Out of the closet

And now a rare glimpse. Not just at my giant hair from 1990 (oh my god! It's so DARK!), but inside my closet!

I must preface this with an anecdote from my first year in college.

When I had my handbook on dorm living for my first year at college, I saw there was a photo of a girl walking into the dorm on move-in day carrying all her clothes folded over here arm. OH THE HORROR! All the world seeing all her clothes right there in black and white in print FOREVER. I swore a solemn vow at that moment, that girl would not be me.

On move-in day, I had every item I owned locked up tight inside luggage, wardrobe boxes or inside garment bags. "If I want someone to see my clothes, I'll wear them!"

Later in life I developed a strange phobia about going to laundromats. Complete strangers would be able to see my entire wardrobe laid out for free peeking while I folded and waited for the final load in a dryer! That fear was realized when someone asked me where I had purchased a rather cute pair of boxer shorts. I took another vow on that spot to get a washer & dryer at home and never air my laundry, dirty or otherwise, in public.

I tell you this, so you know what a big deal it is for me to put these photos here. I am reconsidering as I write this. Read quick! I may change my mind.

We moved in a year ago, and the master bedroom closet was a sad place to put clothes. I hate things being hard to find. I knew what I needed, and it would require effort. The closet has been the last project.
Old closet above. I've built a panorama photo of three shots, left center and right, to give a better perspective. On the left, shelves, then half a rod. Across the back, a full rod that you can only use the center of due to the rods going back on the left and right. Above shelves that needed more shelves above, but why do something just to tear it out later. Below, wasted space. (center: Pink stuffed pig for dog toy. Cooper was ripping it up and I had to find a high enough place to keep it from him)

This is the computer drawn plan to change the closet! Click on this photo above to enlarge and witness its inherent beauty. (oops, what a goof. I placed the center panel on the left and the left panel in the center when I built this picture. It was annoying to put together, and I'm not re-doing it. So figure that out for yourself. Maybe this is the sign that I shouldn't be putting all this up here after all...)

Everything torn out. We lined the back of the closet with aromatic cedar. The ceiling was covered in the popcorn fleck stuff so I covered it with a cheap white sheet and now can place things up high next to the ceiling without emerging in ceiling dandruff.

Finally, a poor quality photo to show off all our hard work! On the left, one hang bar high, one hang bar low. Shelf above holds boots. Laundry baskets across the back floor, full length mirror ($14, thank you Ikea!) with a shelf above. On the right, shelf after shelf for sweaters (up high, we live in California) T-shirts (by color - I used to work in retail), shorts, pants, jeans then shoes. The mirror really is square in real life. The laundry isn't always that high.

And finally, for Carolyn who asked to see my shoe collection. Here's a brief glimpse at the boots. From left: Lyle's suede engineer boots, my silver (yes, gun metal silver) boots, then the Gucci boots (go ahead, click on the photo and see if you can read that little square label. I can't.), my brown engineer boots, and my nearly knee high black boots. Can you believe I almost always have on flip flops? Oh, and isn't that sheet pulled nice and tight across the ceiling!