May as well be new clothes!

I've been neglecting my closet for ages because I've wanted to create an organized system of something more than one shelf and one long hanger. Once I decide I'm not happy with something, I kinda treat it badly by ignoring it, and not keeping it in a organized or clean fashion.... sound familiar? Well typical for me! (My kitchen floor is also in this category --Moving along.)
Also... Aren't closet "systems" totally expensive??? Ya... Start looking at all the shelving and you soon feel like you can't afford to have your clothes all organized.
I was talking to the sweet Jennifer Gallacher about closets and "systems" a while back, and she told me that she has the racking type of organizers that yes looks all perfect and customizable, but she doesn't like how nothing is sitting on a flat surface, and clothes have "grill marks". (That's not how she put it :)
Those systems are in every DIY store... so I had thought that would be the route I'd take, until she told me she didn't like them!!

This first photo is taken as I partially emptied it for my big ol' Make-Over. I think it's easier to see the closet w/o all the mess. So here's the mess.

And don't think this isn't tidy mess... I'm not gunna share a true pic of how bad it was!

This is what had to go... partially painted white walls, a shelf that wrapped around the closet in a U shape, and one long sagging rail. I fully expected the rail to give way before I ever got to this point, so I consider myself pretty lucky.

I decided that I wanted to build a system of movable shelves, a long time ago, so I've been collecting supplies as I found them. It was at the beginning of the summer I found a box of 24 shelf supports at a yard sale. They were old, I could see by the stickers on them, but they seemed unused. When the lady told me the box was 50 cents... I said something along the lines of "sold". Not questioning her craziness.

Then at another yard sale... A REALLY good one with all hardware supplies like a hardware store in a driveway... I found 6 foot uprights for my shelf supports... and the guy wanted like a dollar and a quarter each!!! Also new!!! I bought six, not knowing anything more than I had 6 studs in that wall, and I would be on my way to my a tidy closet.

So... here we are, stuck into the project before I remembered to take a photo. I got out the post-it's and painters tape after painting the walls and ceiling white. With my stud finder I marked all of the studs, and planned where my upright supports were going to go. Then I screwed them into the wall using a spirit level.

These plastic beauties are what I found at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. They don't really give you a breakdown of prices when you go there, so I don't know what exactly I paid, but it was pennies, not dollars.... I got a bunch of them so I would have enough to play with.

This photo shows the original length, and the length I had to cut them to to fit perfectly. I just used a hand saw.

Then I stuck in some shelf supports, and started cutting shelves to length! The plastic rail supports I screwed into the bottom of the shelves, and then used L brackets to hold the shelves in place. Which needs more explanation actually..... You can't put a rail and clothes under a shelf at the shelves edge without the back of the shelf tipping from the weight. So, with an L bracket, I put one edge on top of the back of the shelf, and the other edge against the wall, and screwed it in to the wall -at a stud. This stops the back of the shelf from going anywhere when clothes get hung near the front edge. Clear as mud?

Oh ya, must mention the rails...... LOL Yes, from yet another yard sale!!

And yes... I attract these things to me by planning my projects in my head and on paper before I ever start. Knowing what I need, and "putting it out there" means I come across bargains like this one!!! Yes 75 cents for a rail that is NOT bent. I totally could have used the one I took down, but if I don't have to use bent, I won't. And it was the same length as the one I had... so just what I needed!

I cut it to length with a pipe cutter. These baby's are super cheap, they just take some work on the part of your hands. I'd love one that was ergonomic.

Shelves going up... nearing completion...... You can't believe my excitement!

Oh... shelf cost... I didn't buy all my shelves at once... see planning... you don't want to over buy either. (These were by far the most expensive part of the project.) An 8 foot length of white malamine board, which is basically laminated chipboard costs $12 each. A 4 foot length is $7 each. Plan well, and use less board. Look at my one long board... It's a rail holder and a shelf on the right... Eh? Wink wink!

And this is why I say it's like having new clothes. They're all where I want them... Not getting neglected now.

TFL