It is about our city house, where we have lived for the past 20 years....
Crazy! I can't believe that much time has gone by. It's the longest we have ever been in one house. We have made several improvements over the years, getting rid of wallpaper and upgrading flooring, repainting (several times!), upgrades in the kitchen, etc.
I have attempted to organize my closet before but it never quite felt right.
The cheaper storage shelving just weren't cutting it anymore and the top of the closet was a mess.
The wardrobe used to be in the bedroom before I talked Bruce into moving it into the closet. It belonged to Bruce's grandfather. I stored the sheets and extra blankets in it.
So I pulled everything out...and I mean everything (ok, not the wardrobe but then we'd have to pull the door frame off for that ). Ugh, we have a lot of stuff. I think it's time to get rid of some of it!
I decided to paint the walls the same color as the bathroom walls, Benjamin Moore's Alexandria Beige. It is really more of a taupe. I love it!
Bruce said, "Isn't that going to make the closet dark?"
Me - "Maybe. But it will feel cozy."
Bruce - "O..K.."
My sister and husband came over- "Isn't that color going to make it dark in there?"
Me - "Probably, but I have a plan."
Let me tell you, it doesn't feel dark at all. Just like I thought, it feels cozy! I'm not sure I really captured the color well...it was hard to get a good picture of it.
The woodwork got a fresh coat of paint too - Benjamin Moore's Swiss Coffee - it's really a nice ivory - not glaring white.
I had Bruce add a shelf at the top and build me a unit for shoes with an open area above - I'll show you what I'm going to do there soon - I'm really excited about that part!
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| Building the shoe shelves unit |
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| shelf added up at top and shoe shelves with open area above them |
We moved the wardrobe over to Bruce's side of the closet after adjusting the bottom shelf and rod. He is now using it to store his shoes, workout clothes, and other clothing he doesn't hang. I like it better there than the back of the closet.
I found this fabulous light fixture at Home Depot and it was only $69! I love the chandelier look! I can't tell you how happy I am to get rid of the cage light.
The clothes are back after sorting through them and the shoes lined neatly up on the shelves.
I just have to go through all the stuff I want to store and then neatly put that back. Of course, it also means I will be shifting/cleaning out stuff from the linen closet so I have a place for the sheets. Funny how you fix one area and then you need to fix another - the whole project snowballs.
Now when I walk into my closet, I smile. Nothing like a clean, organized closet! :o)
Next time, the final reveal.
:o)
Cecilia
Joining these great parties:
The Dedicated House Before-and-after-wednesday-week-4
French Country Cottage Feathered-nest-friday
A Stroll Thru Life. 202nd-inspire-me-tuesday
Oh Cecilia! I am jealous! What a grand makeover. I love the wallcolor against the white, and the cherry on top is your stunning light fixture. Well done! Jane
ReplyDeleteThank you Jane! I never thought I could say I would have fun redoing a closet, but it's been fun. Especially the finishing touches. Hope to have that posted next week!
DeleteLooks great Cecilia! I love the color and the light fixture is beautiful...:) That wardrobe is really neat and I bet it holds a lot of stuff! You are right about starting one project and it leading into another! Looking forward to the final reveal...:) Blessings, Vicky
ReplyDeleteThanks, Vicky! I smile every time I go in there now...especially the light fixture. Still going through stuff...How in the world do we end up with so much stuff?! Good grief!
DeleteHave a great rest of the week!
Looks great ... I am in the planning stage to re-do our master closet.
ReplyDeleteWhat a huge job that will be, but must be done.
Maybe this will inspire me.
Audrey Z. @ Timeless Treasures
Hi Audrey,
DeleteI felt the same way and pulling all that stuff out was daunting BUT I am so glad I bit the bullet and did it. So much better! Good luck with yours!
Looks great Cecilia. We have swiss coffee paint color trim work in our house (or some of it is anyway). But I really like the wall color. You are right, it isn't dark at all. What a transformation! We have an area in our closet that needs to be reworked for our shoes. This gives inspiration......for someday. LOL.
ReplyDeleteHaha, Susan! The someday when you redo your bathroom, right? :)
DeleteGlad you like the color - it really transforms the closet. Fortunately, Bruce is learning to trust my vision even if he asks.
Oh yeah, one project can create a domino effect through you the house. Your closet redo is great! I love the color and light fixture you chose - I never would have thought of either of them. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Karen! I just love it!
DeleteHi Cecelia, that looks fantastic. I love the darker colour on the walls. Robert is always accusing me of painting the walls in the Vancouver house a lovely shade of "pond"! But I love those taupe, grayed down colours. In contrast, the living room in our British house is a sunny yellow, so there, we do compromise...lol. (although, secretly, I'm hatching plans to paint it a lovely, warm, creamy taupe) Your light fixture looks very like the light fixture we have in the master in England. Isn't it lovely and sparkly when it's lit? I love it.
ReplyDeleteThank you Veronica! My husband would live with vanilla walls if left to himself. It takes a lot of talking to him to convince him otherwise sooo, I just usually paint then let him see it. Ha. I do love the light - perfect sparkle! Lucky you to be able to split your time between two lovely places. I love England! :)
DeleteGreat job, wow, that is quite the undertaking and it looks amazing. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty
ReplyDeleteThank you Marty! It's so nice to have it cleaned up and out!
DeleteThere's nothing better than being organized - love the paint color!
ReplyDeleteKelly
Thank you, Kelly. I love it too!
DeleteI love your closet! Amazing job! You will be one of the features tomorrow at The Round-Up from the Before and After Wednesday party. Pop on in tomorrow to check out your feature. Hope to see you again on Wednesday for the party. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathyrn! That's very exciting! Can't wait to check out my feature. Posting more pictures soon too.
DeleteHey Cecilia, I am stopping by vis The Dedicated House... I love your closet makeover.. One of my most favorite things in the world...an organized closet.. You did a great job.. The older piece..chest of drawers with the mirror you have in the closet... girl, I love that piece... that would so be somewhere in my house.. I am your newest follower.. I hope you will come on over for a visit and follow along with me.. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Patty. It is a fabulous piece of furniture. No one in the family wanted it except my husband so we got it! Yay!
DeleteI popped over to your blog and am happy to follow you back. Looking forward to reading more. Have a great week!
Hugs,
Cecilia
Oh Cecilia, this isn't dark, it is classy!! So elegant and it makes it look huge. I am looking forward to seeing the final reveal xx
ReplyDeleteThank you Chel! It's a wonderful color. I just posted the final revel so be sure to check it out!
DeleteHugs,
Cecilia