Jungle Chic Closet Makeover
Ever since we moved into this house, I've thought it was strange that Hannah (the oldest) chose the smallest upstairs room in our new house instead of the biggest. After all, she IS a teenager. But over the summer the reason behind her choice became clear...the smallest room has the biggest closet! I guess I've been so busy with house projects that I didn't make the connection between her choice of bedroom and her begging me to paint her closet. After I figured it out, I decided to surprise her with not only painting her closet, but a full makeover while she was away at church camp. It should come as no surprise that when I got into demo, I decided to do much more than just a simple makeover, so it wasn't completed by the time she came home, but I did finish it before her 8th grade year started, so I count that as a win. Without further ado, here is Hannah's Jungle Chic Closet!
It all started with these particle board shelves from the 80's that I was dying to turn into floating shelves, and the closet poles that were out of reach for even my 5'6" teenage daughter and therefore impractical.Before:
Demoing the closets in this home has been a bigger challenge than I ever would have anticipated due to the 6-inch GIANT nails they used to attach the boards to the studs in ALL the closets! So, once I got past that very difficult step, I was left with drywall damage, and I had a choice to make: repair the drywall or cover it up. I chose the latter and got to work making things up as I went...it's how I roll.
I'm so proud of how it turned out! It solved the problem of covering up the drywall damage, while also adding some character, personality, and extra storage to this awkward space. I just love the last-minute addition of beadboard![show_shopthepost_widget id="3727734"]On the other side, where the particle-board shelves once were, I simply removed the shelving, used them as templates, and had maple plywood ripped down to size. I built these floating shelves the same way I transformed the office closet shelves (tutorial here), and I just love the updated, warm, clean look.
Hannah chose the removable wallpaper that steered the direction of this jungle chic closet makeover, and I fully embraced it, though it was not my favorite choice (THIS paper was my favorite). She has a very different style than my own, but I love that about her and want to encourage it tastefully. After everything was put together, I ended up really loving her choice and that it was very "Hannah."These were the three choices I gave her - all from Target:
Note: I did have to skim coat the wall that received paper, as it was textured and wallpaper won't adhere properly to textured walls.[show_shopthepost_widget id="3727736"]I added a full-length mirror for outfit checks, and my favorite Bright Lab Lights for some fun texture and additional lighting. This was one of Hannah's favorite touches. I also included a vintage black and white clock above her mirror because she's one year away from high school and I need her to be aware of the time with all of her activities and commitments. So far, it seems to be working.
Here's a view of how these lights look when turned on...such a nice glow!
I had these big wooden dot wall hooks leftover from our rental, and as soon as I offered them to Hannah, she enthusiastically said "Yes! I've always loved those and wanted them in my room." We used all but one on the side wall where she'll hang scarves, hats, purses, etc, and the remaining one became an OOTD hook where she can hang up what she's planning to wear. I placed a small bench underneath so she can sit down and put her shoes on, drop her bag, or use as a step stool to reach the highest shelves. 
The finishing jungle chic touch, the piece de resistance (according to Hannah), was the black ceiling. She didn't know I was planning to do this, but when she saw it, she gasped. Black is her all-time favorite color but she knows I won't let her have black walls or anything too dark in her room since she has only one window. This was a treat for her, and I loved covering up the dirty attic access door with Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black in Flat.
I did end up having to add faux, small-scale crown molding due to the textured walls and ceiling making a clean line between the black and white paints nearly impossible. It was a fun challenge to figure out and capped off this space nicely I think.[show_shopthepost_widget id="3727738"]After all that work was completed, Hannah and I went on the hunt for a graphic, black and white laundry hamper and happened upon this ginormous one for under twenty dollars. She loves anything that reminds her of New York City (her favorite place) and this seemed to fit the bill. It also holds ALLLLLL her laundry, which is nice for those of us in the house that don't enjoy seeing her clothes strewn all over her closet.
Nearly every project I take on turns into much more than I set out to do, and that's just fine by me. It's part of the creative process, and once I get into it, the ideas start flying! I usually have to hold myself back from doing every fun thing that pops into my head due to budget, but I love allowing myself the freedom to pivot and shift as needed in order to achieve the creative vision I have.I absolutely loved working on this jungle chic closet makeover for Hannah. It was special to create this sort of grown-up space for my beautiful teenager, and I'm loving whipping all the closets in the house in shape. It's so satisfying because you can accomplish a lot on a small budget and short timeline, but it makes such an impact!As you can see, Hannah loves her new jungle chic closet:
Up next is Noelle's closet, and that will be a fun one for my color-loving kiddo. Stay tuned!