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Minimal Modern Walk-In Wardrobe

Kelly Collier-Clark

ONE ROOM CHALLENGE WEEK ONE



MY FALL HOME PROJECT


I am completing another home project and sharing it in the One Room Challenge (ORC). For those newer here, welcome to the party. In case you’re unfamiliar with the ORC: It’s a community platform created by Linda Weinstein for designers and creatives to participate in sharing a home project via blogging and or social media over an eight week period every spring and fall. Linda has also forged relationships for participants to partner with vendors/ brands for product sponsorship in some instances; as well as media feature opportunities with Apartment Therapy. Now…Let’s get into how it started and what’s completed so far for this space.



HOW IT STARTED


We moved into our current home last year at the tail end of winter. It had solid bones, but it was dated. Perfect of a designer right?! Well. Yes and no. Yes, because I knew I wanted to customize design our home to reflect us. However, the time it took just to refinish the interior foundation is an entirely different story. Let’s just say it’s a working progress. Which leads us to the third level. This is the room we agreed would be best to use for my walk-in wardrobe room/ dressing room. This room’s entrance is just outside of the primary bedroom and the door opens to the view shown above in a photo taken after settlement but prior to moving in.


THE FLOW AND DETAILS


At the top of the steps there is a walk in closet to the right that will with unfinished walls and original hardwood Parquet style flooring as shown below, and to the left there is a shorter closet most suited for storage that includes one of the entry points to the attic. Walking beyond the landing area, we enter the actual room. Photos captured below were also taken prior to moving in.





STRUCTURAL DESIGN DILEMMAS


Utilizing a room with a pitched/ slanted ceiling was the first issue, becasue my semetry is preferable. Next the hard lines with the architecture of the home were taken all the way to the top, literally. If it’s not a square or rectangular ceiling my preference would be to have arches vs. the hard lines. There is a second attic entry point that in theory wouldn’t be wise to seal or obstruct with any permanent built in per say. Luckily as a home owner the discretion is totally mine, but it’s a factor to bookmark for later illustration. Lastly, the wall AC unit (ugh!) and baseboard heaters. While my home has two central air units, the previous owner didn’t have any duct work completed for the third level. One unit cools and heats the lower and main levels, and the second controls the second floor temperatures. For context, our home is a split level style home with a total of three levels, five total bedrooms, and the layout overall is wider than a standard colonial style single dwelling.


None of the issues are life altering, but they presented a challenge for sure. One that I wasn’t prepared to commit to finishing last year upon moving in. So, instead of new flooring the old carpet was replaced with a new creamy color carpet and the pale green walls were primed & painted Origami white by Sherwin Williams. About the lighting…

For the best minimal approach I opted for smaller flat LED lights for a semi-recessed light vibe. Paint, lighting, and flooring/carpet are the main three components that set a foundation for a starting point in design for me. As you’ll see later the lighting is still a working progress. Now what?


DESIGN DEVELOPMENT


If you’re a past client you know this takes time and may include revisions or a few pivots by the end. This is the phase I am now working in to conclude by next week (fingers crossed). I’ll be obtaining contractor quotes to determine just how much can be done to address my pain points mentioned, and I’m hoping to wrap up the changes to be made to the current organization established for temporary solutions.


Although I’ve created a wardrobe/dressing room for myself in the past as shared in ORC Spring 2019, this one is larger and required a bit more for layout & space planning. My aesthetic style has also changed in some ways and design skills have grown. So, for this one I’ve partnered with Optimization Dolls for their expertise. Our virtual consultation was super helpful for strategizing and talking through my plans. More to be shared on my organization details to come.


Looking forward to sharing more and list of plans next week, along with progress photos. Until then follow along for updates that will be shared in my Instagram stories & feed posts, and feel free to check out my fellow participants over on the main ORC blog site where my project will also be linked.


Special thanks to Linda Weinstein, the ORC host and media partners Apartment Therapy. It is so fun to have a community platform for designers to share their home projects and meet other creatives along the way; and it keeps us accountable with a timeline.


*Disclaimer, because transparency is a must for staying true to myself and as a professional interior designer: Eight weeks is not typical at all for a full design/renovation project. Working in my own home is completely different than for clients. My mudroom project wasn’t completed within the timeframe for ORC Spring 2023 for a few reasons, however it has been completed and fully revealed on Instagram with publication features pending to date. All four past projects are on the main blog page here from over the years.


In short good design takes time! Nonetheless, I’m optimistic about this one since a portion of the work and planning has started.


xx,

Kelly


“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

-Living Word



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