Stacy’s Closet – Function & Form: The Reveal

I promised the reveal today, and I almost did not make my deadline. Photography is a nightmare in these teeny tiny spaces. (Note to self: Get rich and hire a professional photographer for all of your projects.) 

In the beginning, I wasn’t sure where I was going with this overhaul. After all, on a smaller scale, I had tackled this closet before. All I knew was that it was messier than ever. What that said to me was that my organizational system was missing critical components for efficiency. Notice I did not state the obvious: Maybe I’m just a slob.

With pen and paper in hand, I sat down and made of list of what worked, and what did not. I became laser-focused about what I truly needed to keep a tidy closet with everything accessible. Once I really dialed in on my needs, it was easy to move forward. Let’s take a look at the finished space.

To fully appreciate the change, a few before pictures are in order.

Believe it or not, I only got rid of a few items. As a person with minimalist leanings, I go through all of my belongings on a regular basis. I am a firm believer in making my possessions fit my space with room to spare.  So, let’s take a closer look at where I put everything.

First, I moved my tall boots to the upper shelf. I keep a piece of cheap pool noodle in each one to keep it upright. The three plastic shoeboxes to the right contain what I call my wedding and funeral shoes as well as my fancy heels. I wear them only a couple of times per year, so there is no need to keep them close at hand. Every few years, I update them to stay somewhat on trend.

Although the decor doesn’t scream running or racing, this entire closet makeover caters to exactly that. The three wicker baskets contain running gear for all seasons such as hats, gloves, reflective gear, gel packs, compression sleeves and travel supplies.

On the other side of the upper shelf, my running books are filed between two bins. One contains scarves, belts, and my dress purse. The other bin is full of flip-flops and summer shoes.

Once a messy pile zone, the top of the dresser is now tidy and organized.

The jewelry box on the far left belonged to my grandma. It has sentimental value to me, and I love using it. The other boxes hide keys, small items, and loose change. I added a small mirror for a quick hair check or to use when I am putting earrings on. To wrangle my necklaces, I bought an expandable wall rack with pegs. (affiliate link) It came in a set of two, and I used the other one on the opposite wall to hang my favorite running medals.

Before the closet makeover, I had about ten pounds of medals hanging sadly on one hook. I wasn’t sure what to do with them. Over on Instagram, a reader suggested that I turn them into Christmas ornaments. Brilliant! After I hung my favorites, I set the others aside to convert into ornaments next December.

Apart from a fresh coat of paint, the built-in dresser and the contents of the drawers did not change much. As messy as my closet was, I managed to keep my clothes in the drawers neatly folded.

The top drawer contains all of my running clothes as well as socks and underwear.

The second drawer is where I put shirts, pants, and pajamas that I wear regularly, typically in season.

In the third drawer, I keep mostly summer clothes right now. When warmer weather rolls around, I will swap the contents of the second and third drawer. That is the only seasonal rotation that I do.

I do not rotate my hanging clothes either. What you see is every bit of hanging clothing that I own with the exception of my puffy winter coat. I keep that downstairs in the coat closet. I maintain a loose capsule wardrobe. Basically, that means that I keep around 30ish items that are mix-and-match and can be worn for a variety of occasions.

It is quite easy to see that I favor blue and red. Also, about 80-85% of my clothing comes from thrift and consignment. Each season, I swap out a piece or two for something new to me.

(Note: I do not always hang my clothes such a precise distance apart. That was just for glorious blogger effect.)

After all of that heartache on IG stories, it is time to take a peek at the custom built-in storage for my shoes and hamper.

While I am not going to be winning any blue ribbons at the county fair for this project, overall, I am pleased with the outcome. Finally, I have all of my running shoes within reach and sorted into pairs. And yes, I do wear all of them.

(I spy something that I missed. Do you see it?)

The shoes on the third shelf up from the bottom are fancier, casual shoes that I wear with some frequency.

It took about two seconds before I started filling up that hamper. I will admit that the slider did not initially work quite as I had hoped. Since the bin isn’t secured, when I pulled the handle of the hamper, it just slipped off the shelf. So, I added a metal gate handle to the sliding platform. Now, I can pull it out with my foot, and it works like a charm.

Above the hamper, I put a little bin for accessories that I wear almost every day such as my scarf and fingerless gloves. If I carried a purse, I would put it there too.

The last little detail I added was a rug on the floor. In the winter, the floor of my closet gets very cold. The rug adds a layer of snug warmth.

Aside from the photography woes, this project was straightforward. I spent about four hours purging the closet and painting it, and another 6-7 hours building and painting the custom insert for my shoes and hamper. I cannot put a percentage on the increase of efficiency in this closet, but I am 100% thrilled with how it looks and functions now.

Does anyone else feel absurdly happy after an organizing project?

PS: I got the baskets and bins at Target. Currently, most of their organizing supplies are on sale.