Redo Your Closet and Make It Work For You. How long has it been since you cleaned out your closet? I mean when was the last time you pulled everything out and started over? I hadn’t pulled everything out since we moved in 51/2 years ago.
When Jim passed away on August 13, 2020, I couldn’t clean out his closet for a year. Finally, I knew it was time to pull everything out, save some special pieces that the kids wanted, give some suits to his brother that he could wear, and donate the rest. That was a really hard and daunting task, but I was also surprised at how dirty things can get if you don’t use them or wear them all the time. We have two closets in our master bedroom. One is an 8ft. sliding door closet next to the entry door that Jim used,
the other is a walk-in closet. I chose the walk-in as my closet.
This isn’t a huge walk-in, but it is big enough for me.
This is my closet with everything out and after a good cleaning. Nothing really fancy, but wonderful builtins that work for my needs.
I didn’t take pictures of the mess when I took everything out. I had clothes and accessories all over the place. I also did a ton of purging while I was at it. It amazed me at how many things I don’t wear and hadn’t worn in years and how much I had in all those storage boxes on the shelves. Time to go through it all and make it what I need for now.
This is a super easy project that will make you feel wonderful when it is all done. You will know what you have, what you can wear and it will all be clean. Now I feel like my wardrobe has been freshened and my home feels more organized too. Here is what I wound up with.
I use this primping area all the time. I love how I can showcase some pretty things. My evening bags hang on the side and some of my favorite jewelry is on display. I use that mirror daily to see as I put on my earrings, rings, and watch. Perfect to check my hair at the last minute too.
On the right side of the closet, I have some fabulous built-in shelves that hold my shoes and various other things I want to keep. There’s also plenty of hanging space for my everyday clothes. I am not a fashionista. I love wearing jeans, soft-knit joggers, and tee shirts around the house. I do love a nice cropped pant for summer too.
Did you know that jean or sailor style capri’s are all the rage this season? I found out that I have the perfect pair. Just add a cute tee and some fun tennis shoes and I am in style.
Sandals, bed pillows, everyday blouses, and tee shirts, plus those storage bins are almost empty now. A few cold-weather items are about all I have in them.
The left side is where I have the drawers for my lingerie and all my slacks, dresses, coats, and jackets. My purses are easy to reach on the bottom shelf and more storage bins on the top shelf. I think these are just about empty too. Mostly keepsake items.
The hanging rack under my primping station holds my skirts and dressy blouses. If I want to dress up, this is where I go for a sequin sweater, sheer evening jacket or silk blouse. It’s also where I hung a couple of casual jackets and my favorite of all, my jean jacket.
Now every corner is vacuumed and cleaned and every single item in here is clean too. There are still a lot of things that I should purge, but maybe I’ll do that another day. It feels so good to have everything clean, so if you haven’t emptied out your closet for a while, maybe it’s time for you to.
Here’s another closet makeover I did in my previous home. Great tips and ideas in this closet makeover too.
Great closet. I love how beautifully you organized it. Blessings to you.
Looks great. I’ll bet there is a women’s shelter that would love the items you wish to donate. Good time for a check up on insurance too. People forget to update insurance for jewelry and collectibles. As a widow, you may get an exemption on property taxes. As a senior, you may receive discounts on auto like low milage driving.
Marty,
I am sure that everyone who received something of Jims’ appreciated it. I hope that you had someone with you for that difficult task.
So many great tips! I moved into my house 2 years ago and just threw everything in the closet. I need to take your lead and remove everything! Then start from scratch.
Have a wonderful week and stay cool.
Marti, this is a great start in claiming all of the spaces on your home. Its a hard job, going through things that belonged to Hubby. I think that as you become more brave, you will reclaim his closet, too, finding a use for it that suits your needs. Kudos and hugs to you! I did the same thing and it inspired me to tackle more closets around my home.