Cleaning closets

[jenn_unplugged]

We have a Harry Potter closet, and for the entire time we've lived in this house, it's been a disaster zone. We've just shoved stuff in there without really organizing it for years. It was so awful we both hated to even look inside!

For a while now I've wanted to clean it out and reorganize it, and I woke up Saturday morning with a determination to make it happen that day. And wow, what a difference!



Before: Total, total mess.










We pulled everything out and sorted it into three piles: toss, keep, and donate. Each of those piles ended up being about the same size, so we only ended up keeping about a third of what we started with.

We cleaned out the space and then made a scale drawing and planned out how to organize it better. Basically, I wanted to add shelves and drawers for storage in the back and add some shelves or baskets by the door to serve as a "grab area" where purses, scarves, gloves, umbrellas, and shoes could go. I wanted to use the drawers to organize gift wrapping supplies and tools, which were scattered about the room and impossible to find when you needed.

Then it was on to the Container Store to buy the Elfa stuff, and then back home again to install and move everything back in. I was really stunned with the way it looked in the end. It looks SO much bigger than it did before. There was so much extra space that we ended up cleaning out the other closets downstairs and moving stuff over.








I feel like we made significant progress!

Comments

[lauramcewan.livejournal.com]

that's lovely! now come do my bedroom...

[jenn-unplugged.livejournal.com]

LOL! I need to do some serious work in our bedroom, actually. ;-)

[kimandadam2006.livejournal.com]

It looks great! So when do you have time to come do my closet?

[jenn-unplugged.livejournal.com]

Hee! I love Elfa. It's so easy. :-)

[nmg.livejournal.com]

So, would this be a result of your IKEA trip?

[jenn-unplugged.livejournal.com]

You know, it's actually a result of last summer's reorganization of the laundry room (http://jenn-unplugged.livejournal.com/57624.html). It was so easy that I decided the next step would be to reorganize that closet. It just took seven months to get around to doing it. ;-)

[jansong.livejournal.com]

There is something very satisfying about closet cleaning -- perhaps because the space isn't too large to manage.

[jenn-unplugged.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think that's true. And it feels like you're creating space too, because you suddenly have so many more places to put things. :-)

[jedirita.livejournal.com]

So did Harry end up in the toss, donate, or keep pile? I'm guessing not the latter, since I don't see him anywhere.

Your before closet looks like my entire house. Though these days I'm trying to do the "ten minute" clean-up plan, and now...well, I can see my dining room table!

Organization

[aidan-memoirs.livejournal.com]

This so makes me want to organize my closets!! I can't believe the transformation, looks awesome! Maybe this will inspire me to organize our large storage closet hmmmm.....