The closet in the spare room used to be a chaotic catch-all: luggage, rolls of wrapping paper, stacks of gift bags and a random assortment of other clutter. We knew we needed to clear it out so the room could actually function as a playroom and a place to store Clara’s things now that it’s her “big girl” room.
We emptied the closet, leaving only the photo albums and yearbooks on the top shelf, and for a moment it felt like magic — as if the clutter had simply vanished. Of course, it didn’t disappear; it migrated to the guest room closet instead.
That turned out to be a practical move. We’ve lived here for three years now and, surprisingly, guests rarely use that closet. Putting our extra items there made sense because it freed up the playroom without inconveniencing visitors. There’s still a little room on the hanging bar for coats if we need it; by nudging the bags to one side we can make space when company comes. For everyday life, though, having our gift bags visible and easy to grab is much more functional.
And once the guest room door is closed, visitors don’t need to see what’s stored inside — which keeps things tidy and private.
After adding a few of Clara’s things, the spare room closet has become genuinely useful. It now stores games and a few clothing items that haven’t yet fit her, making it a practical extension of her “big girl” space. I’ve thought about painting the inside of the closet a playful color — coral or teal — to make it feel more whimsical, so that might happen down the line.
For now, we added a couple of stuffed friends to give the closet some personality. A hanging monkey, for example, adds instant closet ambiance and makes it feel more inviting.
Turning part of the closet into a mini play zone has been a pleasant surprise. Clara already spends a lot of time in her room with her play kitchen, her small table for stuffed-animal tea parties, and the daybed that’s the perfect size for imaginary naps. The closet provides another tiny hideaway where she can sneak away to play quietly, which seems to extend her interest in independent play.
On the floor of the closet we placed a few pieces I picked up for the Macklemore Challenge — you may remember the $1 chair that was once a faded yellow-brown, or the little cradle that had burns, scratches and a musty smell. With a bit of elbow grease they both came back to life.
Reviving them was straightforward: cleaning, priming and a fresh coat of paint. I used Valspar Gloss in Classic Red for the chair, which is a paint-and-primer-in-one, and Rust-Oleum Universal All-Surface gloss white spray paint for the cradle, which also contains a primer. Both pieces look and smell much better now.
There are more plans for the cradle — it won’t stay plain white forever — so I’ll share updates as I make progress. For now it’s clean enough to display and use, and it contributes to the cozy, toy-friendly vibe of the closet.
One thing I’m learning as Clara grows is that creating several small play zones around the house works better than dumping every toy into a single basket in the living room. A change of scenery from room to room keeps her engaged, and distributing toys prevents one overwhelming pile of mixed playthings in a single spot. In practice, the toys tend to stay in their designated zones, which means tidying up is quicker and less stressful — a little picking up in a few rooms rather than a giant cleanup session on the living room rug.
So that’s the quick closet overhaul: a messy closet emptied, the overflow relocated to a less-used guest closet, and a playful, functional space created in the spare room for games and growing-up clothes. If you’re doing any organizing lately, it’s worth considering whether your guest room closet could double as useful storage between visits. In our four-bedroom house there are only five closets total, which was a surprising realization — it makes any usable closet feel like valuable real estate.