It’s a closet makeover — and I promise, it’s not as boring as it sounds.
We all have at least one closet that could use some attention. In our house, it was the guest bedroom closet — the least used room when we moved in — so we filled it with whatever we didn’t know what to do with and largely forgot about it.
Over time the space evolved into a genuinely useful spot. It now serves guests when they visit, but it also doubles as a quiet nook for family use: a change of scenery for nap time, or a place to lie down and watch TV since our primary bedroom doesn’t have one.
Because the closet had no door, the cluttered look began to drag the entire room down. I finally decided to carve out time to clear it, donate items we didn’t need, move bulky things to storage, and paint the walls and ceiling to match the room (Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore).
With everything cleared, I reintroduced only the essentials. The result is a closet that feels like part of the room — functional storage balanced with decorative touches so it reads like finished space rather than an afterthought.
Scroll through the before and after photos and the sources for the styling pieces.
Closet Makeover — Before and Progress
When we moved in, this room had two small, doorless closets. The absence of doors seemed to be a recurring detail in the house and made the space feel darker and more closed off, especially with the old flooring.
One of the closets even contained a washer/dryer hookup, but it wasn’t large enough to actually fit a unit. When we replaced the floors, the crew removed the dividing wall between the two closets and turned them into a single, larger closet.
Opening up that wall made the room feel brighter and more usable — more actual square footage — while keeping the no-door aesthetic for now.
Closet Makeover — After
After painting everything crisp white, I installed simple white shelves. The shelving I used is from Nathan James; they’re straightforward to assemble, well made, and come in matte white and other finishes.
Because our guest visits are infrequent, I ran the shelving all the way to the floor for maximum flexible storage. If you prefer to include hanging space, a compact bookcase-style shelving unit with a hanging bar below the bottom shelf is an easy alternative.
Here’s how the finished shelves look, styled for the guest bedroom closet.
I added felt bins and woven baskets for concealed storage and filled the remaining shelves with decorative items I no longer had room to display. The styling is intentionally semi-minimal so that when guests stay, I can clear a few shelves for folded clothes and personal items.
We kept the washer/dryer hookup in place in case we ever decide to use this space for laundry. For now it’s covered with a piece of artwork; it peeks out slightly but isn’t very noticeable.
Sources for Shelves and Styled Items
Felt bins — Open Spaces
Woven baskets — Jenni Kayne and vintage finds
Artwork — Jen Ament and Nathaniel Russell
Candles — East Fork, Better Homes and Gardens, PF Candle Co.
Wavy wood board — DIY cutting board (handmade)
Vases — local potters and Target
Paper mache bowl — Amber Interiors
Ceramic bust — vintage
Ceramic dome — Fanny Penny
More Before and After Room Reveals
- Hall closet organization reveal and tips I recently completed.
- Three rules to follow for beautiful bookshelf styling.
- A budget-friendly guest bathroom makeover completed for under $300.
- A fireplace update that transformed the living room at no cost.
- A renter-friendly room reveal with office/guest room design solutions.