organized master closet

guess what? i officially have a closet. and it's not just a closet. it's beautiful, organized and has clothing hanging inside it. on new, pretty, matching hangers. and i can see everything!

did i mention this closet's a beauty?

sorry, i simply can't get enough of this new organized space in the house. i also can't get over the fact i started here...

then lived out of wardrobe boxes for 5-6 weeks...

and now? now. NOW!....

now i have more room than i know what to do with. so much room those drawers are practically empty.

the closet system itself was a big splurge. a splurge but, you will agree, a necessity. although i wanted to call this closet budget a wrap, i did break down and upgrade a couple items in this space. one being the hangers.

i had been using those old white plastic hangers. i know, ladies....*cringe* honestly, i was ok using them again. but with this new pretty closet, i thought it was time for an upgrade. a 10% off container store coupon helped me make that decision too! i went with the non-slip, slim-line, huggable hangers...

if you aren't sure these make a big difference, have a look...

i was skeptical myself, but i love how streamlined the closet appears. the hangers allow me to hang more to maximize the space. 

here's a closer look at how my side of the closet is organized. in this section...

dressy tanks, short sleeves, and 3/4 length sleeves...

jeans, capris and long pants...

shorts, skirts and long sleeve tops...

on the top shelf i have a few shoe boxes (empty and being used for future organization projects) and hats...

in the corner, to the left of the window, my dresses. i love to wear dresses...

on the shelf above it, some special memory boxes and one travel tote...

under the window, shoes. as you can tell, i'm not a big shoe girl. i'm all about flip flops and ugg boots. that's just how i roll. but i am coming around and will definitely add a few more to this group...

in this section, to the right of the window...

i folded cold weather sweaters, various t-shirts, short sleeved and long-sleeved casual tops...

in the middle i created an organized jewelry area...

as you can tell, i'm also not a big jewelry gal. i love to dress up from time to time, however, so i do have a little something. the other new splurge in this space was the standing acrylic jewelry organizer. i even bought it on sale! was found in the clearance section. it has one broken necklace hook, otherwise it's in perfect condition. you can't even tell it has a broken hook because it's clear. i thought it would work well for my small collection and it looks great in this space...

under the jewelry shelf, i have tank tops, heavy sweaters and vests...

down at the bottom, i raised the shelves to make room for boots...

on the final wall...

there's a lot of extra room here. not to say my wardrobe will expand that much (i keep it simple over here), but it's nice to know the space exists. maybe i'll fill in the remaining shelves with extra bedding. or use it as a means to organize something i don't want the kids getting ahold of. we'll see....

otherwise, in this section i have long sweaters and scarves...

and my collection of sweatsuits...a.k.a. my mommy uniform...

although there is plenty of space in this closet, i did spend quite a bit of time thoroughly inspecting each and every article of clothing before hanging. if i didn't love it, it was donated. if i hadn't worn it within the last year, it was donated. if it didn't fit me, right now, it was donated. if it had stains or holes that couldn't be repaired, it was donated. my goal was to only put away clothing, shoes and other items i would actually wear / use. i was brutal about it too. 

didn't allow myself to think "oh, i'll lose those 10 pounds and get back into those jeans.".

didn't allow myself to think "oh, but i wore this the entire time i was pregnant with my first child.". 

i didn't allow myself to get caught up in the what if's over clothing. i asked myself "do i love this?" and "do i wear this?". if both were answered with a "yes!", it received a "huggable hanger award".

i am so so sooooo thrilled to have this closet organized. over time i'll add a few touches and will make sure to update in here when i do. 

hope you're having a great week!

(i linked up with savvy southern style, tatertots & jello, iheart organizing, thrifty decor chick)

master closet build-out

completely-over-the-moon-smitten-thrilled doesn't adequately describe my feelings about the results of this master closet build-out. nope, doesn't even come close. could be the fact i'm excited to have a closet after months of living out of suitcases and wardrobe boxes. could be desperation after digging daily through piles and piles of clothing stacked on folding tables.

oh, and get rid of those boxes and folding tables. that will make me pretty darn happy too! ;-)

to truly appreciate the end result, i must share the before shots once more. here was the closet when i purchased the house. this photo always makes me say "hummmm?".....

here we are after a fresh coat of new paint (wall color is behr irish mist. trim color swiss coffee.)...

here is how i was living for the last almost 2 months...

nice, huh? glamorous, no? those wardrobe boxes definitely got a workout and paid for themselves two times over.

in case you missed my talk about the dreams for this master closet, you can find that right here. i received a few quotes from big name closet companies, but ultimately ended up with a local company. i was more than happy with their customer service and the end result! plus, anytime i can support local businesses, sign up up.

the closet was on order 4-5 weeks ago. i couldn't wait until september 11, when the closet was scheduled for installation. the morning of, i was up early. before even having my first cup of coffee, i hauled everything out into the master bedroom...

the installers arrived around 9am and worked through the day until 6pm to finish the job. it was hard to contain myself during the day. i wanted to stay out of their way, but i was hopping around downstairs hoping to catch a peek. around 1, when they took a lunch break, i couldn't take it anymore and snuck upstairs to snap a few pics of the progress...

between what my eyes were seeing and the smell of freshly cut wood? someone get me a glass of ice water and a fan. ;-)

as if i wasn't already blown away, next came the end result. finally! are you ready for the final result? squeeee! so excited to share these images!....

i simply can't get over how much this system changes the space....

a valet bar (to hang clothing for the next day)...

belt rack...

tie or scarf rack...

both pull out for ease of finding/grabbing....

all of the clothing bars and shelving is adjustable...

the one change i may make? more shoe shelves. those would be the slanted shelves down toward the bottom. there are these 4 plus 3 more under the window, but not sure that will accommodate what i have going on over here...

as i'm loading up the space, i'll make the determination. i may also add a few more shelves so that items don't end up stacked super high. the beauty of a system like this is that you can change, add or remove anything to make it truly custom and to fit your needs. since the company has my dimensions on file, all i have to do is make the call and they'll be on order.

long hanging (for dresses) in the corner...

the peninsula...

5 drawers on each side...

on the front of the peninsula there is 2 drawers...

with 2 removable hampers directly underneath....

the crown and base moulding make it appear as if this system has been here all along....

wanna guess what i'll be up to this weekend? yes, unloading boxes and boxes of clothing. and maybe making a few trips to the recycling center so i don't have to see this cardboard anymore. ;-)

next week i'll be back to share a completed, filled closet...with new slim-line, non-slip hangers.

have a great weekend!

(i linked up with tatertots & jello, it's overflowing, a bowl full of lemons, org junkie, thrifty decor chick)