| BEFORE REMODEL | When I realized that my clothes spent more time in baskets and piled on the floor than they did in my actual closet, I decided it was time for a remodel. But it would have to be an inexpensive remodel, because money is tight right now. So I sat down and made a list of the issues I wanted to fix:
Looking at the picture on the left, I’m sure you can see the main problem right away: the dresser. It’s stealing most of the closet space and making those deep, dark corners. After some consideration, I decided that I wanted double rails like I had seen in many closets online, but for that to happen, the shelf at the top of the closet had to go. Additionally, the metal closet rod tended to sag towards one end, which was just annoying. In the end, I determined that I would need some sort of railing, some way to hold it up, a light of some sort, screws, cord guides/staples, and – of course – tools. |
SUPPLIES:
| TOTAL PROJECT COST: $39.23 |
| I was able to pick up all my supplies right here in town at the various hardware stores. The PVC pipe was much less expensive than buying custom closet rods and it worked just fine as the closet rods. I put in an extra bracket to support the top rail and prevent sagging in the middle. Plus, Woods Ace Hardware was happy to cut the pipe to the right lengths for me. The end caps gave the rods a finished look and eliminated rough edges which might catch on my clothes. The 8” cable ties worked perfectly to hold the PVC pipe into the rod supports (which are open on the top), allowing me to hang heavy clothes on one end without worrying about the rod jumping out of the supports. I hung the under-cabinet light above the door on the inside of the closet, but the cord ended up being too short, so I had to buy a 3’ extension cord in order to reach the outlet. Since the light switch for the light is on the case and therefore out of my reach, I installed a cord switch near the end of the cord and mounted it on the wall just inside the closet door. Now I won’t need a ladder to turn the light on and off. Finally, I hung up my clothes. Lots of room, organized, no dark corners, and no shelf to collect clutter and dust. Yay! I love it so far, and I’m washing the rest of my laundry right now so I can finally put it away where it belongs. | IN PROGRESS |
| | AFTER REMODEL | |
