My $22 Coat Closet Makeover

I was serious when I said I was going to get organized. The coat closet isn't 100% complete. Maybe 90% there, but already a million times better.
As you can see from these "before" pictures, things were pretty bad. The girls were using the closet as their dumping ground for random things, like that poor feather Christmas wreath they tore down from the window.
Then there were the lovely old water stains and dingy paint. I've been checking over the past few months since we moved in to make sure there's no new leaking going on there. There was also no bar in place to hang clothes, so things were just sort of plopped on that top shelf and on side hooks.
Yuck, look at that mailbox door! And there's another look at the messy floor. How embarrassing.
What? You want to see more of my messy floor? Here you are. Eek.
I decided I couldn't take the yuckyness anymore and got out the paint while I had the chance yesterday.

I put up the shoe rack a couple of days ago. The shoes had been overflowing in a basket in the mudroom, but now things are nice and tidy.


My excuse for waiting so long to organize was that I'd been considering turning the mudroom into more of a coat room. But it turns out that the mudroom is just too small. I thought thing might looked cramped in there if I tried to put up a coat rack. And since we have a coat closet, I figured we should use it. The only drawback is that it's next to the front door and we always come in through the side door.
I had to run out to Walmart last night to get diaper wipes and found a $6 wicker basket. This morning I made a lining for it with some fabric I've had for a while. Total guess work here, .
It turned out pretty cute. Think I'll keep some of the kids' toys in here. The toy basket in the living room is at maximum capacity.

Here's a look from the stairs. Not bad, huh? The yellow vacuum cleaner even looks cute in there now. This may seem obvious, but taking out all the stuff we don't use daily (fall coats, Christmas decorations, cat carrier) and storing it someplace else does wonders for a small coat closet. On second thought, think I'll stick the cat carrier back in there. It's pretty cute.
Most of the houses around here have these mail drop slots instead of a mailbox. It's nice not to have to walk out to the mailbox when it's -1 degree Fahrenheit outside like it was this morning. I might make a little catch tray so the mail doesn't end up on the floor.
I got the shoe organizer a Target. It's an over-the-door type, but I didn't like the look of hooks on the back of the door, so I hung it with 3 small nails and fishing wire. The nails are at the top of the door, so they don't show.

Ah, what a difference a fresh coat of paint makes. The closet wall color is Benjamin Moore "Gray Owl" (had leftover paint in the basement). The shelf and bar color is Sherwin Williams "Emotional" (also leftover from another project). Another embarrassing confession: the clothes bar was "hiding" in the very back of the closet. 
See, no hooks showing on the outside of the closet door thanks to the nails in place of the over-the-door hooks. Now all I have to do is figure out how to store gloves and mittens and paint the door and trim bright white to match the other trim in the room.

Total makeover cost: $22 ($16 shoe organizer and $6 basket). 

Comments

Haus and Home said…
Nice job on the closet organization. Looks like your year is off to a good start with organizing :)
Vanessa said…
Thanks! Hope I can keep up the momentum!
coat stand said…
Love these, great job, organization is the key to everything.
Vanessa said…
It is, isn't it? I wish I was one of those people who loved organizing, but honestly I have to force myself to do it.

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