My New Closet With Costs & Details Galore




So this is it.



A far cry from this.



I'm stupid in love right now.


I haven't had much time to style it yet.  I've somewhat organized the drawers but I know with time they'll change.


This is the plan and how we squeezed every square inch out of the space.  And the great part about a Closet World closet is that it's actually built in.  All the shelves can be moved and if I want to change the configuration, say add hanging bars or subtract shelves it can be done.  This is a tiny closet, only 4 feet wide.  There are six drawers.  Each drawer is 16" square and vary from 5" deep to 10" deep.  I paid $1650 for this and I have to say it was worth it.  How can a closet make me so happy 😄?



That vintage suitcase is now holding my journal and my morning inspirational reading.  This could easily be stored somewhere else if I need the space for more clothes.




Can you see up there on the very top of that shelf (v hard to photograph)?  This will be great for extra storage.  ATM, I have my silk scarves in the Chanel box.  The center box holds my summer t-strap sandals and the box to the left is holding my extra Hanes V-neck Tees because I don't need all 12 of them at once.



Before they came to install we wrapped the closet in bead board to help blend in with the character of the old house.  I am so glad we did because it is gorgeous irl.




This is all my jewelry piled onto an old ironstone platter.  It's a collection of my mom's pearls and some of mine.  It's all junk but I don't care bc I love it all. My favorite perfume that I cannot say enough about.  I swear it lifts my mood 100% when I put it on.  And side note, right now it is a gift with purchase.  Last year when I got mine for Christmas they included a separate box of beautiful Chanel makeup samples that were lovely. I'm also keeping The Laundress Wool and Cashmere Spray here to spritz my sweaters with in between use.  It's all so gorgeous I could die.


This is the top drawer which is 5" deep.  It holds my sunglasses and clutches.  Right now I have my 5 belts rolled in a box until I find a better solution for them.  Ikea has great closet storage items and I'm dying to go and check them all out.

The second drawer is storing my unmentionables so I skipped showing that 😬.  This is the third drawer which is holding my short and long sleeve tees and a couple of warm scarves.

The fourth drawer is holding my cardigans and a couple of sweaters. I love these Laundress Lavender Pouches too.  Little everyday details are so sweet.




The fifth drawer is holding my pajamas.  Boring, sorry L.




And finally the sixth drawer which is the deepest at 10" is holding exercise gear.



It has the capacity to hold 18 pairs of shoes which you can see is not full, proving what an 😇 I am.



One of my favorite features is the pull out clothing bar.





Overall I'm thrilled.  Like I said in my last post, as hard as it was to pull the trigger on this, the harder part was actually purging.  It was a ton of agonizing work but I can't tell you enough how good this feels tho.  I'd like to say that everything in the closet now is perfect but it isn't.  There are 2 dresses hanging that are too short.  My workout gear is really in bad shape too.  I have 2 dresses in my mending/alteration basket and I really want to sell my Everlane Vneck cashmere sweater in order to get a crew neck but these are all minor issues.  I still have things in the basement that I'm going through and donating and finding new homes for via my my eBay and also giving away.  If there is something I have and you want just ask because there is a good chance I'm getting rid of it! 

This is phase one of addressing the storage issues in a one closet house.  2018 will be the year of letting go here at The Gardener's Cottage.  Step 2 will be adding an armoire to the office to function as a coat closet.  Of course we will then have to find a place to put all our books that are stored in there and that is going to be hard.  Another thing we are thinking about adding is a sink console with storage in the bathroom.  I love the pedestal sink because it looks so airy but a little bit of storage would be SO nice.  So these are just some things we are thinking about.  Thank you so much for reading and helping me along this journey. I think I've covered it all but ask questions and I'll be sure to answer in the comments. xo







71 comments

  1. I love it all! So well thought out....my favorite things: the pull out bar and the bead board surround. And the way that all of your clothes coordinate to make a picture perfect closet. :)

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  2. Thanks for sharing. This is very excellent and inspiring.

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  3. Everything looks perfect- you did a great job. The bead board makes the closet look so finished and polished. I am a firm believer that when your surroundings are neat and orderly it allows the mind to think more clearly and to be more creative.

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    1. thank you anon. i'm hoping your beliefs come true for me! x

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  4. It’s like a mini Boutique! So pretty and well set up. I love it all!

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  5. An inspiring vignette!
    Have you gotten rid of your Navajo jewellery?

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    1. thank you judith. i have most of it for sale at my sons shop in LA but i still have more to sell on eBay. x

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  6. It’s so pretty and feminine. I love it!

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  7. This is just lovely! And timely for me - last year I bought a home that was built in 1952 and has been lovingly cared for but the master bedroom closet has a poor quality built in system (the drawers are wonky and fall off their tracks). I have been considering replacing it since I don't really want a dresser in the room. I've been undecided and am so tired of having clothes in piles or in drawers that don't work - this post really made up my mind that this is the way to go. My room already has bead board and the closet doors are similar to yours - thank you so much for the inspiration! This is going to be first up after the holidays!

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    1. thanks marla and i know you will not regret it. mine is only a few days old and i'm wondering why i waited so long to do this! everything is so organized, for an organization geek like me it's heaven. x

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  8. That closet is wonderful! Yes, be sure to check out IKEA. They have so much for closets.

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  9. This is so lovely!! I’m amazed at how much you’ve pared down. It certainly makes for easier decision making and a gorgeous closet!!

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  10. It’s lovely and I’m thrilled you are so happy! Where will you store your maxi dresses and jeans? And beaded tops? Love your work x

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    1. i have one maxi (my emerson fry caftan) folded in the dress section right now. i've sold one maxi and will sell the other this spring. i only had 2 beaded tops and sold them both. what little glamour i had is gone! lol

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  11. This is so wonderful! I love it! I have looked at the pictures over and over. My home was built in 1940, and though the closets are not tiny, I love the organization of yours. Such inspiration! Thank you for sharing it with us.

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  12. Oh I can appreciate your excitement with this reveal...love the bead board too that was a wise choice and the pull out hanger is really a fabulous idea. It must feel so wonderful having achieved this goal...you worked hard saving and dreaming about the change and now you are reaping the benefits. Bravo!

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  13. I absolutely love your new closet.I think it is really "you".How thrilling to dream something and manage to make it true!And something irrelevant.May i see what kind of journal you use and what is your inspirational reading?Are you religious or philosophical?

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    1. i write every day so i just use plain spiral notebooks, nothing fancy. my inspirational reading comes from 12 step programs. x

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  14. Simple pleasures are the best😊

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  15. I love it so much and I think your love affair with it will go on for years. I stare at my closet on a regular basis, it totally calms me down. The beadboard was the PERFECT touch and I absolutely love it. Thanks you for all of the details because I've so enjoyed reading about your process! xx

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    1. it's so funny you mention staring at it bc that's where i am right now with it. i keep going in the bedroom and opening the doors bc it doesn't seem real still. lol what a nut i am. x

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  16. just beautiful! I don't know how you manage with only one closet in your whole house but you make it look perfect. ❤

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    1. idk either betty. i think i've just always resigned myself that this house has no storage and now i'm like, wait, i can have an armoire for coats and a bathroom cabinet for beauty products. duh, it's taken me a long time. x

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  17. It looks beautiful Janet, as someone above said, like a mini boutique! I do have a question - in photo no. 6, the close-up of the vintage suitcase, what is the metal thing on the right hand side?

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    1. thank you patricia. that is the sliding bar that i can hang clothes on. x

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  18. It looks fabulous! Congratulations! I could really use an organized closet. Our townhouse doesn't have a lot of closet space. This idea gives me something to plan for.

    ~ Elena

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    1. thank you elena. there are lots of options for a new closet. ikea has the pax system that might work? for me this was the best option. x

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  19. Just when I thought everything about your house and garden couldn't get any better ...

    Shelley

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  20. Gorgeous. Are you putting the Everlane sweater on ebay? What size and color? I've been eyeing a gray one for ages.

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    1. hi kristi. the color is taupe but it's really a brownish gray. it's a medium. there is some piling but i have barely worn it bc the color is just not right for me. here is a photo of it. let me know if you are interested. it would be $40 plus shipping. thanks!

      https://thegardenerscottage.blogspot.com/2013/11/whats-happening-hereneutrals.html

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  21. Worth every penny! I bet you stand there and just stare at it. Beautiful

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  22. Thank you. I think I might run into the same issue with the color. I pretty much stick to gray.

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    1. kristi good call bc this is def not pure gray. it's a super pretty color, just not on me. x

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  23. Delicious. And the beadboard was worth every penny.

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  24. It's no wonder you're in love - it's gorgeous. Thanks for sharing.
    Spud.

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  25. I am beyond impressed & also motivated to rid myself of loads of stuff I don't use or need. I will redo my closet in January, but I will also be the carpenter. I will put an old chest of drawers in it & build around that...I love drawers & think they are practical. But you have inspired me on many levels.

    Anita ~ the cabin on the creek

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    1. anita i tried to do that a few times. but at only 4ft wide it was hard to find a tall and thin dresser that would work. in the end i love it so i guess it was worth the wait. good luck with your project. xo

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  26. well done! and well deserved!
    and I think worth every penny.
    you might just have the most elegant and delightful little cottage ever! XOXO♥

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  27. It looks fab, but I’m amazed that such a small closet can really cost $1650. Immsire the workmanship is of very good quality though. Enjoy using it

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    1. yes, i know it was so hard to bite that bullet but i'm really really glad i did. it is guaranteed for life so there is that, not that i think i could destroy it. i'm sure as far as resell value it will help too. x

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  28. Beautiful closet! They really did an amazing job, and $1650 is a great price considering installation, labor, high quality materials, and the expertise of the company you chose. I love their work! I even showed my financially conservative husband pics of your renovation and he loved the work and the price. We'll be using this same company in the future most likely. Enjoy your new closet and thank you so much for sharing!

    -Melissa in San Mateo, CA

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    1. good luck melissa. i'm sure you will be happy with the product too. and thank you! xo

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  29. One more thing, if you want to keep your books but don't have the space, you may want to consider having them scanned. Going digital was the best thing I ever did for my book collection, considering I studied literature through grad school and built a large vintage book collection over the years. But I just didn't have the space and moldy old books smell bad. Now I have my entire library on my laptop (all backed on an external hard drive just in case) and can search through any book in seconds. I used a company called Dollar Scan in San Jose, CA, but there are others I'm sure than offer this service. -Melissa

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    1. wow great idea melissa. after doing this closet i will take my time with my next few projects but i will consider the scanning. thanks! x

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  30. I SEE EMPTY SPACE.........that means you can fill it up!Wonder how long that will take?!
    I have to say I would die.........with this amount of clothing!I'm sure it will work for YOU and ME but I am NOT there yet!YOU have been tossing and donating now for over A YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!Time to move on to a NEW TOPIC cause your killing ME!!!!!!!!!XX

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    1. haha. it will be interesting to see if i can keep it pretty minimal. i think i can! x

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  31. This is exquisite! Funny that I never thought of bead board for inside the closet. Enjoy!

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    1. thanks miss fifi. i always knew i wanted beadboard in there because of my pantry and i'm so glad we did it. x

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  32. What a chic closet, Janet, and a lovely addition to a chic home. May you enjoy it for many years. Happy Holidays, Ardith

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  33. Janet,
    This just makes me want to clean out my closet and get organized! You always motivate and inspire me!
    xo
    annie

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  34. Very tidy and organized! We are contemplating which closet systems to install at our new-old house. We are lucky to have 7 closets! This may be a good option for us, so thanks for sharing. ~Miranda

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  35. Janet, it’s so you....clean, simple, elegant, and organized. I’m sure it will look this neat and tidy always, because if there is one thing I’ve learned about you from reading your blog, it is that you really respect and take care of your things. It’s so lovely and I am so happy for you!

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  36. Hi Janet, what a transformation! They need to come to my house lol...I think when we save up for something,(or bite the bullet) it means that much more to us and we take better care of it. Growing up our household was on a limited budget, for most big ticket items I had to save up birthday or babysitting $. I agree with some of the other comments that you will have the most elegant cottage!
    I hear ya on the pedestal sinks...we have one in one of our bathrooms but there is zero storage.


    Linda
    xoxo

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  37. The closet is fantastic and very inspiring! I live in a 2-closet only small home (for EVERYTHING) and would love something like this. Hopefully in 2018. Right now, I'm in the slow purging process, though starting to speed up... ! :)

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  38. I too have a small bathroom with a pedestal sink that I love. The bathroom was remodeled before we moved in and I’m thankful the previous owners didn’t go with a sink and cabinet . What I do have is a wall mounted cabinet above the toilet that is just 5” deep. It’s the perfect size as it holds all the bottles, creams etc. Look into it before you remove that beautiful sink.

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  39. Gorgeous closet. Your cottage is absolute perfection. So happy for you! 💖

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  40. Love it all! Were you channelling Sara Berman as you want along? :-))

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