Your Cartwarning….this post is not elegant, nor French, nor beautiful to look at.
This week I finally dealt with a BIG MESS. my closet. Some may call me crazy for sharing my {not – so – elegant French} side with all of you. I view it as “just keeping it real” we all have messes and areas in our home that aren’t the greatest, right?
While I am sad that I didn’t take “before” pictures, it’s probably just as well. It would have made you think less of me. Truly. It would have.
As it is, I’m probably still not impressing you with my closet. Our house does have a walk in closet, but it’s tiny. two steps. and you are done. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cleaned out, donated, and pretty much refolded, rewashed, and vacuumed this closet over the years. This week, I have new hope for it, and my ability to get in, get dressed in a reasonable time and a reasonably fashionable manner! {yes, I secretly dream of a huge walk in closet, with a chair, a center island and all that, but this is my real life}
As you can see, these are not magazine worthy photos, nor will they make any brochure for closet remodeling. These are me, squeezing in a few snaps. One day we might redo the whole inside, for now, it’s not on my priority list. Our closet came with the built ins shown, they are not great. Each side has two {yes, two!} drawers, a few shelves, and two sides for clothes, one with two bars, one with one for longer items. That’s it! Other than an over-the-door shoe holder that hangs behind the door, what you see is what there is, on both sides. {only fair to give Mr. FgH his own side, although he shares his side with my longer gowns and antique tablecloths that need hanging space}
I went to The Container Store online, and figured out what I wanted to buy for my mini make over.
1. First I fell in love with the Shoe Organizers. I bought two. Stacked them sideways. Threw out some shoes, and left a few spaces for some new Fall shoes….{totally not sure about the pointy toes!} So excited to be able to roll my belts in the very top cubby holes, as well as an over flow of pashimas rolled up.
2. Bought these great Linen Covered Drop Front Storage Boxes. The see through front is great, and they close with a magnet. Stacked my tank tops in those, I love that they are contained, and also dust free. Also bought a sweater size, although in mine I store my wool scarves. {On the his side, they store cashmere sweaters.}
3. Plunked down the money for the Acrylic Jewelry Box. Some people have said my jewelry collection is out of control, so I controlled it! Practically the whole top drawer of the two I have for clothes is filled with little bags of jewelry, but this Acrylic Jewelry Box holds the big, special pieces. The drawers slide out, I can see what’s in there. =LOVE IT.
4. Already changed out all my hangers to those skinny, velvety black hangers. Before that, all my hangers were white, but the round plastic ones. I can’t believe how much less space those skinny hangers take up…made a world of difference. Now my clothes are free to breathe, and things aren’t crushed together.
5. Probably left over from my years of managing a clothing boutique years ago: YES! I arrange my hanging clothes in colors from light to dark. Solids first, patterns in that color next. Sleeveless, short sleeved, and long sleeved. Pants, same thing. All the light colors first, then on down to black. A simple system that helps me find what I want quickly.
Of all the things in my closet, I actually love this one best. I have a few pins, but most of these are my Mom’s. She loved pins. After she passed away early this year, I just couldn’t bear the thought of getting rid of them, so I came up with this way to display them. An old vintage millinery head wearing one of my vintage Chanel silk scarves now proudly displays most of Mom’s pins, and a few of my own.
1.Linen Drop Front Box2.Linen Drop Front Sweater Box3. Acrylic Jewelry Chest4.Shoe Organizer
If you want to romance your Home and Garden with antique and vintage treasures to make you smile each time you come home, visit our shop FrenchGardenHouse.
I’ve been working in my closet this week too, but you finished yours. You’re inspiring me to go in deep! Looks lovely and functional, Lidy.
Thank you Dori. I pushed through! And I’m so proud of myself, now the closet is fun to go in, instead of making me frustrated! xo
Love this! Don’t worry that it’s not perfect, I love that you are willing to share parts of your real life. I have a small closet in my N.Y.C. Apt. And when we live there part of the year, I struggle with the closet. Going to follow all your suggestions, once we get back to the city from Connecticut. Love your Mom’s pins. Great idea. Allie
Thanks, Allie! It is a joy to walk in there now.
This looks so nice, thank you, I really like the Linen boxes, thanks for the link. You did such a great job on organizing everything.
Thank you Susan! Now the trick will be to keep it looking like this!
Love this make over. Plus I love that you are so real, while your home has been in oodles of magazines, you are so nice and personable. And you live in a real house, not a castle. Sometimes I get discourage about our home, because the ones in the magazines are so big and expensive and look like they have a horde of servants. We live in a small but wonderful home, and my chairs I bought from you are my prized possessions. Thanks so much for sharing this small bit of your home that is not photographed in the magazines that feature your home. It’s like getting a secret tour in parts where you really live.
Jana, thank you. It’s a little scary sometimes showing the “real” because it’s not as glossy and pretty, but it’s life! Love that you love your chairs, they are a particularly beautiful pair, I think!
Your closet makeover looks pretty and functional. Can you tell me more about the velvet covered hangers? They might help in my closet which is similar to yours.
Thank you.
Jeannine, they are called Huggable Hangers and the Container Store sells them. But I bought ours at TJMaxx, they are around $12.99 for 25. They come in all sorts of colors, and they have a velvety “fuzzy” layer that keep your blouses etc. from sliding off. Plus their thin profile makes them take up much less space.
So clever. I have a small walk in closet too, and it always looks a mess. Have ordered a few of those linen boxes and shoe corralls, copying your ideas, and so thankful, too. I love coming here and reading your blog, because, even though you are in all the magazines and sell the most beautiful antiques, you are so sweet to share your ideas and {your words} ugly pictures with us. That is a total plus in my eyes. Thank you, friend!
You will love all of them Dianne. Thank you for loving even the uglier photos! 🙂