We did not have much of a plan for the closets, until I took down the paneling and saw what was once there – a window plus an outline of all the trim. Using this as my guide, I restored the closets to their original design, adding highly functional details that fit with the style of the house.
There were several things I noticed about each closet:
- The craftsman trim was also present on the windows and doors in the closet (one closet still had them)
- It appeared that both closets had a high chair rail wrapped around them
- There were once high shelves
The front closet had standards and brackets in the back and two closet rods in the front 
The back closet was missing trim, but you could see where it once was
Back bedroom closet
I started in the back bedroom, which needed the most work. After installing the window and door trim, I extended the window apron to wrap around the entire closet as a chair rail – just as it once had.
The closet is wide and shallow – it’s a little over two feet deep and seven feet wide. When we bought the house, this closet had a clothing rod on either side. I knew I would keep that storage, but the addition of the window changed the layout. To the left, I installed a low rod at 41″ high and a high rod at 79″ high. I added a 16″ deep shelf above each rod for storage. On the right, I added a rod just below the window, about 50″ off the ground. This is a little lower than I would like (would like it higher for long dresses), but still very functional.
Adding shaker pegs
I added more functional storage by installing shaker pegs along the chair rail. I’ve seen these pegs on Instagram, and they seemed like a cheap, easy, and beautiful way to add storage. I centered a peg on the entrance, then installed five pegs roughly a foot apart along the center of the rail.
Here is what I used to install the pegs
- Drill
- Forstner bit – there was a bit of trial and error on this one. I first purchased a set from Irwin, but could not find a size that was perfect. I ended up ordering a 7/16″ bit from Amazon – it was still a little small, but I ended up getting a snug fit by rotating the bit around
- Shaker pegs
- Caulk
- Paint
- Level – a foot long level worked nicely for distance and placement on the rail
I started by marking the placement with a pencil. I marked the center of the peg, where I’d place the point of the bit. I then drilled all my holes, going back over to confirm a perfect fit. Once I was happy with all the sizes, I put trim caulk in the holes, wiping away the excess as I added the pegs.
Front bedroom closet
The second closet had more storage, but the placement of it wasn’t very usable. While the first closet was shallow and wide, the second closet was long and deep – a little over three feet wide by seven feet deep. The closet rods were mounted across right by the door, and the window was flanked with metal standards and brackets. This meant that you had to walk through the clothing to reach the shelves.
I started fresh by removing all existing shelving. As with the first closet, I could see that there was once a chair rail that wrapped the entire space, so I first installed that, then added a closet rod on the end and pegs on each side. I put a 16″ shelf over the rod, then painted and called it a day.
These closets are my new favorite part of the house, especially the one with the window. The closet in the front bedroom also has a window, but prior owners covered it with vinyl siding. That is a project for another day. I look forward to hearing what renters think about the space!
