storage. To the left up top I have my boots and booties, and to my right I have boxes and room for things such as seasonal clothes that can be put away and rotated. My plan is to one day line the backs of the shelves with some fabulous paper, but for now they function and that's what I need!

Dresser Drawers

 

Dresser Drawers: I added an extremely large 8 drawer built in dresser that's taller than an average dresser. For me this is a way to keep the hanging space down and also gives me more organization. Bras, panties, tank tops, shirts, shorts, gym clothes, swim suits and then some. We all have "stuff" and we need a place to put it. This solution was perfect for me, and though I sacrificed on more hanging racks I was able to stuff the drawers to the brim with all my other clothes and save room for the quickly filled hanging racks. I dressed them up with large modern chrome pulls which just ups the style, not to mention serves as a great place to hang things when getting ready.

Vanity

Vanity: Having room above the dresser for a vanity section was a must. I have a large collection of perfumes and costume jewelry, and I display them on pretty mirrored trays and inside glass jewelry boxes. I have tons of these jewelry boxes throughout my room, but I keep my "current" accessories here for quick easy access. Let's face it, a vanity just looks pretty.  I added a mirror, some art, and other pretty things to give it a little somethin somethin.

Hanging Racks

Hanging Racks: You're going to need them, and lots of them! In my case I separated the closet by clothing type, and color. I have a place for short skirts/ shirts, tanks, and blouses/ short dresses/ long dresses, skirts, and long coats/ and short jackets. I find that by sorting things by color it just makes it easier to find what you are looking for, grab and go! I also added the same color of hangars (black velvet for clothes and wood for skirts etc) which makes it feel more grown up, organized and elegant.

Hidden Shelving

Hidden Shelving: In my space deprived closet no nook or cranny goes unused. In this case you can see that below my short jacket section I have a shelf that is perfect for my collection of folded jeans (of which I have no hanging room for). My advice is to look beyond the obvious with space and you may find those spots that go unnoticed can become valuable real estate for your closet and needs.

Hooks

Hooks: Hooks are a way to display and organize those things in the closet that you don't necessarily want to tuck away. In the first picture you can see the hook that I have on both sides of my closet. I use them to hang my robe, or to display the evenings outfit before I go out. I have the deer antlers on my wall of the closet that I will use for a holding purses or shirts, or even a hat. The third picture is how I display my necklace collection. It is simple clear thumb tacks that may one day change and become more sophisticated, but for now work perfectly preventing my jewelry from getting tangled and displays my ever changing collection. The plus side is that you can easily adjust them for height. 

Mirrored Cabinet Door 

Mirrored Cabinet Door: I have a long awkward shelving that is L shaped to the dresser. The point of this was to utilize the negative space and gaining hidden storage. Functional as it were, it looked weird. My solution was to add a long thin cabinet door so that I could hide the "stuff", I then added a mirror to for dual functionality. It gave my cheap-o closet a much more finished look. Inside I keep my things organized on different shelves and in boxes and bins. The result is one extra place to keep all of my belongings, but it also hides them behind a pretty door so that I don't necessarily have to keep them on display.

Finishing Touches

Finishing Touches: The rest is simply for show. I have a Greek key rug that changes with my moods, a little mirrored table with my DIY Ikat bowl. An adorable chrome and white leather stool with a dual purpose for seating and stepping up to reach the top of the closet as well as the high hanging clothing racks. Sometimes it's not a room itself, but everything you put in it that makes it beautiful. Don't forget this when looking at your closet. Also, think outside the box when decorating yours. There are many things that you can display that become artistic such as my necklace collection or a scarf collection. Regardless, find your inspiration and go for it!

The Conclusion

In the end I may not have EXACTLY the look or style that I wanted on my shoe string closet budget, and the all white "cheap-o" closet may not exude the glamour of its higher end counter parts, but what I do have is a well executed space that has exactly the place for everything. Organization for me is essential to not only fitting my things in the closet, but also so that I can function in my chaotic daily life. Though I may likely dress things up along the way (i.e. chandelier, different rug etc.), I am happy to have MY own organized closet.

What do you think? Are you lucky enough to have a well spaced well organized closet? What tips can you share for making a small closet work?

Either way, one thing is for sure that if you decide to build out your own closet it WILL change your life and you won't regret it!