Get ready to feast your eyes on the most beautiful space you have ever seen.
BOOM. Internet explodes with joy. Welcome to my real life y’all. The one where things are crazy messy. And rooms don’t look picture perfect.
So our master bedroom was becoming a disaster zone. It’s been happening for the past 6 months or so. And yes, it is super embarrassing that I am even showing you our ridiculous mess. I would clean it up on occasion to vacuum or when people were coming over. But usually ‘cleaning up’ meant throwing everything into a laundry basket and then throwing said basket into my closet.
Yup. That’s me. Exposed and vulnerable for all the world to see. The sad part was that I couldn’t even close the door anymore. The floor was so covered that I couldn’t find anything clean…or anything that fit the growing bump. Things that should have been on hangers weren’t because I couldn’t find the hangers in all the mess.
And I had just WAY too much stuff. The clothing was out of control. I couldn’t possibly wear it all. I didn’t fit in half of it. It was a disaster in what should be a pretty ‘easy to keep organized’ space. I mean…when a closet is this big, you should be able to fit everything, right?!
The problem was that I haven’t purged in a long time. Things were still lurking from high school. I had my golf clubs in there and my wakeboard….both I haven’t really touched in seven years.
I have boxes of gifts that I was saving for the boys….little things for little holidays….like valentines day gifts but they never were given because they were out of sight, out of mind.
Just everything was a hot hot mess.
When I went to pack for Jekyll Island, I was having major anxiety….how could I possibly pick anything when I couldn’t FIND stuff? What is even my size anymore? What fits over the belly? What happened to ALL of my underwear? The struggle was real.
So in true Katie fashion, I decided to start another project with impeccable timing. Cue the safety goggles…we are going in.
Things got a lot worse before they got better. I emptied out the entire closet and my bedroom looked like it had a tornado rip through it.
Most of the stuff hanging up was non maternity wear….so the goal wasn’t to sort through all my clothing that may or may not fit…the goal was to simply get what I KNEW might fit at some point in the next five years back in the closet….and to sort out trash, old haven’t-worn-in-ten-years-stuff out, and organize my maternity stuff into one area so I can actually wear clothing in public.
In the end, I donated three trash bags worth of stuff, gave a friend over a dozen trash bags filled with clothes, shoes and handbags, and filled three trash bags of garbage. That’s just embarrassing.
In the end, the only purchase we made was more hangers. I have lots of tops apparently. I also tweaked the layout of the closet too…removing two shelves so that dresses could hang (yes I still have my wedding dress in there!) and long coats.
But hey look! A floor!
I purposely hung some things on a lower shelf without anything over them so that I could have a ‘pile’ spot. That way when my fresh laundry needed a spot while I put it away, it made sense!
All of my tops I hung up and that made a world of difference. Both top rows of tops are non-maternity….not really sorted, just hung up….and so I’ll have to wait to sort them later…you know, when I don’t resemble a beached whale.
On the other side, I have dresses and coats in the back, jackets and skirts on the bottom and then some rarely used totes on the top shelf.
The closet is sort of oddly shaped. At the end of the one wall is a recessed area with more shelving. It became the best place for shoes….I just wish they were a little longer so I could fit more!
On the other shelving I decided that it would fit all my pants and shorts – including workout pants and pajamas! I even have a spot for all my maternity stuff in one section so I know exactly what will be an option for the next few months.
All my sweaters are on a shelf…and I think once maternity stuff is packed away (ya know in 2026) then I can figure out a better solution to see them all.
And here is my hanging bar with all the maternity or nursing friendly tops. A lot of them are small or too short when I get to the end of the pregnancy or seasonally wrong, so I move them to the end and it keeps the stuff I can still fit in together. But overall, I have no problem finding things that fit now….it literally saves me TONS of time getting dressed.
The dress and coat zone. This is one area that I’ve realized needs help….fashion help. I have a few really cute and flattering dresses but honestly, I could do better. I need to find a few for church and a few flattering options for special events. Any brand suggestions?
This is the skirt and jacket area….also known as fall and next year when I have a waist again area.
And behind the door hangs my robe and some of my totes.
Whew! All done! But seriously – it feels AMAZING. And it’s been a breeze to keep organized because everything has a place now. I can keep things off the bedroom floor and hung up (it’s way easier since I can actually find hangers now) and it’s ever so slightly more convenient to vacuum 🙂
The point is….this was a very low low cost makeover. It cost me time and hangers. And I know that I’ve already made that time back twice over since I’m not searching for the clean underwear or other flip-flop.
Who knows….maybe this nesting phase will continue! I still have a gift wrap closet that looks like a death trap 🙂 It might be next. Or maybe I’ll try to catch up on laundry….it’s actually way more fun when you can hang things up immediately!
I haven’t even finished reading this post and I just have to comment: I LOVE YOU KATIE BOWER. #reallife #momlife
Thank you for posting this “real person” closet makeover! I appreciate it’s just about being organized and not “designed” with all kids if fancy wallpapers and chandeliers!
The closet looks amazing and makes my little organization heart happy! Great job!
I seriously need to do this too – but how do you get to the point you can get rid of perfectly good clothes that you just don’t like or wear anymore? I feel SOOO guilty! And that is one awesome closet organization system. What type is it?
Closet Power! Folded sweaters always falling over for me. I bought sweater boxes which were clear, but still, I never took them out of the boxes! A little band-wagon jumping here, I found Kon Mari’s folding method useful, attractive and space saving. I can’t wait to see the wrapping closet job!
You’ve no idea how much better you’ve made me feel about life!
Kudos to you! This is an awesome accomplishment! 🙂 I am looking forward to paring down my own closet once I fit back back into non-maternity clothes (baby is only 8 days old, so this will be awhile), and this is wonderful inspiration!
Nice! A makeover I’m sure many can relate to.
You should check out Boden for dresses, cute casual and dressier options, and the fabric and fit is flattering
This makes me so happy and this is why you are my favorite blogger! That is a legitimate chaos mess that I have replicates of in my house, not this “oh look how messy life with kids is! They left 5 toys in the living room!” pictures folks try to pass off as real life.
You are a superstar! Enjoy your organized space! The chaos really makes you appreciate it more
I appreciate the “real-ness” of this post! I have been there!! We can’t be picture perfect everywhere, everyday.
You can fit more shoes on your shelves if you turn one shoe from each pair to face the back wall. They will hug each other closer and give you more space for more shoes!
I think that my biggest thing I kept saying to myself was “This might be awesome and I might have spent a lot of money on it….but if I don’t wear it, I should just take a photo and move on. Because at this point, a photo is the same thing.”
xo – kb
Katie….I have honestly not even read this whole wonderful post. I had to come here and tell you that (in the most un-stalker way) I simple kLOVE you. You are real. You are talented. You love Jesus. (I do too!!) You have a gorgeous husband and kiddos.
Thank you for sharing not only your talents and ideas and gifts with us but also, thank you for being real and open and honest with in every single way.
maureen
ps….can’t wait to “meet” your sweet baby girl!
Amazing relatable makeover. Imagine my face when I realized you don’t have to share that awesome closet w/ anyone. #jealous
PS-Can’t help but think that floor is calling for an amazing runner!
Great advice, maybe I’ll tackle my closet of doom this weekend! Thank you!
LOVE this, naturally. And it makes me want to come out there to help you!!
xx,
Sam
My tip is to find a good charity that you want to support and donate the clothes there. My church has a thrift store attached to it and all the sale proceeds go back to the church. So if I have clothes that I won’t wear for whatever reason (doesn’t fit anymore, I washed it and it shrunk, not my style or the wrong season) I don’t need them to this thrift store and my guilt is lessened because I know in the end it’s almost like the direct donation to my church.
Well done, I am doing my entrance closets now and have already a lot for goodwill. The best thing I have done for my own closet was sorting by colors, now I have all my clothes sorted and it is so much easier to find what to wear
You’re the best! Being between maternity and regular clothes back and forth is so hard! I just had my third baby in 4 years and my room is literally piles of maternity clothes I haven’t put away yet, maternity clothes I’m still wearing, and regular clothes that will fit in a few months (hopefully)! Thanks for being real!
Amazing! I feel so zen now and its not even my closet. Thanks for letting us see behind the scenes.
PS. I would love to see your master bathroom. I feel like it’s a mystical unicorn that we never get a glimpse of which leads to an array of speculation. All the best, keep on doing your thing lady.
I think I’m a minimalist when I look at other people’s closets– but I’m just not a clothes person. I did a capsule wardrobe in February and lived with 30 items for 30 days (pants, shirts, jewelry and shoes). I am stressing on “all summer choices” and am feeling another capsule challenge coming! Haha!
But amazing job! Love that it’s not perfectly styled or designer. Just real life.
Ah! You’re the best! You just made 98% of your readers feel better about life (or maybe I’ll just speak for myself!) by sharing that chaos 🙂 thanks! And way to tackle that beast! That’s a LOT of physical and mental and sometimes emotional energy to expend!
Nothing feels better than a well-organized closet! Good job! I had good luck with ASOS maternity. The sizing was accurate, pricing was decent, & there were lots of style options in different price zones. I bought a really cute maternity t-shirt dress for our gender reveal party & a nice lace maternity dress that I wore on a cruise & at Christmas services. Confession: haven’t been pregnant for over a year & it’s still my favorite nice dress. 😉
My only suggestion …. in that empty spot/shelf, make a goodwill/ donate, mend, out of season box system- I do this/ try to do this in my room or laundry room (adding an ironing bin) and the kids rooms as space allows- that way when I’m getting dressed or doing laundry I can do a quick sort, and stop hanging up the dress or shirt that hasn’t fit in ten years. I also keep all our work clothes in a special bin so I don’t trash nice clothes. It can get complicated- hello Ohio with four seasons in one week, constant renovations and multiple pregnancies lol…. staying on top of it as best I can 😉 thanks for real life
By giving the perfectly good clothes to someone who will like and wear them, instead of letting them hang out in your closet not being used!
I love that you took real pictures! So often everything is done to be pinnable, but then we miss a lot of real life – and organization. And how nice to have all the maternity so accessible.
Love how real you are! My mum always used to say “cluttered home, cluttered mind” and for me it has always been so true. I just started tackling my chaos today. Being/staying organised makes me a much happier person. Just wanted to share that I switched to all matching velvet hangers a couple years ago and it is awesome! They don’t take up much room, so i can fit more stuff in, and nothhing falls off. Plus they look nice, and you can buy them in bulk pretty cheap.
Just curious – does Jeremy have his own closet elsewhere
YES and his is just as crazy.
xo – kb
Oh it’s in the original house tour….it’s really nothing special. It is very spacious but the tile is ugly, chipped, stained and cracked, the grout is even worse and the color choices are very brown 🙂
xo – kb
You know I channeled my inner Sam the entire time 🙂
xo – kb
I can’t help to think that and a little paint and maybe even a couple more lights!
xo – kb
Oh Katie, this yet another reason why I love your blog so much. I needed this kick in the pants. I only have one child. So, if you can do it, I can certainly do it too! (If I showed you pics of my closet, you might actually feel better about your before pics. Ha, ha!)
Thanks for the inspiration!
I know that must feel so so good!!!! I donated practically an entire wardrobe after realizing I didn’t wear 80% of the clothes in there. In fact, made me realize how much ‘disposable’ clothing I was buying. Truly helped me shape my closet and future buying behavior. ie: no more “trendy” clothes.
great job!
This was a great post! And your real life after closet is attainable. I hate it when you go to the “organization stores” and they have all of these amazing closets on display with 10 color coordinated outfits in it – of course that looks awesome! But not all of my clothes are navy! LOL
Thanks for sharing – I do have to second the velvet hangers – they really do help keep things tidy. Marshalls and Home Goods usually have pretty big packs for good prices.
I love how real you keep it! With this and everything you post! I recently did the same thing with my closet “situation” – purged and organized. It took me all day but was worth every minute … I can actually walk-in to my closet now and find things!
Check out Kohls for their new Maternity lines with Rosie Pop and Pip & Vine, I just sent my preggo friend there and she found a bunch of cute dresses for the summer. We all have a day like this with our closet, thanks for keeping it real!
https://www.kohls.com/sale-event/maternity-clothes.jsp?cc=wms-TN2.0-S-maternity
Oops I said that wrong, its Pip & Vine by Rosie Pope at Kohls.
Thank you for such an honest post. Those before photos look like you snuck into my home and took a photo of my closet. This is just the motivation I need to finally tackly my own Mt Everest.
Maybe with a coat of paint or some wallpaper or something and a nice mirror you’d be more tempted to keep it tidy? Love how real you are though xxx
And your sitting room, my heart still flutters! <3
Yes! I definitely want to update it but even that idea feels much more manageable now!
xo – kb
Wow! Great job Katie! I wear dresses to work most of the time. The best advice I can give is to avoid thin knit/cotton dresses- they cling way too much on me! I’ve had great luck with Donna Morgan, Vince Camuto, and Calvin Klein. I order most of them from Zappos.com (free shipping both ways! And they have an incredible app!) or sometimes I score a lucky find at Marshalls. Happy hunting!
This is really great. I think we all lose sight of how much of a difference just cleaning up and getting organized can help a space! It’s not all about buying new trendy items for a new look.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you for being real! My closest looks similar to this, but all the stuff on my floor gets covered in doggy hair, haha!
Came here from the recap of 2017. I don’t recall seeing this post. But I just did the same thing in my closet. I do it once or twice a year when I can’t really walk in there anymore and my shelf are full of stuff they have ‘caught’. It feel so good! I have some more stuff I could purge but I guess I wasn’t ready.