As I’ve been organizing, I’ve done a terrible job photographing how closets, drawers, and cabinets looked before! I sort of hop around, working on multiple spaces at once, and get a closet half ripped apart before I realize I didn’t capture a before picture. I did manage to get a picture of this closet in the guest room after I had only pulled a few things off the top shelves. Other than having overhead lights installed, we haven’t done any work in this room since it’s used as a guest room and for storing my sewing and knitting stuff, but it’s on the list!
Anyway, here is what this closet looked like before I started working on it. I had organized it pretty well when we first moved in, but it’s gotten a little messy as I’ve shoved things in there over the past couple of years. As with the rest of the house, this needed a good thinning out and sorting.
And here is how it looks now…
It’s hard to tell from this picture alone, but I got rid of so much stuff. Bags and bags of yarn, craft supplies, and ribbon. As I often do when I find interest in a new creative endeavor, I get a little overly enthusiastic and ahead of myself when it comes to buying all the books, tools, and materials. With knitting and crochet, especially, I bought way too much yarn without knowing how I would use it or if I even had enough for a future project. I would randomly buy a couple of skeins here and there just because I liked the yarn and figured I would use it someday. Well, it’s way too much yarn to have on hand when I have settled into my favorite yarns and types of projects. Truth be told, I could probably still thin down my yarn stash more, but it’s in a more manageable place and I still have options when I get the urge to start on something new.
In the future, I have vowed to take the more sensible approach and only buy yarn for specific projects. Some of my wise readers advised that, but I had to learn the lesson on my own.
There were bins in that closet that I hadn’t gone through since our move, so each one needed a lot of sorting, and it felt great to get like things together and labeled. (I use THIS label maker by the way and it’s wonderful! I’ve had it for over 10 years and it still works great.)
As a side note, in all of the places I store fabric and yarn, I tuck lavender sachets and cedar blocks in the bin or between skeins or fabric folds. I’ve done this for years and haven’t had any problems with critters eating my textiles.
The other closet in the guest room had the bigger transformation, but as I said in the opening of this post, I didn’t take a picture! Just imagine this closet piled floor to ceiling with bins, baskets, and pillows. There was a plastic storage bin of my clothes that I had tucked in there to get out of the way during our early home renovations, and it was buried to the point I hadn’t seen it in over two years! I thought I had donated some of my favorite jeans, but they were in that bin. Now the closet is neat and there is even empty space. There is enough room that we can now store our vacuum in there since the closet where it was stored will become a half bath. The best part is that I can see everything. It was probably the most embarrassing closet in the house, so it feels good to have it looking this tidy.
The hardest place to organize was the antique pine cabinet with my fabrics. I always see potential in fabric and know that as soon as I get rid of it, I’ll have the perfect project. I still kept my stash of antique hemp sheets for future slipcovers, along with some other favorite fabrics, but I probably got rid of about a quarter of all of the fabric stored in here. Again, it makes me smile that I can see and easily access everything. Plenty to play with, but not too much.
I even cleaned out the baskets that held pillows, fabric, and upholstery supplies. I got all of my extra pillows into one basket and the other one holds some fabric quilts to ease the strain on the linen closet.
I’m not sure it completely makes sense, but the room feels more worthy of a makeover now that it’s neat and organized. It feels like a functional room instead of an overcrowded storage space. Maybe this will be the year I finally get to the guest room makeover…
12 Responses
It may seem odd, but I’m grateful I only have very limited closet space. It means I’ve had to edit all along and not let myself buy everything that appeals. Otherwise, I’d have my closets requiring a crowbar to get anything in or out. In my past, I had a whole basement with closets and cupboards, storage for days. It took an estate sale to move us out.
Kudos for staying on top of your collections.
Congratulations! It looks wonderful. Did you have any anxiety ( not sure if that’s the proper description ) on what to let go of? That’s my issue. Every time I try to clear out paper crafting supplies I get stuck because I worry I’m getting rid of the wrong things.
looks like you bought at the Oronoco Gold Rush too from our favorite old lady from Florida with all her feed bags and amazing fabrics that are now all over our homes! She says shes retiring at 80 but I am not convinced!
I always admired her booth, but I bought mine wholesale from a supplier in Europe.
Most quilters will agree they have bought fabric to build their stash and/or because they liked the fabric. I’ve gotten rid of a lot and can thin out even more. But for me, it felt good to let it go. Same with craft supplies. If someone else can use it, yeah. The only regret was buying it in the first place with no specific project in mind. I’m definitely better about buying stuff now and asking myself questions. I really have to justify the purchase.
I used to buy so many craft and sewing supplies. Now at 71 I know I won’t have time to do everything I want to so now never buy anything with out a specific project. My husband and I have spent the last week emptying out our two bedrooms to make room for new carpet. He agrees with me that nothing goes back in unless we really love it or need it. I have four pieces of antique furniture on marketplace hoping to get them out of the garage since I know they are not coming back in. Thanks for all the great advice on organizing, we all need to know that others we admire have some of the same problems.
You have inspired me to tackle my guest room closet and the storage in our laundry room. I have too many pillow covers, blankets, duvets, sheet sets, etc. Then I will tackle the closet in my studio and remove the wire shelves and replace with adjustable wooden ones. Thank you for sharing your accomplishments!
How lovely! I am sooo over having supplies on hand for any and every inspiration that might, yet rarely ever does, strike me. I hadn’t realized until recently how much I was keeping unnecessarily until I started sorting. Your closets are beautiful. Yes, closets can be lovely. Thank you for the visual encouragement!
Our guest room closet is packed full EXCEPT I’ve left at least 15-20 inches of hanging bar space for guests to actually hang clothes. When we visit my sister, the guest closet is so crammed full of their clothes that there is no where for us to hang anything. We end up draping clothes over the furniture or digging through our suitcase every time we need something. Just something to keep in mind if guests actually do use that room.
I was thinking along the same lines as Sue regarding guest room closets – and curious about other opinions – I feel like a guest room closets should be empty so guests can put their own things in there (or just leave it empty). I am always a little uncomfortable when the space I am staying is full of some one else’s things.
Of course a totally separate room with its own dedicated closet is not feasible for everyone’s situation. I am thinking of the person (single adult/empty nesters) with one or more spare bedrooms that are all stuffed with the homeowner’s clothes/hobby items/excess belongings.
Yeah, I figure I can always remove the vacuum when guests are there, and it gives them some space. When we’re empty nesters, I would definitely have some spare closet space, but since I’m running a business out of a house, I need that extra room for storage now. It won’t always be that way. 🙂
It looks so good! I love your pine cupboard. All your fabrics and yarns in the pine cupboard look so beautiful!!