Our Home over 5 years ago by Liz Adams

Charlie’s Closet Makeover with The Container Store

Shop the post: Elfa Classic in White, Hampton Woven Storage Bins, Kids Premium Velvet Hangers, Beach House Storage Bins with Handles, Large Clear Drawer Bin (for lotions, etc.), Clear Locking Tote

When we first moved into our house there were areas that we knew we wanted to tackle but weren’t super high on the priority list. Closets were one of those “to-dos” but I personally wanted to allocate our budget elsewhere. I feel like it is an area of the home that you just kind of make do with, especially in a 92 year old house where space is limited and you have to get creative. It wasn’t until we had Jack and started accumulating more stuff that I realized the importance of a well thought out storage space. Charlie’s room has one of the biggest closets in the house and is used to store (read: hide) all of the kid’s things that have nowhere to go. In a couple years we hope to have the boys share a room which means this closet will have to store two sets of things and I knew we needed a solution to avoid the anxiety I feel every time I open these doors—ha! Enter the The Container Store, your solution to every closet ever.

Honestly, when I look at photos of Charlie’s closet before, I remember thinking how are we going to make this work? Do we have to take down a wall or push a wall back? I couldn’t visualize how we could successfully create a space with purpose. I had heard about The Container Store’s Elfa system but had never realized how useful it is for any space. It is completely customizable for literally any spot in your home—pantry, closets, storage rooms, garage, laundry room—the list goes on. Here are some before photos of Charlie’s closet (don’t judge)…

Travel bags, excess hangers, school projects, diapers that no longer fit, an old laundry hamper storing clothes to donate—it was a total hot mess. As the boys grow I know that the stuff is going to grow too and I wanted to spot for everything. When The Container Store reached out to me about helping us with this project I was so incredibly excited (honestly maybe one of my favorite projects to date). Whenever I walk in their store I visualize the type of person I can be but never know where to start. Turns out an Elfa closet is where you should start and then everything else will look pretty—I promise. 

First of all, the entire process of designing and installing this closet was a dream. I had Dave measure the space himself (you can also have someone come out and measure for you!) and then a Container Store designer completely reimagined the space. When we started the design process we decided on the Elfa Classic in white and went back and forth on a few features. How many closet rods? Do we want to add drawers? Do we want a place for shoes? There were so many features that I wanted but we decided that maximizing storage was the best route. Since the boys will eventually share a room and eventually have more hanging clothes, we did a top and bottom closet rod to accommodate both of them. We initially planned to have drawers but given that the space wasn’t that big and because we also have a large dresser in the room I decided on wider shelves with baskets/bins for organization. The designer really talks you through your needs/wants and what they think would be best for the space, no matter the size! I love how clean and bright everything looks together. We also added an angled metal shelf at the bottoms to hold shoes.

The installation process was so seamless and everything was completed within a couple of hours. Every time I open Charlie’s closet I’m secretly so jealous and can’t wait to do the same for our own closet. Right now The Container Store is offering 25% off closet essentials! Including our Hampton Woven Storage Bins and Kids Premium Velvet Hangers! Perfect time for Spring organization and cleaning! So what do you think of the transformation? Game changer, right!?

Shop the post: Elfa Classic in White, Hampton Woven Storage Bins, Kids Premium Velvet Hangers, Beach House Storage Bins with Handles, Large Clear Drawer Bin (for lotions, etc.), Clear Locking Tote

In collaboration with The Container Store!