It’s a closet makeover! Toys and school supplies seem to be all over my house; and my sweet, sweet Dyson was always just posted up in the corner looking at me asking for a home. The first floor was starting to feel disrespected. A week before virtual school started we decided to get a grip on the situation and take our entry hall closet for Meh to YES. Oh, was it worth it!
This little hall closet is our only closet on the main floor, but it was never as functional as I needed it to be. With wire racks and no reachable shelves (Hi! I’m 5ft tall.), it became a mess time after time. An eyesore I hated. And because it’s so close to the front door, I wanted a little pocket square moment. I always think it’s fun when you drop something off at someone’s front door and can see into their design style. Creep alert.
The Inspiration for Our Closet Makeover!
I have a desire to make closets so pretty you WANT to leave the door open. I always want to avoid a closet that I’m elbowing stuff into and praying no one opens. That is subconsciously heavy AF; and whether you like it or not it weighs on you every time you go to grab something out of it.
If you make a space enjoyable, even a closet, everyone will naturally want to take care of it that much more. It not only looks better, it FEELS better. That matters.
Jewel of Jeweled Interiors posted a before and after of her own entry closet and I was in love. The way she added wallpaper and made it a moment in the space. Amen. I saved that post and went back to it time and again. If you love color and want a lower shoe shelf, her post will surely strike your fancy. The woman knows pattern play and is here for a good accent ceiling.
Tools Needed to Create Our Closet Makeover!
Wallpaper | Wood (see below) | Miter Saw | Drill | Paintable Caulk | Nail Gun | LED Lights | Steel Pipe | Steel Floor Flanges
2×8 | 2×4 | Toe-Trim | Molding | MDF Board
Accessories linked below!
How to Makeover a Closet
A closet is a great weekend project. You can Marie Kondo a small space, create immediate satisfaction, and create inspiration all at the same time. When it comes to decluttering, my point of view is to start where guests enter. So the entryway closet is perfection.
Step 1: Ripping it ALL OUT!
Oh, that wire rack had to go. I have an Instagram Reel on how to take out the wire closet shelves creating minimal damage to the walls. These things are so tricky. If you try to just yank them, they will remove a huge chunk of drywall. That’s how they are designed. Make sure to check the video out if you are tackling your own builder-grade beast. It won’t take long, but you don’t want to do it incorrectly.
Step 2: Creating Shelves!
This was our 5th time adding shelves to a closet and we get a little better each time. See our first one here! With this closet, I nudged Jeff midway to shorten the support frames. I love how the top two shelves turned out because of this. The thinner support holds plenty of weight and is trimmed out with toe trim. The fronts are detailed with molding.
Note: Add the trim after the wallpaper goes in. See Step 4&5!
Step 3: Adding Outlets!
I always think about maximum functionality. Since we were ripping it out, and adding wallpaper, I knew now was the time to dream big. I called in a local electrician to add 2 outlets. One outlet on the main shelf to serve as a charging station for school iPads. This outlet had USB capability as well. (We have discussed adding a lock to this closet to lock teenager phones away during dinner time later on.)
The second outlet is on the bottom right just beside the door frame. This outlet is partially on a switch. The bottom plug is for our Dyson charging dock and the top outlet is for LED lights. I know lighting is extra, but maybe down the line, I want that outlet for a robot vacuum or something else. I just unplug the lights and live my best life.
Step 4: Painting!
All of the shelving is painted Cotton Knit to match the trim around the house. We painted in chunks. Once the shelves and outlets were in, I was able to paint the bases and supports. Hold out on the trim! You’ll want to add this after the wallpaper.
Because of this, I painted the trim before installing it. We cut them to measure, painted them, and added them in after the wallpaper with our nail gun. Then we covered the nails with wood filler and touched up the paint.
Step 4: Adding Wallpaper
I knew I wanted the closet to match the laundry room at the top of the stairs. That wallpaper is only 40 cents a square foot so doing the closet was $40. In my opinion, this is the icing on the cake – pocket square – wow factor moment.
Wallpapering around the shelves without seams was tricky. I share about it in this Instagram highlight. Measure 4x and cut once. I also checked the measurements between each cut.
The miracle of starching non-pasted wallpaper to create no damage will never cease to amaze me.
The Closet Makeover Finished Product + All The Details
I could not be happier with how it came out. I just turn the lights on at night and stare at the closet like the weirdo I am. When the world gets crazy, things like a gorgeous closet make everything ok for two seconds. I fixed it. I made it pretty. I am a superhero. haha! I mean, look how happy my Dyson is.
Shop The Closet Makeover Accessories!
Fabric Baskets
Acrylic Canisters & LED Lights
Our Favorite Learning Toys