From Crappy to Happy - My Walk-In Closet Makeover

There are few things that make me as happy as organization. If everything is clean & organized, it makes me feel like I can face the things in my life that I have no control over. I've been meaning to take on my master bedroom closet for some time. And now that it's done, I have a good feeling every time I go in there. 

Here's the before picture . . . 

What a mess! And who says closets have to be ugly? Why can't they be pretty & clean? We're mad as heck & we're not gonna take it any more . . . {oh wait, I might have gotten carried away there}. 

PS - I did this project in a day. {BUT it just about killed me - when my head finally hit the pillow at 1:30 in the morning, my body hurt!} Here's how I took control of the beast:

Step 1: Take everything out & evaluate it.

Holy cow! I had no idea we had so much stuff. I wish I would have taken pictures of our entire master bedroom filled with not only clothes - but purses, backpacks, shoes, etc. I took a look at absolutely EVERYTHING & asked, "Do we really want or need this?" If it wasn't a special occasion outfit & I hadn't worn it for a year, it got donated to charity. If it was sentimental & we just couldn't part with it {but we never wore/used it}, I put it in a pretty box & stored it up high. I felt better already.

Step 2: Clean & {if neccesary} paint.

"Dear Maker of the Universe: How does my closet get so dirty & dusty? It is an enclosed space with no windows. NO REALLY - WHERE does the dirt & dust come from?!" Let's just say, I threw away the rags I used to clean because they were so dirty. Ew! The paint on my shelves looked shabby & chipped, so a refresh was a necessity. The weird part is that I thought the closet was already painted white. I didn't realize it was more of a dingy cream. Just the new paint made it look lighter & brighter.

Step 3: Contain it.

I got all these pretty new containers at Home Goods. {I love you Home Goods - you're not just a store, you're my best friend}.  Not only do containers give everything a place to live, they look way better than stuff just stacked out in the open. Of course, you'll want to measure your shelves before you go shopping so you'll get the right sizes. The Container Store might be another good resource for this kind of thing.

Step 4: Put it all back {only better this time}.

Honey calls this an OCD behavior, but I think it looks much better if all the hangers are the same. For this project, I opted for all white. Of course, because I didn't count I had to go back to Walmart three times. Duh! But look at the difference between willy nilly & all the same white hangers!

So there you have it. I can't believe how bright & clean it looks AND how easy it is to find stuff now.

And I do have faith that it will stay organized, because I did my pantry a few years ago & it still looks great. {CLICK HERE} to see Pantry Palooza.