Project #1 - Closet organization

So, my first project of the year was actually conceived/planned by me, but executed by Mark.  Still - it happened, so I can count it!  (Plus, that was the week I was sick, so getting anything done was a miracle.)

I decided our entry closet was a hulking waste of space.  I failed to take a before picture, but I'm guessing it looks like 90% of the entry closets out there - one wood bar, one wood shelf above that.  There were two major issues that I was trying to rectify:

1)  Our closet door opened into our entry door.  So, if someone went in first and wanted to hang up her coat, then someone else came in, there would be a crashing of doors (and the person using the closet would get hit).  So, coats didn't get hung in the closet too regularly.  (Thankfully we have some pegs outside the closet for the kids' coats.  Or for whoever else was too lazy to open the closet.)

2)  The space just wasn't used well.  Under the coats, "something" could fit, kind of.  The coats were just low enough to get in the way of anything down there.  And the shelf was about 2.5 feet from the ceiling, so it's a huge space but only small things were stored up there.

The other reason I wanted new organization in the closet was because of I'm an Organizing Junkie's blog post, regarding an "I'm outta here" shelf.  Which is located in her closet, which looked handy.  A much better use of space than a shelf and rod!  And Mark desperately needed a place to put all of his items - so they wouldn't be all over the place and so he could find them!

So, without further ado, the after shots:

You can see the hinges from the old closet door - which opened into the entry door.  We intend to install bi-fold doors "someday".  It's neat enough that it doesn't bother me to not have doors (although some trim would be nice!).

And this angle shows the coat pegs outside the closet, too.  The shelves are getting filled up.  In particular, all of Mark's stuff that used to be all over the kitchen counters is now on HIS shelf!  Score!

The shoe cubby is store-bought, but the rest of it was made to measure by Mark.  Just some MDF (or is it particle board?  I can never remember).  I had planned to have the shoe cubby upright, which would leave about 12" on the side for the kids to have a low bar.  Or for boots.  But Mark made his own plan and ran with it.  I'm living with it for now, but the fact that the rain boots aren't IN the closet does irk me just a bit.

So, project #1 is done.  I think it will help immensely with organization and getting the coats hung up regularly.  Yay!