Last week I told you about our plans for shelves in the guest room closet.

The project came about after I organized our tools in a Craftsman cabinet last month.

We had a tool storage nightmare. Tools were stored in: a tool bag, a tool box, semi-organized plastic shoe boxes, a plastic box in our hall closet, a chest of drawers and, most notably, wherever they happened to be laying in the house (since nothing really had a proper place, when we used a tool, it didn’t exactly get put away in a timely manner…).

The shelves were necessary because we still had paint cans everywhere and big tools in a chest of drawers. Last week’s post detailed measurements and calculations and why the vertical supports were necessary. After cutting shelves, priming and painting, the closet was ready for its close-up.

First thing to note: I painted the closet itself. I went with Olympic’s Ceiling White in semigloss. Yep, it’s the same color as the ceiling in the room! I like semigloss in closets because it’s more durable and things tend to get slammed against the walls in a closet.

And the shelving space itself. Ooh, pop o’ color!

The shelves: I used 1″ x 8″ pine boards, doubled up for deeper shelves.

Painting the wood: I primed with a Zinnser water-based no-VOC primer, then gave the shelves and supports two coats of untinted white semigloss. I let the paint cure a few days because semigloss is sticky if it’s not totally dry.

The gradient: Ah, yes. It’s a closet, so why not use a crazy color? It’s Pantone’s color of the year, Radiant Orchid, done with a gradient. I started with white, added a bit of purple and painted. Then added more purple and painted the next space. And so on.

The imperfection: As you can see, there are gaps between the shelves and the walls. Nothing major. Does this drive me crazy? Yeah. A little. But here’s something I learned: the walls in the closet are not perfectly square. The walls closer to the floor were more narrow and nothing squared up with the rectangle boards. It’s just an imperfection I have to live with. It doesn’t really matter though, because…

…Once the shelves are full, you hardly notice any gaps.

We have great storage for just about everything now! And plenty of space to fill out my power tool collection…

Project cost:

  • 1″ x 2″ x 6′: Seven pieces total, $3 each. $21
  • 1″ x 8″ x 4′: Five boards at about $9 each. I splurged on select pine boards instead of whitewood because it was knot-free and generally in better condition. $45
  • Primer: Already owned. Used about 1/3 of a quart.
  • White paint: Already owned. Used about 1/2 a quart.
  • Purple paint: $4
  • Total: $70

I’ve never purchased or hung ClosetMaid or RubberMaid closet systems, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this is either right on par with their costs or cheaper. Most importantly though, is that these shelves fit our purpose perfectly!

We can officially cross the closet off the big list of guest room projects

  • Paint the walls to brighten the room Done! Benjamin Moore Lacey Pearl
  • Install crown molding Done!
  • Swap out fan for new semiflush light Done! New light from Lamps Plus Open Box
  • Paint dresser and bed to match Done! Versailles by Annie Sloan Bed painting post forthcoming
  • Organize the disaster in the closet Done!
  • Install shelves in closet nook for better storage Done!
  • Paint closet (preferably with a semigloss to keep it clean) Done!
  • Find new curtains Done! Nate Berkus for Target.
  • New area rug Done! Rug from Joss and Main
  • Paint and hang new mirror
  • Hang botanical prints (This one is not happening)
  • Grab a couple of new throw pillows Done! – Just need to show it off!
  • Get a plain fitted sheet to throw over box springs Done! Nothing magical, but at least when you pull the duvet back, you’re not greeted by a beige box spring.
  • Work out better TV/bookshelf system

Unfortunately, since the botanical prints aren’t happening here, I need to come up with something new to cover the vast wall next to the bed.

Any ideas? Any awesome spring cleaning organizing happening in your house?

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