Closet Project

I'm sharing this post on Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch. Click back to Susan's blog to see all the links to other great projects around blogland today.

I'm also linking to The DIY Showoff, so check out the party there, too!

We started 2011 with plans for several around-the-house projects.  I'd like to share some of those projects, so today I'll start with my closet. 

This project took entirely tooooo long! We were working on the weekends, and between my switching jobs, both of us being sick (one right after the other), and other unforseen delays, it took about 6 weeks to completely finish it. 

Before: Plain 6' wire closet bar, useful but wanted more. It's a walk in space with just this closet bar on one side.

We painted the space (Behr Ozone) and then worked on installing the tower cabinets. We chose a white DIY set (Talon brand) from Menards. Our kit was inexpensive compared to other sets we could find, especially since we caught a sale during a rebate period. I wanted a white finish, but no nicer-looking kits came in a white finish. This set was the best one we could find that didn't break the bank.

Because of a heat register placement and the placement of the tower, I wasn't able to use the closet bars that came with the kit.  I had to buy metal bars and cut to size (thanks to a couple of guys standing in line behind me who happened to be buying a hacksaw and cut my bars to size, right there in line!).

We acquired the Dremel one night when we realized the need to cut the trim so the cabinet would fit flush against the wall. Just one of those monkey wrenches that pops up in a project. At 6pm on a Sunday. Nothing's easy!

Here you can see the full before of the space as we were unloading everything from the space. Do any of you have these stair-stepped storage areas like I have in the back of the closet?  It's three steps up the back of the space, and we've used it to stuff odds and ends ever since we moved here. I wanted to make it more functional for organized storage and use some of the space for more accessory and linen storage.

After:  Our solution was to use a second tower kit on the bottom stair step.  Once put together, the tower was 7 feet tall, but the space on the step was only 6 feet tall, so we had to make some modifications. I'm pretty happy with our finished set up.  I can reach the drawers and the lower shelves without climbing up on the step.  I keep a small folding step stool in the space so it's easy to get up there if needed.

Other details:  In the end I gained about 12" of hanging space on the closet wall while adding the full tower of storage for clothes.  The tower at the back of the space added shelf space for purses and accessories and drawers for linen storage.  I even squeezed in that extra 10" bar to the right of the tower for longer hanging items.

I couldn't get a good pic of the top steps at the back of the closet, but basically the top step is full of luggage, and the middle step is space for comforters and blankets. 

One shopping tip for you: I found these bags at the Dollar Tree. They are a great, inexpensive bag for comforter storage. They are big enough to fit fluffy king size comforters. They are not heavy duty, but if you just need something to keep the dust off and prefer a zipper bag, this option is a winner. I try not to go to DT too much, because I end up buying unnecessary things, but this bag was a great find.

It was hard work and more project than I expected, but I love my new closet!