Entry closet makeover

It is October. I find it fitting that I reveal my latest closet redo during the month of Halloween. I call it my personal little chamber of horrors!  :o

The entry way closet of my home was an ugly little secret. I found myself quickly opening and closing it when guests arrived and coats needed to be hung or retrieved. Last winter, I caught myself encouraging guests to park their coats and wraps on a sofa in another room. The truth: I was embarrassed by my unsightly closet, but chose to deny its ugliness instead of facing how I detested its look and doing something about it. But recently I could ignore it no longer. That was the first step. I chose to turn my back on denial and face the truth-- it was begging for a makeover!

Take a peek. I warn you...it is s-c-a-r-y...

See what I mean? Wallpapered from floor to ceiling. :(  {Anyone know if this wallpaper is from the 1940s?} It had lived in that closet for more years than I wanted to think about. There was even a panel on the interior of the door graced with its yellow and brown stripes. 

My original plan was to use an oil-based paint applied over the wallpaper. But I knew that was not the correct prescription for me. I would always know-- even if others did not-- what lurked under the paint. So wisely and thankfully, I nixed that plan.

Note that there is a little "practice" tear. My hope was that the glue was so old that it had completely disintegrated and the paper would fall off the walls with little effort.

Guess what? No such luck! So next step was to move into action! No more denial-- looking the ugliness right in the face, I was ready to roll up my sleeves, rev up my muscles, and get to work! I perforated the wallpaper with a "PaperTiger" scoring tool and then sprayed it with "Dif" wallpaper stripper. I highly recommend them...both are Zinsser Products. This is how the closet work progressed.

Are you cowering with your security blanket yet?

This project was time-consuming. It was a roller coaster ride with feelings of excitement, determination, fear. It was a series of moments of achievement and seeming failure. There were moments of regret that I had begun this effort. But determination kept prevailing.

With the bottom two-thirds void of wallpaper and glue, there was still the upper third to remove. More scoring. More applications of spray gel. More scraping. This paper had lived there so long it did not want to move out!

And then came the scrubbing, scrubbing, scrubbing to be sure all glue residue was history!

The ugly fall hues-- gone! {I love autumn colors-- just not in my closet!} Now on to the fun part-- time to apply fresh white paint! First to the ceiling and walls...

...and next, to the wood trim...and that bottom panel of the door.

Okay, on to the finish! New shelving was positioned in place.

I wanted to add a unique touch that brought the closet in line with the spirit of our home. I decided to include a message for all who opened that door. Whether coming home for the day or going out, it is conveying comfort and warmth.

This was accomplished with application of vinyl letters using a level and measure to keep it all aligned. I also refreshed the wooden rod with a light sand.

No entry closet is complete without storage for gloves, scarves, and other gear. I opted for uniform wooden hangers. The texture and color of woven baskets adds to the closet decor.

I found the perfect storage to place on the floor.

I love a scary story that has a happy ending.

BEFORE

AFTER

Yes, it was worth all the sweat and tears. :)

Sharing with
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