In 2020, during the Pandemic peak, everyone was redecorating their homes and trying to find new workspaces in the middle of all the mayhem. I was working on a new retail studio and moving art supplies out of my home studio. Fast forward to 2021, I have been amazed by all the room make-overs I have seen and how inventive people have been in finding rooms in their homes where there wasn't any room before.
As I was sorting through recycled packing supplies, I realized that my closets were under-utilized. I looked up pictures of closets turned into extra rooms, and I thought this would be an amazing challenge. What I didn't know was how much work this project would be!
My first challenge was to take the measurements of the space. I don't know why but for some reason, I underestimated how big these closets were. The closets are 10 feet tall and 9 feet wide, the total size of my entire walls. Once I took the measurements, I had to take everything out of the closets and sort what I wanted to keep and what needed to be recycled, sold, or discarded. Then I had to order a closet organizing system for my clothes (closet #1) and then divide the largest closet into a storage closet for my luggage and an extra room for stationary and packing supplies. After I got all of my organization supplies from the store, everything started moving faster. I have to say I love the final results, take a look:
- Make sure the closet you use as an extra room is over 5 feet wide. This will prevent a feeling of claustrophobia in the space.
- Take a week or two to order the necessary supplies for your room build. We are still in a pandemic, and DIY projects are in high demand. Your local store may not be able to fulfill your order in the time frame you would want.
- Take another week to sort what you don't need anymore. If you have a large closet to work with, then you may have hoarded some un-needed items. Get rid of anything you don't need to focus on the project.
- CLEAN! Scrub down your workspace with organic peppermint soap and hot water. You want your new room to smell like a new room and not like the old socks you stuck in the closet 5 years ago.
- Finally, enjoy your new room and what you've built! I didn't realize how much I really needed a stationary room until I built it for myself. Now I have everything organized in one place. I'm not Marie Kondo yet, but a girl can dream right.
