Closet Transformation

So, I live in this tiny little house in desperate need of storage. Because, let's face it, in comparison to my grand parents, we're hoarders.

That's to say nothing of the lack of thought in the construction of the house. The closet in talking about is already a galactic undestatement for awkward.

I kid not; this is the floor plan of the closet. The front part is about 36" across. Depth is little more than one foot. So, you can see my dilemma. Figuring out something that would actually work took a while, but I settled on these.

I ended up stacking 2 units, which still leaves some wasted space. It's still better than it was. My goal was to get things off the floor right at the door of the closet which pushed another door (think main walkway) shut. My second goal was to get the elf's things where she could reach them.

Let me just say that right now the kid's room is the most peaceful room in the house.

Here is an awful before picture. I tried using command strips, as evidenced by the pink spot on the wall. As messy as it looks, it's actually clean. Think: jackets, sweaters, 2 backpacks, and a box of night undies piled in the closet doorway.

I wanted to provide a clothes bar for the elf and shelves where she could reach her hair supplies. The cubbies do that and allow him to have some space for his things as well.

To start the project, I took everything out except the support for the bar and shelf... It took over our living room.

Then, I measured and installed where I would mount wood to support a low shelf and anchor the lower unit.

I installed the shelf with one support because it is so short.

Next, I installed a piece of wood as wide as the unit to anchor the top.

I also wanted to make sure the unit was sturdy, so I applied mending brackets to the back. (Note: don't try to move the unit by the front once attached.)

I probably did this the hard way, but I installed the low bar last. I really just wanted to be done with it, though.

So, after about a day of cleaning, a day of work, and a day of shopping for baskets, I can say I am done and pleased with the results.

Also, I decided to get a longer board for the shelf and add a couple shelves for the bookshelves the kids have.

Here's hers,

And his.

Here's the cute storage unit I found at TJ Maxx (HomeGoods) with some baskets from HomeGoods and Ross.

I also used some of the baskets to organize the livingroom bookshelf, too.

Once again the before...

And the after, for comparison...

Konmari make-up II

I have made it through quite a bit of the process of tidying, my tidying festival, as she (Marie Kondo) calls it. One of the things that has made me more successful in this method than others is the order things are tidied.  Kondo recommends starting with clothes, books, papers, and then miscellaneous household  (komono) by category. For once, it seems as though I am actually keeping my space clean. Furthermore,  as the process continues, it is getting easier to sort out the things that bring me joy.
Take, for instance my make-up. I now store it in a portable cart from Ikea,  so that I can apply it at one of 4 mirrors I have. Even within my cart storage, I sorted into sub-categories like lips, eyes, powders, & my travel set on the top level. 

The middle level holds extras, make-up remover, & brush cleaning supplies.

The lower level holds my hair styling tools (because I don't use them much).

How does this fit with my space staying clean? It's easier to access, I can push it out of the way easily, I can use it where it is, it's easy to see, things have somewhere  to rest while I'm applying them, etc.
Since I already sorted the stuff in my closet, my clothes don't overwhelm the space and the make-up cart can live in the closet without being a big pain. I now fold most of my shirts, dresses, and skirts, which considerably reduces the hanging space necessary to accommodate clothes in general.
I also added a shelf to make better use of the space. It looks low budget because it is. (Don't judge!) In addition, there is a set of drawers, baskets, a bookshelf, and a stool. Best of all, I can see all my lovely shoes!!!! (We'll, not all of them.)
Kondo's method, when fully embraced, allows for well-designed, efficiently used spaces making the home more enjoyable