DIY Open Concept Closet

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.

Editor’s Note: My talented designer styled the closet for these photos.  Though it looks amazing and minimal, it definitely has not looked like this since.  The amount of clothes hanging is actually probably quadruple this (and that sounds like too much, but it somehow still looks airy and organized).  You can see the current state of it in my YouTube video! 

ITEMS USED AND COST

Brackets from Home Depot $15 | Everbilt 10-3/4 Inch White Shelf and Rod Bracket

Adjustable Rod from Home Depot $21 | Everbilt 48 Inch – 72 Inch White Adjustable Closet Rod

Pine Shelf from Home Depot $40 | Pine Shop Shelving

4 Drawer Dresser from IKEA $299 | Nordli 4 Drawer Dresser

TOTAL COST: $372 CAD (+ labor) and a Saturday

HOW WE BUILT IT

Okay, so initially, we were going to do a 40″ closet rod across and put this 10″ CB2 mirror beside it, kind of like the original inspiration.  When my handyman Kevin showed me what this would look like, I decided that it just wasn’t worth it for me to miss out on the extra 23″ of hanging space.  Plus, I wanted to just repurpose our existing IKEA mirror, so it all worked out.

Going off the measurements of the Nordli dresser, we made the brackets, rod and shelf 63″ across to create a cohesive look.  We cut the shelf down to be 16″ deep, which provides a few inches hanging over the clothing rack.

In terms of height, we hung the bracket so that the top of it/the shelf sat around 75″ off the ground.  The dresser is 21.5″ tall, so that allowed a good amount of space for hanging clothes.  Take note, that I don’t keep anything that’s really long hanging there though, I prefer for items to not touch the top of the dresser.

Kevin also properly anchored everything into the wall and secured each piece together.  The rod is screwed into the bracket, the bracket is fastened to the shelf, etc.

That’s it!  This is how we created an open concept closet for our one bedroom apartment.  It actually makes our room feel larger and isn’t as clunky and oversized as our old wardrobe was.  I’m so happy with how it turned out and can’t believe that I’ve been able to keep a clean room for the first time in my life!

So, what do you think?  Would you ever try an open concept closet?  Or is having everything on display not really your thing?  Would love to hear in the comments below!

Photos are by Meghan Bustard and all styling and design is by Jamie from Amanda Hamilton

The closet system was built and installed by my cousin Melissa’s husband.  If you are local and want something similar installed for you, he was amazing.  He also fixed a few other things around our place that needed replacing or upgrading.  Reach out if you want his info!