Home Improvement

It isn't even three full months into 2013 and I've already fallen below my goal of writing at least one blog post per week. My apologies to my few loyal readers for neglecting my blog. I have so much blog reading to catch up on too, and can't wait to read about what's going on in the lives of my blogging friends. 

So, although my blog shows a definite lack of attention, other areas of my life have been getting some much needed attention. For my birthday this year I asked Mike to re-do my closet. This might seem like a strange gift to some people, but Mike is a master carpenter and I could never afford work of his quality if I had to pay for it. As the pictures below show, I was in desperate need of a closet makeover. My house was built in 1942, and like all houses built during that era, the closets are very small by today's standards. 

I was anxious for work to commence and dismantled the existing closet rails one evening while Mike was at work. I even tore up the carpet, as I knew I had hardwood underneath and was anxious to see the condition of it. My long-term plan is to tear out all the carpeting in my upstairs and refinish my hardwood floors, so the closet floor was going to be the prototype for stain color and finish. 

After a couple of trips to the hardware store, it was finally time for construction to begin. My garage was temporarily turned into a wood shop, and I braced myself for the mess that always comes with construction projects, no matter how big or small. 

Did I mention I could never afford to have custom work of this quality done? Not only that, only Mike would put up with my last-minute changes and modifications to his plan. Soon things started to take shape and there were shelves in place. Lucy and Sophie helped us with load testing. It's always a good idea to know if your closet shelves can hold a 80-pound Labrador and a 15-pound Shih Tzu/Schnauzer, right?

Although the project has taken longer than I wanted, it's getting very close to being done. I've reclaimed my garage, and all the millwork and installation is finished. The only things left are adding some lighting, putting a clear coat of sealer on all the wood, and varnishing the floor. Speaking of which, I love, love, love how the hardwood looks with the stain color I chose! I can't wait to do the rest of my upstairs. Here are some pictures of the almost finished project. My hanging space has increased by several feet, I have upper shelves on three sides instead of two, corner shelves, and a shelf for shoes near the floor with storage space underneath. I plan to upholster a piece of plywood for the door interior, add hooks and use the space for hanging necklaces, belts and scarves. What do you think? I love it and can't wait to start using it.