A New Closet

I told you this summer I was working on a big project this summer.....oh my goodness we just completed it.  We decided to redo our closets....new flooring, repainting, removing the wire shelving and getting a custom closet system.  It was a big task.  The flooring was the easy part.  A couple of years ago we took the carpet out of our bedroom and replaced it with wood.  We knew we would use the same wood floor in the closets.  OK, one decision DONE.  Then I started trying to get estimates for the closet system.  We have had several put in.  We were so happy with the company we used but for the life of me I could not find their name.  We dug back thru old emails and old business cards.  Could not find them.  So I just started calling companies that came up in my google search of "Closet Organizers".  I got four different quotes.  They were all very expensive.  Then for the first time in about 3 years we up and decided to go the Home and Garden show.......and there they were.  My closet people were right there.  We immediately set up an appointment to get a quote.  Thank goodness we found them.  They were about $1500 less than my other quotes!

In prep for this redo I have been purging like crazy.  I put my hands on every piece of clothing, shoes, accessories and all matter of other things a person keeps in her closet.  I had a yard sale.  I donated a ton of stuff.  And I even took some things to consignment.

Want to see some pictures......

Well here is the sad little carpet I started with

and here are a few before pictures of the closet wire racks with all my goodies

I had the one section that I could hang long items and a self-installed wire rack for my scarfs

Then I had two walls of double hanging, another self-installed wire rack for belts and several shelves for shoes.  Oh and the wicker hamper I found at Target was wedged in the only spot I could find for it.

and a couple more views from different angles

I had to completely empty EVERYTHING and the new wood floors went down

Then the painter came in and patched all the holes and gave it a new coat of paint

And then Classic Closets came in and installed the new system.  We wanted the additional shelf on the top for extra storage

Tons of shelves for shoes and STUFF. 

Plus we got built in hampers!!!!

And still lots of space for hanging everything.

Literally when we got to this point.  I would just walk in there and stand and admire it all.  It was so nice to have everything look so nice and fresh.

Then it was time to reload

I brought back my little storage ottoman.  It is great place to sit and put on my shoes.  Plus it is just another great place to sit and pray.

My whole married life I have always had just one season of clothes in my closet at a time.  I have always packed up my off season stuff and stored it in under bed storage bags, bins, baskets or wherever.  Then when the seasons would change I would unpack all of those clothes and switch out my closet.  Let me just say.  I owned way too many clothes and shoes.  I didn't wear half of it.  I couldn't even fit in half of it.  And here is what would happen.....I would see a cute yellow sweater and think how I would love it in the summer......then I would unpack my summer stuff and discover I already owned two cute yellow sweaters.  Now I have everything I own in the closet at one time.  It is a glorious feeling.  I can actually see everything.  I am wearing more of it because I can actually see it now. A couple of the ladies at work accused me of going on a shopping spree.  I had to confess I was just wearing stuff I "found" in my very own closet.

Come back on Friday and I am going to show you my purchases that I made to help organize my new space.