I might not be the girliest girl that ever lived but I probably am. I love sequins, ruffles, fringe, shiny things, fur, and feathers. If it was at all appropriate to don these things at the grocery store on a Tuesday morning without being labeled as “the crazy lady who wears the stole” I would.
I am obsessed with collecting unique clothing, shoes, bags, and jewelry. I think of my clothing and accessories as my “collection” because it’s really the only thing I actually collect (and mostly refuse to get rid of). I have to sheepishly admit that when it comes to my threads I am a straight-up pay retail new only, kind of gal. But I don’t discriminate. Some are expensive designer pieces but most are not, and I find it extremely satisfying to mix and match everything to create new ensembles because I have a sickness that involves never wanting to be caught dead in the exact same outfit twice.
The problem with all this collecting and mixing and matching was my master bedroom closet, and how it was intentionally trying to upset me. My things were stacked up, jammed in, stuffed under, and over-organized to the point of never being able to be found again, ever. It gave me the temper tantrums! Regularly! And there’s nothing uglier than a 30 something year old woman having a full blown temper tantrum in her underwear, with a crooked tiara on her head.
If you are lucky, you are married to Mr. Big who reads your mind exactly, and surprises you with a luxurious penthouse-warming gift such as a perfectly designed dream closet. Or, if you are not Carrie Bradshaw, you may have a spare bedroom in your home that you can sacrifice (who needs houseguests anyway?) or possibly an underutilized room that you can seize while everyone’s asleep use. The latter is how I solved my closet temper tantrums since my husband is not Mr. Big.
Below is the room I had to work with. It’s a second floor “loft” at the top of the stairs that the previous owner haphazardly threw a loveseat in because they obviously didn’t have my hoarding tendencies imagination:
If you’ve ever priced out what it costs to build in a dream closet, you know that the range is anywhere from $5K (for pressed cardboard that pretends it won’t bow in three weeks) to a gold gilded tacky Trump version (however many hundreds of thousands that wastes). But I didn’t necessarily want this to be a permanent closet with built-in’s because I tend to become very restless with furniture and spaces that are not fluid (and plus it is kind of out in the open at the top of the stairs).
Enter any thrift store USA and you will see a wide selection of discarded 90’s era “media wall” furniture units that usually consist of 2 curio cabinets or side bookshelves and a middle armoire. As people replaced their square shaped 30 inch “big screens” they could no longer use these cabinets the way they were originally intended, so they get rid of them. All. The. Time. Often, the full wall media cabinets will be donated together (in 3 pieces) but priced separately. This, my friends, is the jackpot for cool boutique making pieces, which is exactly what you are looking for!
My closet project started with this extremely typical thrift store bookshelf:
It is 7 feet tall with several shelves, made of solid oak, and I picked it up at the Salvation Army store for $30. You won’t find that quality in build-it-yourself closet furniture, and you won’t find new solid wood pieces for that price either. It did require some painting work though, to cover up that white washed oak that I don’t love but always end up with. I treated it the same as with all the other furniture pieces that I paint:
- Clean with TSP substitute
- Prime with Bin or Zinsser (I recommend that you splurge on Spray paint here because it’s so much faster and works just as well)
- Latex paint of your choice
This oak bookshelf also had a false back that I removed for painting (it was just tacked on with some heavy duty staples) by gently lifting them out with an upholstery tool (but you could also use a screwdriver and pliers).
A few days after I found the bookshelf, I found these 2 gems:
I found them at a totally different thrift store than where I bought the bookshelf, even though they look similar because they are also white washed oak. They were donated as a set of three with an armoire in the center, but all three pieces were priced separately so I did not take the armoire. I knew I was going to use the bookshelf for my shoes in the center instead. These curios had glass doors, glass shelves, mirrored backs, and overhead lighting for display, but also a drawer and hidden storage underneath with a shelf. I knew these would be perfect for displaying my higher end handbags, hats and jewelry and that the drawer and shelves would work great for lingerie and sweaters. Plus, they were only $75 each!
Note: When you are looking for curio pieces, it is wise to hold out for something really unique with a lot of features (like mirror, glass, and lighting) because they get new ones donated on at least a weekly basis.
I cleaned them and painted all 3 cabinets to match (inside and out). Then, I glued a single run of fabric yardage that I bought for $4/yard at Old Time Pottery to the false back of the bookshelf and stapled the whole thing back on. I also spray painted the hardware in a glossy black lacquer. Here is the after with all 3 pieces put together:
About a year or so prior to my closet makeover, I had purchased an industrial style retail garment rack for $25 from a going-out-of-business sale (seen above). I had really just planned to use it for yard sales. When I did this closet, I found another one that was EXACTLY THE SAME on Craigslist for $30. The height is adjustable on each side making them perfect for garments of any length. Because they are so sturdy, I don’t have to worry about the weight of my clothes collapsing them.
Here is the other side of my dressing room:
I bought a few other “waterfall” style hooks on Amazon for about $6 each and then hung frames around them that I purchased at Goodwill for $2 each. This helped solidify the boutique look of my dressing room. I also put my wedding dress on display, and I love looking at it every day, vs it just being stuffed in the back of my old closet.
Now I have a place to pick out and try on my clothes, apply my makeup, and display all of my favorite girly things. The daybed doesn’t hurt either, for those nights when my husband works the lumber from bed. The curtains hung over the wall “cut-outs” provide privacy in this otherwise open loft room.
I think every girl should have a room like this to make herself beautiful in, don’t you?
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