I can’t believe it’s been over a year since I transformed my spare bedroom into a master walk-in closet (more here)! And now that we’ve completed my entire apartment revisioning (read all about it on House Beautiful), including new updates to the closet, I realized I needed to revisit this space again — we’ll call it spring cleaning.

But before we get to that, I wanted to share the updates we made to this room that really transformed the entire feeling and mood. 

There’s no denying the “transformative power” behind paint. After moving in, I remember telling myself that I needed to immediately remedy the old, discolored walls by combating it with a crisp, fresh white paint. And so I did. But now that I’ve had more time to learn and know what I love, I decided to repaint the closet with a shade of pale green — Benjamin Moore’s Guilford Green — on the walls and ceiling. It was still a neutral option (a subtle tropical tone), but with a beautiful pop that served as the perfect backdrop. Not only did it contrast so well with my clothes and rattan accents, but also the Capiz Scalloped Chandelier I added!

When it comes to texture, I went ahead and dressed my window up with a thick white curtain since my walls were now a pale green. We made it feel even more grand and open by mounting the window treatment as high as possible (another fun trick I picked up here). 

Then, I rolled out the sisal rug — a versatile element that works well with any aesthetic. It doubles as a neutral and/or statement depending on how you layer it, too. For me, I chose to keep it as neutral as I could…allowing my clothes, interior decor and architectural accents to draw the eyes up.

My custom closet is from The Container Store; it’s the Elfa line! Looking back, I wished I would have splurged on a “luxe” version for aesthetic reasons, but also understand it’s a temporary solution and the alternative (i.e. no custom closet) would have meant piles of clothing and rolling racks (like my previous apartment). Therefore, the cost per use is justifiable. In my next home, I’ll most likely change things up and use my shelving in a baby’s room or in our storage closets.

But back to spring cleaning! It’s time to touch on some tips I used to reorganize my closet this season. Because I’ve established a pretty organized foundation already, my closet didn’t just need a deep clean, but a purge. The first items I said good-bye to were my outdated trend-driven pieces. Next, were garments I haven’t worn in a year and ones that I’ve grown out of that don’t speak to my style anymore (which is classic, comfortable, feminine…). My goal is to continue to curate and sustain a timeless wardrobe, which means buying intentional pieces that can work as staples as well as statements depending on how I style it.

I also used linen premium non-slip velvet hangers to maximize space as much as possible! Sure, these hangers can get stuck to one another (especially when you have such a limited amount of room), but are worth it because you save so much space and create uniformity. 

And baskets! The more, the merrier. I use them to store swimsuits, old t-shirts (sorted by color), dancewear and socks. The plastic bins are for boots and are stored at the very top of my closet since I don’t wear them often. 

Honestly, it’s a continued process that I enjoy going through. As I’ve learned, we’re always evolving and so is everything around us. It makes sense to clean and create space for what’s important and remove the items that no longer add value or have become the things someone else is waiting for.

Xo, Stephanie

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[Photography by Chelsae Anne Sahlman]