Bedroom Conversion to Closet

Squash Empty-nester Blues by Building Your Dream Closet!

When my second son (out of two) left for college, my husband and I found ourselves as new “empty-nesters.” I was immediately grief-stricken. The loneliness was often too much to bear. While lamenting my loss to a close friend one day, she asked: “so what are you going to do with the extra two empty rooms now that the boys are gone?” Hmmm, I hadn’t really given that any thought before. After all, the thought of my boys’ rooms as empty made my heart sink.

Then, one night as I was laying in bed, I had a genius idea! ‘What if I turned Nick’s room into my dream closet?’ I pondered. That’s when things began to change for me, both figuratively and literally. The excitement of designing my own walk-in closet was the jolt I needed to break me out of the doldrums. The new closet real estate also meant that I no longer had to share our current walk-in closet with my husband. I love the guy, but to be honest, he is not the neatest pig in the pen, if you know what I mean? With pencil and sketchbook in hand, I began to design my perfect, fabulous, retail retreat space. Hanging a few random rods between walls was not going to cut it for my closet!

Nope, I needed functional and fabulous! Fortunately, I work for one of the world’s most admired manufacturers of organizational products. But seeing our products is not the same as using our products. So, I decided to do some independent research to determine the best solution for my needs. I tested out several of our products and below is a list of the six most useful items I found when creating my closet expansion. I have also included a few helpful tips for your consideration should you want to try this yourself.

Helpful Tips:

• Stick with one simple or complementary pattern to keep the closet looking cohesive.
• Start by organizing your closet essentials by type. Label each large box with its content. For example, shoes, handbags, hats, scarves, etc.
• Once items are categorized, determine what organizational piece would work best for your closet size. Remember to look for form AND function. It is best if items can be stored neatly and easily identified.

Top 7 Most Useful Closet Organizational Pieces:

1. Legging and Scarf Holder – adds customized storage with over-rod hanger. Keep your leggings organized by grouping them together by color, or weight of material. There are multiple sections to hang garments. Use several to save as much space as possible.
2. Handbag Hanger – This set of handbag hangers is ‘clutch’ for any closet (see what I did there?). The organizer holds purses of many shapes and sizes, long straps or short, wide widths or narrow. Your favorite bags will be organized, easy to find and ready to go when you need them. This vertical hanging valet makes it quick and easy to make an accessory change, so your purse matches your outfit. They tuck neatly into your closet or hang from the wall.
3. Freestanding Storage Drawers & Garment Rack - really two pieces in one. The top piece is a wardrobe hanger and the bottom stand is a three-drawer dresser. Pieces can be used separately or together. These are amazing pieces to add when you have extra space to fill in your closet. They offer function and fabulosity! Use each piece separately or combine into a single unit.
   
4. Hanging Boot & Shoe Organizer – has 12 separate compartments to neatly store your everyday shoes as well as side pockets to stash accessories.
5. Hanging 6 Compartment Closet Organizer – it is equipped with six roomy shelves to hold sweaters, hats, or any stackable garment.
6. Fabric Storage Box – great for hats, off-season sweaters, or pashminas. Stack them side by side or one atop the other, whichever works best for your space. They keep dust off and items stay neat and intact. 
7. Over Door Fabric Pockets – take advantage of unused space behind your door and store clutches, pashminas, flip flips and any other accessories in need of a home.

All these items helped me to realize my dream closet. Sadly, we have since moved from that house or I would have posted actual pictures of the completed project. But my closet project really did help me get over the empty-nester blues. Who knew that such a random, simple idea to convert my son’s empty room into an amazing closet space, would bring me so much joy? But it did! And if you’re experiencing the same this fall, just give it a try. You will love the change!

Joyce Colovas is a Content Writer at mDesign
and an avid lover of all things fun and fabulous!

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