Monday, January 14, 2013

Revolution Challenge-Closet

                              A Bowl Full of Lemons

I have several closets that need cleaning and organizing but the two I'm choosing for this challenge are both opened and closed several times a day.   Here are my before and after pictures of the hanging sections of each closet.

overstuffed and messy
All of our coats were jammed into this closet.  Five people with several coats made it nearly impossible to only pull out ONE coat or keep others from falling on the floor.  The kids' coats often fell on the floor or got stuck inside one of our coats. 

Only my husband's coats and vests
 
  The laundry room closet was not being used efficiently so I moved my coats and scarves in next to where I hang my purse and diaper bag.   Now it is used everyday for MY stuff.  I love having a place that only I use...even if it is a closet! 

 I hung the kids' coats on hooks in the laundry room so they could reach them when they need.


   Next up came the shelves in these two closets.  The coat closet was just ridiculously full of random stuff.  It was like a bunch of people just decided that there was no better place to put things than in here.  No rhyme or reason why such stuff gathered here!  
the most random of stuff
Playdoh and accessories bursting off the shelf.  Gloves and hats in the red bucket that only adults can reach.  a basket of random things...batteries, electrical timers, extension cords, tv cables, surge protector strip, rubber hooks, a fishing reel???


stuff removed from top shelf
Halloween buckets that we don't need year around access to.  SEVEN empty formula containers.  I'm planning on covering them with fun paper to make extra canisters for my kitchen.  A plastic bat and a big triangular piece of foam???  ODD for a coat closet!



shelves reinvented

I put all the Playdoh and accessories in a basket for easy transport.  The batteries and electrical supplies found homes in existing plastic tubs.  The black and white boxes ($1 each at Michael's last week!) will hold gloves and hats during the off season.  The purple tub on the top shelf holds the kids' tv gaming equipment that they are too young for and we don't use yet.  The turquoise boxes hold my fun paper supply.  The air freshner....well, this closet does hold my husband's coats and boots so it is needed!

Laundry room closet shelves
I moved the plastic shelving and baskets from the floor to the shelf in this closet.  It adds a lot more organization.  Now I can put some of my purse and bag collection here.  All of it won't fit and I really don't think my husband knows HOW MANY bags and purses I have.  (side note:  I just got two new ones delivered today!)  Also on these shelves is extra dog bacon, our sidewalk chalk collection and extra cleaning supplies.  The bottom portion of this closet holds my kids' laundry baskets, my ironing board, a step stool and our Swifter.


Here is the last section of the closets makeover.  Again, more random stuff.

floor before

floor after
The red tub was going to the trash because the lid broke.  I repurposed it to hold long toys such as stick horses, baseball bats, toy bow and arrows and toy guns.  The teal baskets hold our winter boots. I have a small folding table I use for sewing, a baby gate and a small step stool on the side.  Now there's room for the vacuum. 
Glove and hat station
I moved the hats and gloves from the red bucket and in one of the cabinets in the laundry room to this shoe organizer hanging on the laundry room door.  Each kid can grab what they need and go.  This had shoes in it but I was the only one that would put shoes in it.  I decided it would more useful for gloves and hats.  Now the kids can put their shoes in the cabinet. 


Here's to no more skeletons in my closets!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

nice work :0) I also cleaned out our coat closet - crazy how such random stuff collects there, isn't it? Thanks for opening your closets for us all to see!

Lynn said...

Nicely done--and great picture choice for the contest. It caught my eye quickly among all the closet pictures.

Unknown said...

I think that glove organizer thing will work really well. That's a great idea. I bet it will work for your family (there's nothing like going out the door without gloves on a cold day...) I don't have a lot of doors I can use in that way (I have no coat closet at all, bummer!! and most of the others have mirrors or something else on them already) but I do have a free door in the den and I've got to get creative and think of some good use for that.

I'm impressed that... well, even though the stuff was random or packed in tightly it was still looking pretty orderly in the "before" pictures.