A bright door and funky latch will rejuvenate your closet.
Most houses and apartments have closets that are usually used for storing clothes, shoes, household goods, board games, linens, towels and many other items. But closets offer other possibilities. Whether you want to do something cool with an empty walk-in or are looking for motivation to clean out and redo your bulging hall closet, look for inspiration from your own interests and passions or those of your children. Does this Spark an idea?
Theater Closet
Include a cheap camera so your kids can snap glamour shots.
If your children love the theater, playing dress-up and putting on plays, make them a theater closet. Paint it a bright color, such as purple or orange, to inspire creativity and playfulness. Occupy the floor with big storage bins filled with dress-up clothes---everything from high-heeled shoes and sparkly princess wear to plaid wool shirts and rabbit-fur hats with ear flaps. Fill the shelves with well-organized props. Hang a full-length mirror on the back of the door so your kids can admire their outfits.
Nature Nook
Beakers could be used as quirky drinking glasses.
Make the closet an ode to science. Paper the walls with the periodic table of elements, pictures of magnified cells and whirling galaxies and posters of great scientists with captions explaining who they are and what they did. Or print photos taken by the Hubble Telescope from the NASA Hubble gallery website. Store your chemistry kit, biology specimen collecting equipment and other science goodies in bright, neatly labeled bins.
Reading Den
Shade-loving plants will vivify your reading space.
Whether you are a lifelong bookworm or if you've always wanted to read more but never had the time, fashion a private reading den where you can steal away for some quality book time. This idea works best in a walk-in closet. Vacuum and dust out the closet, including all the shelves, so you're starting with a clean slate. Paint the walls a soothing color, like oatmeal or peach. Add a daybed, super-comfortable reading chair, or pile of beanbag chairs, depending on your personal reading preference. Put up a sturdy shelf at arm height when you're sitting in the chair---a perfect place to set your mug of coffee. Bookshelves filled with books and a good goose-neck lamp round out the features of your new reading den.
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