Cleaning out the closet

As we finally start to get post-Pennsic life washed,  sorted and put away,  I get to show off what was probably the most useful project this year. 

In February, we were over at Adam's sister's house and she showed off her closet makeover, and I was instantly jealous.  Being awesome (and hyper organized) she offered to come give me a hand.  And the closet that needed her attention most was our garb closet. 

We're lucky to have a huge closet in our living room,  supposedly a leftover from our house's brief stint as a nursing home when our living room was subdivided into a bedroom.   It had a ton of space,  but the clothing rod had broken, there was a bookshelf stuffed in that we couldn't get to, and things just...piled up.   

Really piled up.

It was impossible to get dressed for events because of the chaos.  It made my eye twitch just thinking about trying to find something in the mess.  

 Anne's closet system was all freestanding using upright tensioner rods and available on Amazon prime.  Perfect situation, as our house was built in 1880 and the stud placement is illogical.  I measured, ordered and planned out what I needed.   Anne and Adam's mom, Mary, came over in February to help me tackle this massive project.  Moving everything OUT of the space was one of the biggest issues as it took up the entirety of the living room.  But once we had a free space,  the racks could go up and then there was the equally enormous job of sorting everything to put it back in.  

But after an afternoon of work,  we had a functional garb closet.  

The right side and middle is all space for clothes.  A rack for hoods and shawls, one for dresses and aprons, and Adam has one for coats and pants and another for tunics.  

We turned the bookcase so that it fills one end and makes a better use of space.  Drawer organizers hold jewelry, socks,  hats and belts.  Puck lights tap on to light the shelves (great when I leave packing for an event until very late the night before).  There's a big bin on the floor that holds things that no longer fit or have been replaced as we upgrade our wardrobe, so it's ready for donation.  

And best of all,  it makes Pennsic reentry way easier.