Monday, March 14, 2011

Utility Closet Clean Sweep

Some of you may have seen my friend Adrienne’s post on her blog The Rich Life (on a budget) featuring my Utility Closet make-over. In fact, it was her post that planted the seed in my head on starting my own blog. If you haven’t checked out her blog, you should!

Anyhoo, I thought I would share the make-over on my blog.

Our Utility Closet is located beneath the stairs in the entryway and is open to the kitchen. It was originally intended to be a pantry, but it's turned into a utility closet over the years. And try as I might to keep our closet clean and organized, it had turned into the “junk drawer” of closets, as you can very well see in the picture below.

before
before
What a mess! I was ashamed to open the door with guests around. Heck, I was ashamed to open the door with no one around! I pride myself in being organized, and this closet seemed to laugh at me every time I opened the door.

Then one day I stumbled upon Honey & Fitz’s pantry make-over.  I instantly fell in love with the aqua color! And I thought to myself “that’s what I need to keep my closet organized - aqua paint!”


 So on a Friday night after work, I picked up a gallon of “Cool Dip” Glidden interior satin paint at Home Depot. And over the course of 3 days I “clean sweeped” our utility closet back into order and beauty, and now it only sings to me when I open the door :)

Here are the After Photos…


Glidden's "Cool Dip" - isn't it delish?


The closet empty of everything, including dust bunnies, and ready for paint!


Two coats of Cool Dip later and my closet is looking quite cheery.


It took me a few days to slowly add things back in. I dumped the contents of each bin into a grocery bag and then determined bag by bag, what was worthy of going back into the bins and into the closet, or what was destined for the garage, trash, or Goodwill.


A close-up of the canvas bins, which I've collected over the years at home stores such as Bed, Bath & Beyond, BigLots, Michael's Crafts, etc. They ranged in price from $5 - 15. I printed labels up from my computer onto card stock.


My house related binders. I have an entire binder devoted to Paint Chips, because I just can't stop collecting them.


And finally, the finished closet! Isn't it pretty?


It's been almost a month since I reorganized my closet and I am pleased to report that it still looks as neat and orderly as it does in the above picture. So the aqua paint worked!

Jenny

3 comments:

  1. I have seen it in real life, it is a pretty blue! And a week + later, it is still neat and organized!

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  2. I have been bugging Bill now ever since I did the post on your closet - he mouth says 'okay', but his eyes say 'no way'. He abhors painting. If he was on shift work, I would just start doing it while he was gone! Perhaps if I move everything out, he'll know I mean business!

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  3. Berta, I know I'm so proud of myself :)

    Adrienne, I say start moving stuff out ;)

    P.S. Jim abhors painting as well, but I LOVE to paint, so that is why I am the painter in our house. Well, except for the exterior.

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