Home

All the juicy details on how we created an open concept closet and the ways it has revolutionized my wardrobe!

When we did our bedroom makeover, I kept flip-flopping over what to do with my closet.  Maybe I’d just keep my Pax wardrobe.  Maybe not.  We had a professional company come and customize the other existing closet space, which we thought could maybe hold mine and Adam’s things.  Not so much.  It did, however, go from a sad one bar closet to a beautiful organized display of Adam’s clothing (and my long dresses/jumpsuits).

With our limited bedroom makeover funds dwindling, my designer Jamie, from Amanda Hamilton, suggested that I either make the Pax work or find a very budget friendly solution.  This led me to a lot of soul-searching in terms of what wasn’t working about my Pax wardrobe, and why I’ve never in my life been able to keep my clothes and accessories organized.

WHY OPEN CONCEPT?

I have never been able to keep my bedroom tidy.  I’ve been drowning in a sea of clothing for as long as I can remember.  Clearly, a traditional closet wasn’t working for me, so perhaps it was time to try something out of the box (haha literally).  I knew that I had to learn how to adopt a more minimal lifestyle and that perhaps a change in wardrobe was the best way to lead me there.

This is the original photo that I found and thought would suit our space.  As a visual person, I had a feeling that an open concept closet system would actually end up working for me.  I made a short video to further explain why I chose this kind of closet and how it has changed the way I keep our bedroom organized.

HOW TO PREPARE

Edit, edit, and edit again.  If you are a bit of a clothing packrat and you are going to stay that way, then an open concept isn’t for you (and no judgment, because I lived that way until recently).  Here’s a post I did that might help you declutter your closet, and it includes a printable!

It took me months to purge our things.  I had to really decide what was serving me right now and not hold onto things that were from my past.  It required a LOT of letting go, but after all the work, I have to say, that it felt amazing.

Adam and I took apart our giant Pax wardrobe and cleared the corner where our new wardrobe would go.  When we took the sliding door down that was a full-length mirror, we realized that we could re-use it in the room which made us really happy!  Wanting it to be secure and done right, I hired my cousin’s husband to install my Pinterest inspired open concept closet and he went out to Home Depot for supplies.  Below is what we used and what our final measurements ended up being.

Read More

Your closet is overflowing.  So now what? 🤔

January is the perfect time to start a new minimal(ish), organized lifestyle.  I spent months and months purging our apartment last year and let me tell you, it felt amazing.  It’s so true that a decluttered home makes for a decluttered mind, I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.  I was finally able to organize the remaining items we had into clearly labeled boxes, or on display around our place.  And trust me, if this clutterbug can do it, so can you!

I was patient and went room by room, drawer by drawer.  As the first post in this organization series, I wanted to go over how I was able to tackle my disastrous closet!  It was crazy how many times I had to purge in order to get to the core pieces I actually wear and astonishing how much I ended up giving away or selling.  I mean, we’re talking bags and bags, it was out of control.

To get started, find a playlist that pumps you up to keep you motivated.  Wear minimal, stretchy and light things, this is going to take some manual labour!  You’ll be wanting to find spots for 4 categories: KEEP, DONATE, SELL, and MAYBE.  Don’t worry about buying storage bins until after these piles of clothes are complete, so that you know what size bin you’ll need.

In terms of donation, if you’re nearby in the lower mainland, I highly suggest the Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver.  They’ll come pick up you donation for FREE (how convenient is that?!) AND as of today, you’ll be entered to WIN a dream vacation for 2 + monthly prizes for your donation. More details further into this post.  So, what are you waiting for?  Get reading!

Read More

From a cluttered mess to a master retreat.

I had always dreamed of a bedroom that felt more like a sanctuary than a dumping ground for clothing.  But, no matter how much we decluttered, it never felt relaxing, or that to adults could possibly reside there.  Our big bedroom makeover has paid off in so many ways.  We each spend more time enjoying the one and only bedroom in our apartment.  It has been easier to stay organized and feel in control of the clutter.  The improvements have also created an environment that helps us have better sleeps!  A well rested family is certainly a happier family. I’ve highlighted some of the things that have made a difference in our now relaxing space below.  Hope you enjoy!

I’m Wearing: The comfiest black wrap jumpsuit from Cossac.  Seriously, my favourites rn.

Read More

Amanda Hamilton Design has changed our lives!

Adam and I had floated the idea of redecorating our bedroom around for a while.  Actually, years, if I’m being honest.  We truly hated the only room in our 700 square foot apartment, which meant that we didn’t like spending time in half our place.  The opportunity to work with Vancouver based Jamie from Amanda Hamilton Interior Design came up and we jumped.  It was time to finally spend the time and money to renovate our bedroom.

The biggest take away from working with interior designers, is that it NEVER would have happened without Jamie and Amanda.  Their professional design concept and guidance was that support we needed to make all the big decisions.  I learned so much throughout this process and have such an appreciation for what they do.

Remember what our bedroom looked like before?  It was a disaster.  We had oversized and mismatched furniture.  I had WAY too much stuff.  We weren’t utilizing any natural light or getting maximum square footage out of the room.  It felt cramped and functioned poorly.  And in terms of changes, we really didn’t even know where to start. Thanks to Jamie and Amanda’s vision, it’s a completely different room and I am SO excited for you to finally see it!  I have a million more posts about our bedroom makeover coming up, including a full room tour, details on each piece, how I changed to an open concept closet, etc. so hope you’re cool with that!  Scroll down to see our updated room and there’s a giveaway at the bottom!

Also, huge shoutout to the talented Meghan Bustard for taking these beautiful photos.  Hope you love it as much as we do!

Read More

Our bedroom has been in desperate need of a makeover from the very beginning.  When I moved in with Adam, we sold of his Ikea bedroom set and brought in mine.  A bed and 2 dressers that, at the time of purchase, my parents threatened “I had to keep for the rest of my life”  if he was going to spend that kind of money.  I think I took their words a bit too literally.  The makeshift wire shelf over top of a single bar closet system is the bane of my existence.  The amount of wasted space in there is astonishing.  As part of the tornado of clutter I brought into Adam’s life, we purchased an Ikea system in an attempt to contain my wardrobe.  Surprisingly, it was not enough space.  I usually keep a pile of clothing on my side of the bed instead.

Turns out, bringing in these mismatched oversized furniture pieces began my hatred for the room.  Nothing is symmetrical.  Adam’s “nightstand” is a chair with clutter on it.  I don’t even have one, I just open a drawer to the tall dresser and place my phone on it.  We lay in bed to face a mounted tv, that, when we moved in together, my dad insisted “was a necessity if we were to have a successful relationship”.  We’ve used it maybe 4 times total.  We’re lacking storage.  Nothing matches.  We never even open the curtains to let daylight in.  Our bedroom looks like a sad, pet-friendly dorm room.  The worst part?  I moved in 6 years ago.  We have lived like this for over 6 years.

As the housing market in Vancouver has gone bananas, we’ve decided to stay in our 700 square feet and make improvements.  So, following our second apartment flood, which gifted us with beautiful new floors, we have slowly but surely been updating the rest of our space.  It has been such a fun project for me, but when it came to our bedroom, I was stuck.

We saved up some money and enlisted the help of an interior designer.  It has been the best decision we’ve made with our apartment so far.  The amazing team at Amanda Hamilton Interior Design has been such a joy to work with and has left me wondering why we didn’t just ask for help sooner.

Read More

Our apartment has undergone a major transformation and I am so excited to finally start sharing some of it with you!  I’ve mentioned it a million times, but with some terrible luck, we just so happened to have two floods almost exactly a year apart (it’s always in February, so I’m understandably a bit on edge).  Though they were an absolute pain at the time, both taught us valuable lessons about our home.  First, we learned that we had WAY too much stuff.  Having to pack up your things with a days notice really makes you realize the weight of everything you own.  Also, that we’d become complacent to feeling ‘meh’ about our apartment.  It’s so easy to just live amongst within growing clutter, furniture you don’t love, or the same old decor.  Change requires effort, and let’s face it, a lot of the time that energy is justified elsewhere.  But, I’ll tell you, after basically being forced into redecorating when our second flood hit, we realized that we could learn to love our space again.

Though we allocated a more significant budget to larger furniture swaps like our dining table and chairs, a couch, our Sayulita Chair, and wall mounted shelves, we also added a lot of smaller touches that helped make our apartment feel brand new without breaking the bank.

Large Framed Print
Under $50

Inspired by all the beautiful fine art prints I’ve seen online, I decided to try a DIY version.  It seemed a waste not to use one of my own photos and it’s such a great conversation piece in our dining room.  The project ended up being extremely simple, the toughest part was that I had to shed a tiny bit off my printed photo in order for it to fit into the frame.  It’s so wonderful seeing the stunning Amalfi Coast on our wall every day, and I feel a real sense of pride that it’s my own photo (and that I managed to achieve the look for under $50).

Pictured: IKEA Ribba Frame ($20) and Large Photo Printed at Costco ($18)

Read More