A Really Real Walk-in Closet : Design Pieces

I was in need of a big change. My scrunched up “walk-in-closet” could barely be stood in, let alone dressed in. That’s when I asked my parents about the small storage room across the hall from me. We immediately began switching things out and loading the storage downstairs. My mom had said that she always wondered when I may have asked to use this small-ish room, and that it would be more-than-convenient in my College years. This new, generously big “walk-in-closet” is still in the works, but it has gone through an entire spruce up and is ready to begin its legacy.




Going in to this project, I absolutely knew my vision. I wanted a dark brown or dark purple hue for the walls. A salon-like, neutral area to relax and get beautified in. Not only would this be where my clothes and shoes were held, but it would be a place for memorabilia, photo frames and my entire make up and jewelry vanity collection. A place for a girl to dream! The above lamp I bought from the back-to-College Target selection for only $8 on clearance.

I bought the paint from the premiere collection at Lowe’s hardware for about $40 per gallon. Expensive, but worth it. Because it was a darker color than orange, it needed no primer, and the premiere paint added a nice finishing coat. The paint job (performed by myself and partner Mark) took a total of 10 hours of hard labor during two different days, but was very worth the outcome. It’s no Ty Pennington, but it will do.




The next detail to be born out of this room was the idea of photo framed memorabilia. I created a collage of memories in each frame of my grandmother’s, which are shown above in categories: Skating, Sentimental, Friends/Events, and Travel. I don’t have the most extensive collection of memorabilia, but it will grow with time, now that I have a reason to collect it!




The second step was to put in a new window (one that wasn’t 20 years old and rotting) and create a fine-finish frame around it. My dad, the lovely handyman, created a beautiful frame and also created a 10-cubby shelf where I chose to store my jackets, sweaters, scarfs, and all things in between. I made simple labels by printing out text and taping the backs of the paper onto the storage boxes. Tacky, but good enough for me.




I went to Jo-Ann’s Fabrics & Crafts and picked out a set of three boxes and a matching basket to store my make up products in, to give my table a sense of organization. It was a bit of a splurge, but all under $20. I am using my grandmother’s old kitchen table that has collapsible, removable sides as my vanity table.




My favorite splurge out of my own pocket is the 9-piece polaroid photo frame set by Umbra for $18 at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I used Instagram Apple effects to create the look of the photos for these delicate frames. The frames are writable, so you can use dry-erase markers to create captions for your memories.

There are a few more changes to make to this room, a wardrobe piece to be crafted and a few mirrors to hang, but I am prepared to start cherishing this room as my baby as of today. I invested my sweat, time and energy in to it, and I love the awesome group effort that was put in to it.