I have been putting this project off because I knew our clothes would be displaced to all over our bedroom and really had no idea how long this would take me. Not the best scenario.
Before Pictures
Before I began, I found these two side tables/dressers that I repurposed into nightstands so we could have a space for most all of our folded clothes. The original plan was to use them in the closet build but Chad fell in love with them at our bed side so I had to come up with another plan.
Nightstands Refinished
Before I began removing everything, Chad and I purged all of our unused items and old clothes we have been holding on to and donated them to a local thrift store! It feels so good to let go of “stuff” and in my opinion you literally feel lighter and create a much happier space with less. Strongly encourage you to do it!
Next I evaluated our needs, as everyone will have different amounts of drawer storage needed, hanging space, shoe storage etc. One of the main frustrations in our current closet was the shoes not having a home and the shelving where we put our folded clothes would always end up being a big unfolded mess! So for us, we needed a dedicated space for shoe storage and enclosed drawers to hide the folded clothes. I also really wanted to incorporate a mirror inside the closet for the purpose of making it feel larger than it is but without wasting valuable closet space. This closet is just under 7′ wide by 7′ long.
I came across this closet done by Cass Smith @cassmakeshome as major inspiration for my build! So I started my design based off this back wall. I loved the idea of adding a large mirror in the middle that could open up and I planned to make it a space for hanging my longer clothes like my dresses, rompers, dress pants, peacoat inside that cabinet. Since these are all items I do not use frequently I felt like making the mirror have the capability of opening as a door would not bother me. Below also shows the basic mood board I initially mocked up for color reference.
Now that we had a plan, let’s get to the items I used!
Mood Board Inspiration Pic
Materials to Build:
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- 6- 8ft 2x4s
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- 21- 8ft 1×2
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- 5 sheets of 3/4″ Sanded plywood
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- Table Saw (or ask the hardware store to rip plywood down to desired width)
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- 1 gallon Sherwin Williams Paint Color Delft
Accessories I used:
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- Hardware
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- Wallpaper
Since every closet is different I will not be adding specific measurements to the entire build. First up this back wall. I used frogtape to map out the design I wanted and to visualize the spacing of the shoe storage. I literally took a tape measure to Chad’s biggest shoe and decided to make the back wall cubbies that deep, which in this case was 13″.
Back Wall: shoe storage and mirror cabinet
I also had to do this to see what size mirror I could get in order to plan for the mirror door size that would be in the middle. I found this mirror on sale at Target for $84 and I loved the way the frame coordinated so well with the flooring we have throughout the house. The mirror was 24″ x 64″ so I just added 6″ each of those dimensions in order to accommodate a 1×3 border making the entire opening of my long hanging storage area 30″x70″. This allowed me to just divide the remaining length of my back wall into two separate equal sections for the shoe shelving.
I started by making a 2×4 platform base that was 19″ deep around the three walls of my closet so that it would allow for a more built in look when finished. After that I used 3/4″ sanded plywood and ripped down 3 sheets into 13″ strips. I used those to create the back wall as I wanted the entire depth to only be 14″ (13″ plus the width of a 1×2 face framing). For the door I chose to use premium pine and although it is a little more expensive, I used it here because it is much smoother and stronger to make for a cleaner looking frame. Once I had all of the shelving built I added face framing to everything using 1×2’s attaching them with brad nails.
Side Walls: hanging wardrobes/dressers
Left side
Next up I tackled building my side of the closet! I scored this dresser shown above off Facebook marketplace for $60 so I decided to make the remaining space on that side that I had between the dresser and my shoe shelves into a two tiered hanging wardrobe section. I built the wardrobe out of the same 3/4″ sanded plywood, essentially making a box and for the depth I went 14″ adding a shelf above each rod. The controversial part was that I closed off a portion of the shoe shelving. I did this to maximize the space as we plan to just store our shoes and hats that we don’t frequently use, back their. Once I built the wardrobe I made sure it was level and attached it to the studs in the wall and to both the dresser and the shelves. Lastly, I secured the dresser to the studs in the wall and framed everything out with 1x2s for the face framing.
Right side
Last section was Chad’s side! I could not find a secondhand dresser in time so I had to resort to purchasing one off of Amazon. I basically mimicked the same structure that I built for my side. The only differences were slight measurement shifts because of the different sizes of dressers. I also added a storage area for our hamper by sectioning off a 14″ slot on his bottom hanging clothes area that the hamper can nicely fit tucked away in.
I added a few details by placing shiplap above the back wall and on the 2 sides of the hanging wardrobes above the dressers. I also created baseboards by stacking a 1×2 with an old door frame molding I had that I ripped down to fit the height I needed.
Now that all of the build was done, I had all of the finish work to complete! I caulked all of the seams and added wood filler to any joints and nail holes. Once dry I gave everything a sanding with 220 grit and then cleaned everything in prep for paint. I only had to tape off the mirror and flooring since everything was going to be painted!
I first scuff sanded the cabinets with 220 grit and then used the Zinsser BIN Shellac primer on them to ensure the paint would adhere to the laminate surface. Next I primed everything with a Zinsser 1-2-3 primer I had on hand (it was tinted gray) using my paint sprayer. Finally it was time to paint with color!! I went with a color by HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams called Delft. (HGSW9134) It is such a pretty blue and I am so proud of myself for actually using a different color than green! haha
There you have it! I have a custom built in closet and we are now ready for all of the pretty finishing touches! We have so much more to come so be sure to keep following along on my instagram for real time progress as we tackle the ceiling, lighting, cabinet hardware, dowel rods, selecting hangers, and accessories!
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