The Big Wardrobe Project

I have a new project - sorting out my wardrobe. I don't mean I need to buy new clothes (I actually don't buy that many new things - I'm totally into the capsule wardrobe concept) - I just want to revamp my actual closet so it looks a little bit prettier.

Here's how things look at the moment:

Yep. I don't wear anything red, yellow or orange.

I've got all my clothes on nice wooden hangers, and they're arranged by type (dresses, skirts, jumpers, wraps, camisoles) so the top part looks OK. As part of The Great Spring Clean I ditched a whole pile of shoes that I don't wear anymore, so what I'm left with are the shoes that I really love. At the moment they're stacked in their original boxes at the bottom of the wardrobe.

So here's the plan:

• Paint the outside of the wardrobe (it's a built-in with white shuttered doors) and change the handles
• Line the inside of the wardrobe with pretty patterned wallpaper - I'm liking Clarissa Hulse and have sent off for some samples
• Reduce the number of Ikea storage boxes from four to three, and probably paint or paper the remaining three in a contrasting colour to the wallpaper
• Build a shoe display unit that will sit on the bottom of the wardrobe and around the three Ikea boxes.

I'm inspired to create this unit by the Christian Louboutin store on Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau in Paris, which displays the shoes individually in little alcoves:

Image from Haute World

According to Monsieur Louboutin, his Paris shop was "conceived as a dove cot (un colombier) in which I could display every shoe in their own niche (or alcove) like birds". Liking it. I collect bird-related accessories for our casa, so I like the idea of having an oblique bird-reference hidden away in my wardrobe.

Here is my scribbled design plus measurements:

I don't intend to build the curved arches (or the individual lighting - over the top even for me!), but I will create separate alcoves for each pair of shoes. Or rather, my handy husband will build the unit according to my design :-)

Watch this space for updates!

What kind of closet do you have? Any one out there who is lucky enough to have a walk-in? And what do you do with your shoes? Do share!