It has begun.  I can’t take it any longer.  I can’t stand to look in my closet anymore (when you see the “before” picture below, you will totally understand).

Seriously, what girl doesn’t want the perfect closet? Well, for the past 1 year and 3 months I was lucky enough to have a semi-walk-in closet in my possession.  What did I do to make it pretty?  Nothing.  I am so disappointed with myself.  So, I have put my foot down and have decided to make it something I’m proud to look at and “shop” in every day.

(Side anecdote:  When we first toured this apartment, Patrick didn’t even want to give me this closet.  The moment I saw it I said, “Oooh! My future walk-in closet!”  To which he replied, “No wayyyyyyyy!” and he swore up and down that it wouldn’t end up being my closet… but clearly, I won. Hehehe.)

There are a few things you should know about me, and about this closet before I begin explaining my overhaul to you:

1) This is not the only closet I have in the apartment that stores my clothes and shoes.  I also have half of the closet in our bedroom (you know, a standard double sided closet with one bar and one shelf), as well as all 8 drawers in our horizontal dresser in the bedroom.  (That gives Patrick the 6 drawers in the vertical dresser and half of the standard closet).  Sounds about right for the male to female closet space, right!?

2)  There are indeed many things I believe I did “wrong” in this closet, such as my regular t-shirts (like the ones with graphics on them that you get at different events and such), sweatshirts, as well as my workout gear is in here.  Perhaps I could make this work, but my initial thought is that I don’t think those are very glamorous things to have in your walk-in closet – or at least at the volume that I possess.  Therefore, my plan is to get rid of a majority of the items, or switch them with something else’s “home” in the apartment and in turn I have to bring that something else in.  I am not going to just move stuff out of the closet and put it somewhere else to have a beautiful “end” photo – this is going to be for full function, and for real! 🙂

3)  Speaking of what I have “wrong” in the closet – let me tell you what this closet currently (summer season) contains:  All scarves, belts,graphic t-shirts for working out/bedtime, t-shirts for daily wear (solid and pattern), long sleeve t-shirts,  sweatshirts (zip-up and hoodies), thin-ish sweaters, beach coverups, all dresses, all blazers and suit jackets, some skirts, pocketbooks/wallets, ALL bags (like those grocery store totes and other freebies/drawstring/backpacks/sleepover duffels), hats, laundry detergent and other laundry-related items (sewing kits, dryer sheets, handheld steamer, ironing board, drying rack, etc.), Zumba clothes and other workout gear, my zumba bag, sneakers, my grandmother’s oil lamp, an old mirror from my childhood bedroom, and a Coast Guard bear that Patrick gave me.  See if you can find all of those things in the photos below.  This is like a game of Where’s Waldo! LOL!

4) Random sidenote:  I am a FIRM believer that shoes do not belong on the shelf that is above the hanging bar.  Your shoes are your barrier against all of the dirt and other crap (pardon my french) that you walk in every day.  Shoes go on your feet.  They stay on the ground or somewhere that will always be designated for shoes only.  Oh, and when they are packed in a suitcase they go in a bag and not rubbing against all of your clothes.  Phew!  Sorry for the quick rant.

5)  I believe it’s human nature, that, depending on how much space you have, you will acquire “stuff” to fill it and soon need more space.  I have called two different rooms in my parents house mine, two dorm rooms, a room in a house in Queens, and shared a bedroom in Italy all before moving into this apartment.  I’ve always started with ample space and within due time it could be considered cluttered.  It’s time to minimize, folks!  That is exactly what I am going to try and conquer in this mission.

Okay, I’ve procrastinated long enough.  If you have OCD you may want to look away – because against my better judgement, here are the incredibly embarrassing “before” pictures of my closet:

BUT!  Then the process to organization began. (Yes, it’s okay to breathe a sigh of relief…)

STEP 1:  Empty everything out:

STEP 2:  I vacuumed the closet and sprayed down the shelves with some dusting spray. (Optional but I’d advise doing this since you have access to all nooks and crannies of the closet!)

STEP 3:  I decided to paint the back wall as an “accent” wall to add some beautification to the closet.  I went to my local hardware store and spent just about $20 on supplies.  ($7 – Paint sample can… plenty for this one wall, $3 mini roller pan and roller set, $3 drop cloth, $6 painter’s tape, $1 brush).

**DISCLAIMER: This is the first interior wall I have ever painted in my life!! It was so much fun but in no way do I claim to be a professional painter but this was so much fun to try!  You will notice I even changed my mind in the middle – I thought I wanted all shelves painted then decided against it. 😉 All I have to please is myself and I’m happy with it. 🙂

Step 4:  “Mask” your canvas by applying painter’s tape to the perimeter of where you plan on painting.

Step 5: Paint the trim with a brush…

Step 6:  Use the roller to fill in the rest!  (FYI – The color I chose was Benjamin Moore’s “Slate Teal”)

So, that’s where I’m at right now!  “After” photos will come soon… I promise!  I’ve already been busy sorting through every article of clothing and rearranging/beautifying this closet and I’m almost there!  I want to feel like when I walk in there, I am shopping at a store for an outfit.  It’s going to be both pretty and functional so keep checking back – I’ll have some amazing photos up soon!