DIY: Linen Closet Makeover

Remember last year when we put in an Elfa closet in our pantry? We loved it so much that we decided to do our upstairs linen closet this winter. Not only does this make a great indoor project, but the Container Store offers 25% off Elfa products each January. Did I mention that you make an appointment with a designer who walks you through various configurations to find one that suits your needs and budget? We just had to take our measurements with us and make an appointment (weekends during the sale are crazy!)

The wooden holders that were removed from the inside walls of the closet

We began by removing the wooden shelving that was already in our closet. The shelves were bowing and the space wasn't idea for our linens, vacuum and cleaning products.

Since the closet had been painted and there were areas that were covered with wood, the paint seams were uneven. My husband had to sand them down so that the new paint would provide even coverage.

Scraping the seams

Sanding

We were puppy sitting the week we decided to this. Here's our little helper, Buster :]

It's certainly difficult to see in this photo, but we painted the inside of the closet grey. In our first Elfa closet project I had purchased 'oops paint' from Home Depot for $3. There was still half of the quart left it covered the entire inside of the closet.

Painting

All painted!

The Elfa solutions are so easy to install. My husband had them up as soon as the paint was dry and I went to organizing shortly thereafter. There's even ample space for our vacuum too! We've also added a hanging rack to our door now that we know it'll close with the vacuum inside. It's great for the little things that often get lost in the closet - nail polish, shoe polish, toilet paper, bath bombs, etc.

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock and looking around! Do come back :)
Cara

DIY Edition: Koi Pond Removal

Koi ponds are probably wonderful when maintained. However, this was a mosquito cesspool, animal drowning, ant breeding nuisance. We got distracted by tackling shedding first, but knew getting this Rubbermaid agricultural tank (that's right, it wasn't even a real koi pond) out before winter was a must. We aerated and over seeded our yard this fall too - so it was critical to seed this area so that it wouldn't be behind the rest of our yard come spring. 

Here lies the 300 gallon poisonous water hole with it's equally disturbing shrubbery and (not pictured) endless flat rock. 

To empty the tank, we recruited our families and five gallon buckets. It took about 20 minutes of emptying the tank by hand to get to the bottom. Much like the Rubbermaid containers used for leftover food, it was quite flexible and rubbery, making removal quick. The 2x4 board (pictured below) was used to shake the tub loose from the ground where it had settled.

Once removed, our yard still left plenty to be desired.

My parents brought fill dirt from back home and we used an entire trailer load to fill in the hole. The dirt was then tilled with top soil from The Home Depot to prep it for seeding. 

And here is the finished product!

Thanks for stopping by the Humble Hammock! Do come back :)
Cara