Not Your Average Coat Closet

It’s a new week and there’s a lot brewing on the ODDESSENCE front. I decided to get out of my comfort zone and join a challenge. Yes, the One Room Challenge! Most of you may not have heard of it, so let me bring you up to speed. The One Room Challenge is a biannual event (held every spring and fall) involving designers and DIYers.

We each pick a room or space to transform in the span of 8 weeks. This is my first time joining this challenge and plan to document most of my journey on the blog and my IG page (@odd_essence) – so I hope you'll stay tuned!

Sketch with arch

Sketch close up

Quick Side Note: This post will be unlike others on the blog, meaning, there won’t be any ODD tips because I am taking you on the design journey with me.

Now you are probably saying, “get to the point already and tell me about this room you chose and your plans.” Okay here we go. The room selected for this challenge is a builder basic coat closet. You know the one with the wire shelves, no personality, and limited storage.

To kick off my design plans, I started by addressing what I would like to use the space for in the next 5-10 years. The closet is next to a powder room and a bedroom, and according to the home’s floor plans, all three spaces can be enclosed to form an ensuite.

So, what that means is the closet section could potentially be a storage spot for bath linen and even house a make-up table. With that vision in mind, I set out to think through how I could establish the infrastructure for such a space now and easily transform it for its intended purpose in the future. Here’s my plan:

• Get rid of the closet doors

• Gain more access to the closet by creating a subtle arch

• Add built-in shelves for storage

• Paint and add some wallpaper – side note: wallpaper isn’t something I use quite often, but I saw one that I couldn’t pass on

• Add lighting

• Set up a landing zone – for storage, décor, etc.

• Add hooks for coats

• Accessorize

Seems like a lot for a tiny space, doesn’t it? That’s why this project is perfect for this challenge. I will be pulling out all my design tricks, pushing my décor boundaries, shopping for the rarest antique pieces, and hopefully the result will be something that isn’t your average coat closet.

We are in week 2 of the challenge and a lot of ground has already been covered (walls have been opened, the arch has been created, and paint is on the walls).

The next couple of weeks will involve building the custom storage units and sourcing for pieces. Hope you stay along for the ride, and please cheer me on, I sure will need it.

Cheers!