Hallway Closet Makeover - Before

My apartment has a hallway closet that is sized for a washer dryer unit and has a hook-up (though I don't think it is quite up to code...), but I have always used it as a sort of catch-all junk closet. I know, I know, this is appalling behavior. So, when it came time for W. to move-in, I was forced to clean out the closet to make room for him. Several trips to the Goodwill later, the closet was practically empty (above).

The first step to renovating was to remove the shelf that cut the closet in two. While the self itself was poorly constructed and sagging, the side brackets were fiercely attached to the walls with some heavy-duty molly bolts. I do not exaggerate when I say it took two hours to get the shelf out. I was a sweaty, sweaty mess at the end.

As you can see, I was left with a BUNCH of messy holes and some pipes sticking out. I did my best to close the wall openings around each pipe and to patch the holes from the molly bolts. I also patched up the area around the drywall cut out near the top right. This was not a picture-perfect patch job, but I figured for a closet that would be filled with clothes, it was good enough.

Not seen above is the floor of the closet, which was a rusting drain pan for the washer dryer unit. When I concluded that removing the pan was more trouble than I was willing to go through, I created a false floor for the closet that sits on top of the drain pan. It's just a square of 3/4 plywood with little pieces of 2x4 as feet/supports. I painted that with a high gloss white paint to make it easier to clean.

We decided to paint the closet, including the ceiling, a deep blue (paint leftover from a photo shoot), and I am thrilled with the results -- in fact, I am tempted to paint the interior of my own closet the same hue! Check back tomorrow for the reveal of the finished closet.