We had a busy busy weekend! Our hall closet has been a nightmare for a while. With broken bifold doors and no real storage options, it was a major pain in the butt. I had most of my craft stuff just shoved in there while we kind of hid it behind the ugly broken shutter doors. After the fifteenth sewing project dominating my dining table, it was time to take action. This kind of action:
I emptied that sucker out and ripped out the horrible closet bar/shelf combo! It left a hole, as you can see. No worries, I did the lazy thing and covered it with my diploma 
That strange box at the bottom is the plumbing access for our master bath. Once I had this empty, I painted it with two coats of Behr’s Boston Fern. It’s a very neutral green, and I love it.
Here’s a fun in-progress shot. We bought 1 sheet of plywood, eight 1×2′s and two 2×2′s for the materials. It only cost fifty bucks. What I did was outline my table height, and then screw the 1×2′s into the studs to create cleats. We set the plywood on top, then framed it out with more 1×2′s and finishing nails for trim. We used the 2×2′s for support on the outer corners.
See what I mean? The screws are 2″ long and go straight into studs. The plywood is nailed down into them, and screws attach the 2×2′s. It’s so simple, and with furring strips and floor-grade plywood, the costs are really cheap!
I made things look slightly fancier by going crazy with the DAP. It’s a wall spackle, but I used it to fill in the gaps of the trim and some of the gnarlier sections on the plywood. It’s a heckuva lot easier than sanding.
Unfortunately my hallway is super narrow so I can’t get a full-on shot. But the lower section now houses a handy filing cabinet, and some of my larger storage pieces.
I made the desk 28″ tall so I could easily do some sewing or blogging. The shelves are set at 15″ high. The whole thing is 20″ deep. Oh, and I recycled the closet shelf for the top piece, so it’s actually only 11.5″ deep, perfect for storing quilts and sewing supplies.
The really fun part was organizing all the shelves. There’s so much space! I was shocked to see that they barely filled up with the supplies that crowded my last craft closet.
Those hat boxes hold ribbon, and I’ve got a small box of portfolio pieces, magazine storage, and some small decor.
All my craft books hang out on the upper shelf, while my office supplies and sewing kit fit snugly below. I even have room for my paper cutters and xyron!
It’s perfect for this space, and so nice to finally have a little organization to it all! Plus we no longer have to trip over those obnoxious doors.
This was only a 3-day after work project. It took one evening to paint the walls and buy the lumber, an evening to build it (the build was very quick and painless!) and an evening to paint the new built-ins. I know closet organization can seem really scary and expensive, but trust me when I say it’s not at all! It’s so easy and affordable. We had the plywood cut down at Lowe’s before we took it home because they have a giant saw system that keeps the lines completely straight. All you have to do is measure your space, plan out what your needs are and get building!
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Debbie
February 20, 2012 at 2:31 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Did you have an outlet in the closet already or did you have to add one?
killer b.
February 20, 2012 at 2:47 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I had my husband add it in, he’s an electrician. Since we had that pipe access it was really easy for him to do.
Ashley @ DesignBuildLove
February 20, 2012 at 2:41 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
as usual Brooke… you never cease to amaze me! LOVE your new “cloffice!” I am currently embarking on various closet overhauls… ya, seriously… multiple! Pinning your closet for reference!
PS- I totally agree that closet organization can be super cheap and easy if you just have the right tools!
Also, I LOVE the paint color! My parent’s last house had an office that was painted a very similar color and it was amazing! We loved it!!!
Can’t wait to see all your creations coming outta here!
killer b.
February 20, 2012 at 2:48 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thank you Ashley! That shade of green is probably my favorite color ever. So energizing! It’s so exciting that you’re doing some makeovers too! I think empty closets are such wasted space. It’s so much better when they’re filled with shelves and organizers!
Amanda
February 20, 2012 at 7:34 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
It looks fantastic! I love all the built in storage!
Sarah
February 20, 2012 at 10:24 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
All this space looks luxurious!
Lauren
February 20, 2012 at 10:24 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
What an amazing transformation! I love how you made such great use out of a closet!
Cassie
February 21, 2012 at 1:34 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Brooke, it looks awesome!! You are such a crafty design inspiration.
Jimmy
February 21, 2012 at 10:27 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Love the closet-to-office conversion. I finished a similar conversion recently myself. Though I must say, I think I prefer the way you made your shelves to mine. I like the open middle a lot. Nicely done.
killer b.
February 21, 2012 at 10:43 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thank you Jimmy! I played around with the design in my head for a while, and I’m really happy with how it turned out
Geek in Heels
February 22, 2012 at 9:48 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
As always, a fantastic project! I only wish we had a hallway closet so we could do something similar!
Kelly
February 22, 2012 at 12:30 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I love your closet space! I have a similar green closet but without the cool built ins – have you thought of hanging curtains so if you wanted to close off the space it would be behind something pretty?
killer b.
February 22, 2012 at 1:29 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’m thinking of just leaving it open. Though it would be nice to hide an abandoned project from time to time. Now I’ll be on the lookout for some pretty curtains!
sara @ applestone drive
February 24, 2012 at 9:40 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
What a wonderful transformation! Stopping by from the Tatertots & Jello party.
I especially love the polka dot baskets! Great job!
sara @ applestonedrive.blogspot.com
killer b.
February 24, 2012 at 9:42 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thank you Sara! Those baskets were a score from Wal Mart for $2.50 each!
Carol@arewethereyet
February 25, 2012 at 10:19 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
This is really cute – I am in the process of transforming the guest room walk-in closet to my craft “room” – I love what you did here – Maybe I’ll “borrow” a couple of your ideas!
Found your blog via the blog hop – would love for you to come check me out –
Thanks!
Carol @arewethereyet
Latoya @ The Scott's Crib
February 26, 2012 at 12:49 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Awesome job! I think I’m a little jealous:)
Jill @ Strawberry Blonde Life
March 2, 2012 at 2:20 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’ve seen so many converted closets on Pinterest, and I always scoff thinking no one ever actually converts a closet into a workspace. Thanks for proving me wrong and showing me that it’s not too scary of a prospect!
Kendall
March 7, 2012 at 10:35 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Saw this on Pinterest, looks amazing. Thanks for sharing. And sic’ Em bears! Love the diploma in the middle!
killer b.
March 7, 2012 at 11:14 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thank you Kendall! Gotta show my Baylor pride
February Organize-A-Thon: The Round-Up « Love & Renovations
March 7, 2012 at 5:02 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[...] come over to my house and build me a craft closet exactly like yours? I’m smitten! You can check out her full post for a ton of details on how she did it, along with more [...]