a break from our regularly scheduled caribbean blogging

We have BIIIIGGGG news around here peeps. Big big news.

This weekend and during the first half of this week, Josh finished my closet. My new and improved Elfa Closet. And I think I'm in love. If I could, I'd make sweet love to the closet. In fact, I spent so much time in there that Josh shoved me aside to see what all the fuss was about, and in a muffled voice from inside, I heard him sigh and say, "Oh, I have closet envy."

Let's look back on the day that I cleaned out my closet here. If you'll notice, the date that I cleaned out my closet and purchased the Elfa closet materials from the Container Store was February 15, 2006. Now, I'm not bitter or anything, just stating a fact. A February 15th fact.

Regardless, this weekend Josh finally tackled the mess that was our guest room, since he told me to empty out my closet in preparation for the new organizational structure. On February 15th. Somehow I think this might have to do with the fact that his parents are coming to visit for Passover, and our guest room looks like this:



Maybe I'm too cynical. What do you think?








Let's get some perspective before we tackle this mess. This is what my closet looked like when we started.


The problem with the original closet was that it was actually an L shaped closet, with the door at one end of the L (see Josh's arm? That is the rest of the L shape). That meant that in order for me to reach all of my clothes, I'd have to duck under clothing and get pelted in the head by hangers, while stepping over shoes and maneuvering between purses. It wasn't the ideal situation so I'd been protesting for a few months over the poor setup. Josh wasn't convinced that we could make it any better, but armed with measurements and my own crafty plans, I got the Container Store to plan out a closet that would allow me to utilize the whole L shape, while also allowing me to get into the closet and view all of my clothes. Keep in mind, of course, that the closet is small. We're not talking walk-in style.

Josh tore down the wooden structure that was there, and I patched holes, sanded, and painted the entire closet a gleaming clean white. Even the ceiling! Without the long bar inside, it looked so much bigger than I'd imagined. Then he hung the brackets upon which the Elfa system hangs.


Then we hung the bars from the brackets, and attached the different shelves or rods, according to the organizational plan.









The Container Store crew came up with some good solutions, even with the small size.







When you are looking in through the closet door, we have a double rod for hanging clothes, and two shelves. On the right hand side is enough space for me to walk into the closet, and turn to see the rest of the L shape and those shelves.




View from outside of the closet looking in.












The rest of the L shape has another double bar, one long hanging bar for dresses and long skirts, and then a row of 5 shelves for sweaters and shirts.




This is at the opening of the closet, looking into the rest of the L shape, but you can't see around the curve yet.
















Do you see the prettiness? Don't you love how the white shelves and brackets match the gleaming white walls?









I'm in LUURRVVEEE folks. Head over heels. For the past year, I've had clothes scattered throughout the house. Some hanging in a closet in the basement, some hanging in the closet that I hope will someday be a nursery, some in an armoire in the guest room, and already I was able to empty two closets out to consolidate the clothes in my one closet. And I still have room! The difference is unbelievable!




Standing in the middle of the closet, looking into the bend.









It is a struggle to come to work in the morning these days, because I have to part with my beautiful closet. But getting dressed has been a pleasure, and once I line my gorgeous shelves with my flowery smelling new shelf liners, I may have to take some personal days off. That, and I need to figure out where my shoes will go, because we didn't so much take that into consideration. Suggestions?

Now please free to tell me you have closet envy and want to make sweet love to the closet too. I'm surprised I haven't named it yet.