Monday, October 25, 2010

23 October Featured Space: Kitchen - A Closet Story

This weekend we turned our coat closet, into a SHOE closet!


This story definitely proves that things around the Jones' dwelling are ever changing, and ever evolving.

Once, this closet was a pantry, but then we switched things up and called it our new coat closet.


I quickly realized that the closet wasn't functioning to it's full potential, so we switched things up, AGAIN.


See all that empty space?  I am not a fan of dead space when I am in need of storage, so I decided that the closet could and would be a new storage solution for ALL of the Jones' shoes {vs. just some}.  A family of five comes with a lot of footwear, and piles of shoes by any door is enough to drive me batty...  And because we weren't really using the "Coat Closet" for coats anyways {they are tucked in a wardrobe in the garage and hung on hooks by the back door}, I thought we should add some additional shoe shelving stolen from our old walk-in closet, and just declare the closet a "Shoe Closet".


You may notice that the closet also got a teeny weeny face lift.  Yep, we used more of the wallpaper that lined our kitchen drawers, to also line the back wall of the closet!


The closet definitely feels more like us now.  I really love how the paper just makes it feel like it's own room, vs. just a tucked away closet!


The best part is that the door to this closet seems to be left open ALL the time... and now I won't even have to care!  And it's so easy for the kiddos, hubs and I, to have one central location for most of our shoes, vs. having them scattered at each door and in individual closets.  {Sports shoes are out in the garage, and I may have a few more pairs tucked away in our new bedroom closet}


The whole project only took about 30 minutes and the cost to us was absolutely free, just using things we had around the house, like steeling shoe racks from our old walk-in, using leftover wallpaper paper from other projects and switching out the baskets on the top shelf with ones from our old entertainment center.

Gotta love when great transformations can be done for little to no cost!  Especially when they tell a story like this:


Oh, and I have more plans up my sleeves for storing our coats and other winter good's this winter... thanks to a great Craigslist find, so stay tuned for that!!

What project did you tackle this weekend?  Anyone doing any closet updates to get ready for the autumn/winter seasons?

23 comments:

  1. I really like the bins on the side walls too. Who would have thought to use them there. Great job.

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  2. Oh, if I only had a spare closet. We only have one closet that is not in a bedroom & it is stocked full of bathroom stuff & linens. Any ideas for shoe storage when you don't have a place to tuck them away? I'm constantly tripping over them by the front & back doors.

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    1. We had a beautiful corner linen like closet, ( something like this but not as expensive and has the corner part on the back http://www.orientliving.com/vich3dgopadr.html ) The kids know where their shoes are and where they go when we come in from the park. It tucks in perfect and its easy for them to get to. hope it helps.

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    2. sorry, i meant to say that we put by the front door.

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  3. I just did this last weekend! I used those same shoe racks (repurposed from the attic) on the top shelf of out coat closet. All of hubby's shoes are up there, since he's tall enough to reach them. The rest of the family shoes are in a bench hidden in decoratove baskets by the kitchen door.

    I used the hanging shoe organizer for all the scarves, gloves and hats. It made me realize I have a lot of scarves that I could no longer hide from my husband! Good thing my mom crocheted 90% of them!

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  4. Jen that looks awesome! Where did you get the wallpaper, it's so pretty!

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  5. I love it! Where did you get shoe shelf too? I've been looking for something like that for forever!

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  6. Jen it looks incredible! I really want to to try the wallpaper in the closet-look you've done so well. I don't usually like wallpaper but doing just a closet really appeals to me. Maybe in my daughter's room where we took the doors off of her closet......

    http://ourlifeinaclick.blogspot.com/2010/10/teen-room-redo-part-3-reveal.html

    -heather

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  7. Your a credit to human beings to be so organised must be a gift. Love the touchs and the wallpaper. Maybe you should find a job as a walkin closet designer

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  8. Hi Laina!

    The wallpaper was leftover from a friend's project and she gifted it to me, and I plan on using it ALL over the kitchen, I just adore it!

    And Emm,

    The shoe racks are just these closetmaid stackable shelves {http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xit/R-100597823/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053} I just stacked two, and they are extra long, so they accommodate lots and lots of shoes. Adding a basket for flip flops helps free up a ton of space too!

    Hope that helps!

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  9. little yellow treehouse,

    I am a big fan of wicker baskets when in a shoe storage bind. Shoe organizers can get expensive really quickly.

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  10. Love it, What are the goodies stored on the left in the bins ?

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  11. Hi MCH Photography!

    The bins contain kiddos lunch boxes, current magazines/catalogs I am flipping through, and my file tote which holds my organizing inspiration and ideas :)

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  12. Wow, I've done some small closets in my house but never thought to wallpaper the back. I love it!! I also like that you've included separate bins for cords and batteries - those are so easy to lose and they can fall in with other clutter. I really like seeing personally organized closets... a bit of DIY handy work and retail organizers go a long way. Awesome.

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  13. Hi Lindsey,

    The wire baskets were part of the over the door organizer that we used in our pantry. The door knob was in our way, so we screwed them into the shoe closet instead {http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2010/03/february-featured-space-kitchen-pantry.html}

    I believe you can find similar ones for sale at your local home improvement store in the closet section.

    Thanks!!

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  14. Gosh, I love that! What an awesome idea. And it's SO super cute, the stuff you picked:)

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  15. I love this so much! The wall paper really makes it look nice. Such a simple fix that I never would've thought of myself. Love it!

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  16. Love this!! How did you get the wallpaper up around the fixed shelving up top? Did you remove it and then paper? Mine are in with anchors - the kind that explode when you try to take them out. :-( I'm trying to figure out how to work around them without wrecking the wall.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Heather!

      I did actually pull the shelf, repair the wall, paper it, and re-add the shelf. Sorry I don't have a better answer!

      xoxo,
      Jen

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  17. What are the organizers that are labeled for the batteries and cords? Thanks!

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    1. They are wall pockets I found at Target a few years back that I was using to organize those frequently used belongings.

      xo!
      Jen

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  18. Did you attach the two shoe racks or are they just sitting one on top of the other? lso what about the baskets up top? I love those!

    Thanks!
    Erin

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  19. I'm so happy I found this! I just bought self adhesive wallpaper from the Dollar store that looks very much like the one in your closet! I'm planing on doing my girls closet in our new house!!!!

    If I have left overs, I'll also do the main floor closet. Hope it looks as good as this :)

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