Brooke Woods shares her home with her 7-year-old daughter, Presley.
Children’s rooms are notorious for being chaotic, and Presley’s room was no exception. It’s a small space that had too much stuff and very little place to put anything, except on the floor. The result was a disorganized pile of stuffed animals and toys.
The first step in conquering the chaos was clearing out the room. Brooke and Presley had to decide which items would go back in Presley’s room, and which would be donated or thrown away.
Then, the Today’s Homeowner crew gave Presley’s room an organizational makeover, plenty of storage, and a fun new look at the same time.
Custom Shoe Storage
We completely revamped the closet with more functional hanging racks, more accessible shelving, and a custom shoe storage rack that will keep plenty of shoes out of the way but within easy reach.
Presley’s closet had a narrow space at the front of the closet that was perfect for the shoe rack. We used 1×8 lumber for the vertical piece and the individual shelves, which we cut to accommodate the width of Presley’s shoes.
The we moved the unit to the closet. With the vertical piece firmly on the floor, we leveled each individual shelf and marked its location on the inside door trim of the closet. Using an oscillating saw and chisel, we notched out each of these marks. Finally, we slipped the one-legged shelf unit into place and secured with nails.
Watch How to Build a Custom Shoe Storage Rack for details on this project.
Painting Stripes on the Wall
Brooke already had a plan for the color scheme, so we helped her bring her vision to life with bold horizontal stripes and shades of pink throughout the room.
For the black and white pattern on the accent wall, we started by painting the wall all white. Then we measured the wall and divided it into the number of stripes and spaces, and marked them using a pencil and a level.
We applied FrogTape for delicate surfaces to the top and bottom of the lines, and rolled on the black paint between the tape. To ensure clean lines, we carefully removed the tape while the paint was still wet.
Watch How to Lay Out and Paint Stripes on Interior Walls for details.
On the pale pink wall, we added some glitter to the final coat of paint, so the wall sparkles in the light.
The Finishing Touches
The addition of a shelf above Presley’s bed gave her stuffed animals a designated out-of-the-way place when she wasn’t playing with them.
We rehung the bi-fold closet doors to swing out separately, which not only opened up the closet space, but also created the opportunity to add a full-length mirror and storage for Presley’s hats, belts and scarves.
We installed a wireless motion-activated light for the closet; and we added a little folding step stool – painted pink, of course! – so Presley can reach her stuff. And for icing on the cake, we added glitter to the final coat of pale pink on the outside wall.
Other Tips from This Episode
Simple Solutions with Joe Truini:
How to Prevent Vise Jaws from Damaging Wood
Vises with sharp metal jaws can damage wood. Here’s how to make wood saddles to slip over the throat of the device to keep it from damaging the workpiece. Watch the video.
Best New Products with Jodi Marks:
RedGard Uncoupling Mat Membrane
The RedGard uncoupling mat membrane is ideal for installing ceramic or stone tile over challenging substrates. It provides a waterproof and vapor-proof barrier and helps prevent cracks in tile and grout. It is available at The Home Depot. Watch the video.
