This is all about how I turned my walk-in closet into a great-looking space
During my annual leave in the end of the year, My wife motivated me to customize our main walk-in closet. So we could customize it from the basic to fully modernized look with smart moving sensor lights.
It was not easy and it required a lot of patience to get done :) I should thank Stefani who had a nice video in YouTube about DIY walk-in-closet makeover where you can find the YouTube recording in [1]
I used her hack of IKEA drawers which it saved me a lot of time and effort in making my own drawers.
Cleaning up the existing closet:
As you see in the above picture, it came up with a shelf around the closet attached to the drywall. We have to carefully remove that without damaging the drywall. It might be got attached to the drywall even if you remove the screws as finishing nails may be there. When you are trying to remove, you can insert some flat metal thing, in the back of the attached board and give a little lift slowly. "PLEASE NOT USE SCREWDRIVER" for this task, as it is not big enough and can damage the drywall.
In my case, I used a metal BBQ spatula to get the thing done. You might use any other tool you have :)
Please get the help of some other person with you as these boards are heavy and existing nails can cause accidents.
I decided not to remove the existing carpet as this closet is in my upper floor. So, after removing the shelf it looks like follows.
Then I first installed a base on the floor. I used 4x2s from Home Depot. If you are planning to have this kind of project, I highly recommend planning well ahead and buying the wood sometime before you start working. Most of the time the 4x2s you find in HD are wet, It is better to give them some time to get them dried.
I bought 4x8, 3/4 inch plywood from HD [2] and used the circular saw to cut them out as per the measurement. Please wear safety glasses and ear protection when you are using the circular saw.
Then I installed the IKEA Dresser and the verticals. In my case, i used 6 drawers TARVA dresser as per the space I have in my closet.
Then I installed the shelves to get a good appearance.
As the last step of installation, I installed the top part of connecting to the top of the ceiling.
The next step was to paint, However before you start painting, it is essential to do the sanding. I used Sander for that and after using 280 pieces of sandpaper, I finished it with 400. You have to wear a good mask, eye protection, and ear protection on this and it will take a lot of time :)
Then, I used painter's tape to cover the edges and a cover for the carpet before started painting. Here you can find my two little boys helping me out :)
Initially, I used paint brushes and rollers and it took me a lot of time to finish and gave me a lot of body ache. Then I found the sprayer from the Harbor Freight without spending much. I recommend you to get it to save a lot of time and effort. It is less that $80 in 2023.
I used 2 coats of Primer paint and then the white color glossy paint for finishing. Then you can buy chrome heavy-duty closet poles and brackets from HomeDepot and install them which gives a great look.
Finally, the lighting part was done using the LED light strips and the motion sensors from Amazon.
I was really satisfied with the outcome of the entire project and it took me about ~3 weeks to complete as we had the Christmas break in the middle. I could complete the entire customization for under ~$1500 and it is really worth it.
Happy woodworking!!
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--L2xAIV0Kg
