Do It Yourself

How to Find Cottage Charm in an Old Closet

My dream home is a cozy little cottage.

Instead I live in a 1980’s ranch.

Happily, my beloved is very handy, and humors me when I have visions of charming nooks.

As you are aware by now, I’m really awful about taking before pictures. In this case, though, even without an image of the very sad before, I think you’ll appreciate the magnificent after of this entry closet makeover!

So in the spirit of the grand reveal, imagine with me some worn and weary sliding closet doors covering a very ordinary coat closet with a closet rod and a shelf above. Useful, but sadly lacking in appeal and personality – until now!

Bits of Ivory Entry Closet Bench

We looked to searches on Pinterest and Google for inspiration, and then my husband came up with a design that fit our style and space perfectly.

The bench is chair height, and the cubbies below keep things organized perfectly, tall enough to fit my husband’s work boots.

Bits of Ivory Entry Closet Bench

The hardware from our local home improvement store is in an oil-rubbed bronze finish to match the hardware on our front door. I love the contrast of the dark coat hangers in the bright white closet!

The design is simple and has a bit of a craftsman feel that compliments the details in the space.

Bits of Ivory Entry Closet Bench

A couple of cushions in the corner make the bench an inviting space to sit for a bit while preparing to go outside (or to curl up with a book). The colors also coordinate with the adjacent living room and tie everything together beautifully.

This extra seating in the room is going to be a huge bonus!

Bits of Ivory Entry Closet Bench

The baskets above are much nicer than the boxes we kept in the closet before, but still give us space for the things that we need to have at hand (like flashlights and batteries. . . and mittens).

And this photo illustrates reason 369 you should marry an electrician. A light in the reading nook (um, I mean entry nook)?

Happy thought indeed!

Special thanks to my beloved handyman and our two handymen-in-training for going the extra mile on this project! 

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