I didn’t realize how much we were truly downsizing until I went to The Container Store on Friday night to design my closet (I know, how’s that for some Friday night fun?). Unfortunately, the old one got ripped out for the carpet install prior to me taking photos, but it looked a lot like this picture (this is actually Parker’s closet which is larger than mine – which makes absolutely no sense), only mine had a rod that was so warped as soon as I hung about 10 things on it, it fell to the floor and my clothes were covered in drywall and ceiling dust. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper and a closet redo quickly moved to the top of my list.

I had redone my closet at the old house using the Elfa system at The Container Store and I loved it because I could change things up if I wanted to (and I am always changing things up. According to my husband, we have lost square footage on every house we have owned because of how often I change paint colors…there may or may not be some truth to that which is why me going with 1 color for this whole house was shocking to more than a few people).

Our old closet was the size of a bedroom – and not a small one. And it was awesome. But I digress. 

Emily and I went to The Container Store while the boys hung out staring at each other I suppose (no Direct TV or internet for 5 days and counting). When I handed my amazing designer Cheryl my closet dimensions (99 x 38) and mentioned the downsize, she asked about our former closet so I told her to pull up my name and she could see it for herself. The look she gave me said it all…”Wait, you think I can work miracles, don’t you?” The sentence she spoke summed it up perfectly. “I usually tell people to walk around the store while I work up a design but I need you to stand here with me because we are going to need to use every inch of this space.”

Ummmm…..OK and yes…yes we are. So we spent an hour and a half designing the final outcome and I could not be happier. While their system tries to limit you to one wall in a “reach in” (translation: non-walk in closet) I knew that I wanted to utilize the inside corners so we picked some garage shelving to cut down for shoe shelves and it’s perfect. I had to return on Saturday to pick everything up figuring Sunday I would finish the day out staring at my awesome new closet. Sunday, however, turned out to be “rewire both the wire in the wall for the dryer and rewire the dryer plug while you’re at it” day because we are all running out of socks & underwear (you try not having a working washer and dryer for 7 days people. It ain’t fun). Needless to say, I had no part of that other than helping to pull the wire through the ceiling but that ordeal will follow in a future post.

We had to drywall, sand and paint the closet first to get it clean and ready and take it from this to this. A fresh coat of bright white paint will do wonders.

Monday night Drew got started on the installation after work but called it quits after P went to bed around 11 and I told him he had to stop drilling. Tonight he got home early enough to not only finish the closet, but to take his new chainsaw out and cut up some huge branches that fell in the front yard. Secretly, I think he’s loving having a house he can buy new toys for.

NOTE: Twice a year The Container Store has everything Elfa on sale for 25% off…all products and installation. If you are wanting to use this system, I recommend you plan around the sale and purchase when it hits. It saved us about $500 on our 2 closets. Since he does the installation, we saved several hundred on that as well but it is a frustrating system to install, so consider yourself warned.

Anyway, here is the finished product and I could not be happier. Of course, I have no idea where my sweaters or jeans or purses are right now so it seems a little bare, but I’m sure all of those things will turn up in a box here sometime soon (please let them turn up soon with Fall coming). My favorite part is the 2 shoe walls we did on the inside corners of the walls. You would never know they are there when you open the closet doors, but designing that was a life saver. My second favorite part is this cool, new accessory tray drawer with a sliding lid that is now holding some of my favorite jewelry as my standing jewelry cabinet is going to have to go. Ain’t nobody got room for that in this house. Sigh…

I think this might be considered our first finished room ya’ll. Oh wait, I’m still waiting on those doorknobs I finally ordered. Oh well, I tried.