Sara’s Custom Closets

Hi friends, it’s Sara and I’m back with my Makeover Takeover – Updating my childhood bedroom. If you need to catch up, read my first post here. Otherwise, get ready to delve into the thrilling world of . . . my closet.

As you saw in my first post, the above is what my room used to look like after I moved back in (hence the disastrous mess). But let’s focus on the closet there in the back. I’ll start by saying my closet is awesome, and I have no plans to physically renovate, just incase you were holding your breath. It’s modeled after traditional Japanese Shoji panels, and my dad built them back in the early 2000’s. Before there had been these awful cupboard like closets, with a row of extremely narrow doors, which made it hard to see and get to things (but extremely good for hiding them, usually on accident, and mostly from myself).

Once my dad took out the doors and the rest of the wall, there was a huge gaping hole, which he covered with these insanely beautiful sliding wood and paper panels. Then several things happened. First, despite my best efforts (or so I said at the time), I kept punching holes in the paper. Not literally punching holes, just poking them. With hangers, heels, fingers, elbows. Secondly, our cats thought the paper was such a fun game to run through, tear at, and nibble on. My dad had to keep replacing the paper sheets, which it turns out was pretty expensive (I learned this myself recently, when I had to buy my own paper). He got tired of it pretty quickly. So he reinforced the inside of the panels with sheets of clear plexi glass. No more holes, no more rolls.

The outside looks like just wood and paper, but on the inside there you can see the plexi screwed in, making a little sandwich for the paper between it and the wood. And it works. I haven’t punctured the paper yet! Doesn’t mean I didn’t find a way to ruin it though. If you take a peek at that “before” image again, you’ll see that I ended up using my panels as a bulletin board. I stuck, taped, and glued all sorts of memories to it. Which I loved. My parents did too, and it was a little hard to pull it all down. But I needed a clean slate, and cluttered closet doors were just too chaotic for my adult vibes. So down it all came.

Which brings me to the last hardship this poor closet had to endure – all those taped on memories left memories of their own behind, in the forms of several holes and rips. Not the “grown-up” look I was going for. But it was going to make me do a very adult thing – spend my hard earned money fixing the problem myself (and by myself I mean buying the stuff and hoping my dad will help because I have no idea how to get the closet doors off their track. Trust me, I’ve tried).

I ended up at the same place the original paper for my closet was purchased – Hiromi Paper, Inc. in Bergamot Station, Santa Monica. Bergamot is a little arts colony filled with shops, studios, and galleries. If you’re ever in the area it’s well worth a visit. Hiromi Paper is a tiny shop that specializes in handmade, high quality paper from around the world (primarily Japan). If you’re into pretty papers, this is like a candy shop. It’s so small, but I still ended up spending over an hour there, rifling through paper samples, and deciding what to get (have you ever seen American Psycho, in particular the business card scene? It was a lot like that, minus all the murder).

1. Hakusen Series #2 | 2. Thai Lace #2 | 3. Kinwashi White | 4. Colored Hanji Series Peach

I ended up buying a few sheets to bring home and hold up to my closet. While I did get a traditional white similar to what I already had, I also got 4 other samples that I fell in lust with.

The Hakusen #2 has this amazing subtle wave pattern screen printed onto the paper, giving it this slightly raised texture and a really nice weight. It’s only draw back is that it might be a little much for an entire panel.

The Thai Lace #2 is GORGEOUS, and it’s so soft if feels like fabric. It’s some of the most beautiful artistry I’ve ever seen, and basically the sexy lingerie of the paper world. My concern with this one is it’s transparency. I worry that it might start looking too dark with the inside of the closet peeking out through it’s lacey details.

Kinwashi isn’t as transparent, and definitely not as fun as a pattern, but it’s kind of subtle without being boring and I like that. It’s got little fibers pressed into the paper, which gives it a more natural look and feel.

Finally, the Peach Hanji is what I want to cover my whole room in, but I feel like it would turn into a uber pink wonderland faster than I could break out the hair beads and B*witched CD of my youth (where my 90’s people at? Guys, they RIVER DANCE in their music video). I think it would also turn the wood in the closet too yellow, so keeping it in the white family seems like the better direction. Side note: This made me so nostalgic for the 90’s. Go listen to some music, it’s all so good.

I have strong feelings towards a few of these, but what do you guys think? Simple and natural, or fun and different? Lady the cat has decided that, like a true lady, she prefers pink. Stay tuned for my final decision and more Makeover Takeover!

Want more Makeover Takeover? Check out these posts from the rest of the EHD crew: Brady Picks A Sofa | Brady Picks A Gray Paint | Ginny’s LA Living Room | Ginny’s English Roll Arm | Jessica’s Living & Dining Room