It's time to get organized... Closet Day 1!

I have a dirty little secret. I am a horrible organizer. Current case in point: my closet! This disorganization is compounded by my love of clothes, shoes, purses, etc! Luckily since making the move to one income I have been very disciplined about no shopping. But many, many years of this near shopping addiction have taken a toll on my closet space. I have watched TLCs What Not to Wear with envy as the hosts filter thru the fashion victims full wardrobe and enviously wanted to have the magic 30 pieces that can be mixed and matched to create a new and polished look everyday without the hassle of digging thru my chaos of a closet. So this will be my first blog project... Closet makeover!

I think that an issue compacting my disorganization is my lack of drawer space. I have not had a set of drawers since those horrific plastic ones we all had packed into our college dorm closets. As you can imagine its hard to stay organized when you have no drawers! I have a huge walk in closet with a half of one of the walls filled with that cheap plastic shelving. These shelves hold my tshirts, workout clothes, and pajamas in no particular order. It's a nightmare to find anything and I spend so much time digging thru the stacks looking for something. Just thinking about getting dressed stresses me out.

I realized that until I get some drawer access organization is going to be hard to come by. After scouring Craig's List for many months, I was stumped and frustrated. I was dying for a solid wood piece with adequate drawer space that I could beautify for a great price. My wonderful hubby turned out to be the best shopper and while enjoying a happy hour beverage in our neighbors garage saw that they were donating a beautiful and LARGE Bassett dresser and matching mirror to Goodwill the next day! Not only did they happily say we could have it for free, they also helped move it into our garage where it sat for 3 months as I mulled over the transformation (see why I need a blog to keep me motivated?)

Of course, I finally decided on the plan right around the time I found out I was pregnant which meant I could delegate the painting to my husband... Score! So here is the brief run down:

Rustoleum Heirloom White for the actual wood surfaces and the mirror was an easy choice. The main surface of the dresser was not made of wood so I wanted something a little different since I was not sure how well the paint would stick. Enter the miracle product, Rub N Buff! I rubbed and buffed several coats of the Pewter color to achieve a worn metallic looking dresser top. I must say that I love it! It reminds me of those beautiful zinc top farmhouse dining tables that I adore! Since the hardware was brass, I also gave it a light coat of RNB as well to achieve a very weathered look. (the pics below don't quite do it justice with the flash!)

And this lovely piece has found its way into my closet and I LOVE it! But alas, my closet is still a disorganized mess since I have avoided doing anything other than getting it in the closet with the craziness of the holidays. So this week the pressure is on! I am going to make it happen!

Below are some pictures of the before and after of the dresser along with it living in my closet now. I am embarrassed to even include the actual current shot of my closet but hope that it will push me to make it happen! (And yes that is a step ladder in my closet covered with layers of clothes!)