I think one of my most favorite places to organize is the closet. Endless possibilities and combinations working together to maximize even the smallest of spaces. When most homes are built, they are not thought through very well when it comes to space planning. The less sensibly an area is built, the better as this is my happy place, where I thrive and perform magic!
When it comes to children's closets, my belief is to design and arrange items to be convenient to the children, while aesthetically pleasing the parents. And what would be the point of organizing a child's closet without their input? I was told by these two little girls that anything would be better than white walls! The parents not only wanted the closets to function more efficiently, but to be pleasing to the eye as well in hopes their little ones would be proud and keep them tidy. So we had a meeting and agreeing of the minds between parents and their children. Even if it was based on appearance, it's a start!
To begin, a quick evaluation of how to maximize the space. The one thing I knew off the bat that would free up room was to remove the bifold doors. For good. Maybe daring for some, taking the doors off not only gives more space, but forces children to stop hiding toys and clothing within the space. It also helps to showcase the closet, making it an extension of the room. By removing the doors we have opened up the possibilities of how to organize and use every last inch of space. I suggested that the client incorporate shelving with drawers within the closet to eliminate the need and to free up space within the room. So off I went to being measuring and collecting inspiration from the web.
The girls closets before. Dark, dingy and completely unorganized. Not to mention there is a lot of wasted space!
The girls closets after renovation. Open, bright and inviting. An organized space that encourages children to clean up after themselves, not to mention functions to perfection and is so fantastic to look at!
I wanted to keep the spaces simple and function, yet fun and spunky. After removing the builder grade shelving, I measured out the space to see if it would accommodate an Ikea
Pax wardrobe. Using vertical space is a great way of utilizing every last inch. After a lovely coat of butter yellow and ballet slippers, hand picked by my two little clients, the Pax was a go and I was super giddy, these closets were coming together perfectly! The Ikea Pax wardrobe is narrow, yet deep, allowing us to use the closet depth for storage with
drawers and
shelves.
And who could have drawers without lovely labels?!
Two metal rods for hanging clothing would give the girls access to clothing for the season and the top rod for out of season items. This would give them control over picking out their own clothes. And I knew that this would make all parties involved absolutely thrilled!
I added two shelves above the rods for boot storage and out of season labeled bins that would be stored up high, so as to not take up any precious space.
After adding a few finishing touches, bins for storage and pictures on the shelves, these two little girls now had the perfect closet spaces. My clients, big and little, were thrilled with the end result and so was I! Individually from start to finish, these closets cost an estimated $250 each to upgrade. Not too shabby if I don't say so myself! I also was lucky enough to help redesign these girls room! More on the rooms to come in a later post.
How do you feel about your closet systems? Do they function for your needs or do you need them to function better? Share your closet photos with me and ask me for my advice, I would love to see them!
