Last time we talked, Slav has installed murphy bed in my retreat room.
And Roxie has moved in…
…which brought us into the closet phrase. The plan has always been to finish the left side closet for storage. We briefly entertained the idea of creating a built-in seating/reading area, but quickly realized the necessity for a covered closet. We want our guests to have space to unpack their suitcases and hang their clothes. And with 25″inch depth, a closet will offer much more storage than deep shelves.
To match the murphy bed alcove, Slav finished the closet alcove with the same plywood sheets at the back and sides,
and brought the outlet (used to face inside of the closet) out to face the room. This will provide guests an option of charging their phones next to the bed.
Then Slav installed solid pine trims to finish off the face of this closet wall.
with matching wood electrical cover plate for the newly installed outlet! Nice detail is always a plus.
While Slav was working on the wood trims around the guest closet, I started planning the configuration of the inside. Since we only have guests 5% of the time, instead of leaving this closet empty during most of the year, I decided to make it a gear closet for Slav. Slav loves hiking and mountaineering. Since we moved to Colorado, he has accumulated quite a few backpacks for backcountry. Although these gear can stand low temperature, storing them in the unheated and uninsulated garage is not ideal for their longevity. They also get lots of use in winter and often need to be brought inside for drying, so having a gear closet on our temperature-controlled main floor is a much better solution.
The funny thing was, until I brought in his gear, Slav had no idea that the closet he had been working so hard on would becomes his! I’d say it was a nice surprise and a strong push for him to get the closet finished. 😉
Can you spot Roxie in the middle of all the gear? This little brat has to be at the center of everything…
What I planned to store in the gear closet includes camping gear (tent, sleeping mats, and sleeping bags), our ski jackets and snow pants (mostly Slav’s), and hiking/backcountry backpacks (I have one and Slav has…5?). To make sure everything is on display and is easy to reach, I chose the simplest design for the closet interior: two horizontal hanging bars.
After some measuring we mounted the top bar much higher than standard height. This is to allow even the longest snow pants to hang freely. The bottom bar was mounted just above our tallest suitcase, which also allows the backpacks to be hung off the floor. In this configuration, Slav can easily see everything he has with one glance. In addition, everything has enough room around/air ventilation for drying, as the bottom hem of snow pants or the bottom of backpacks are often wet after use.
The weekend after we put gears into the closet, Slav installed the doors! He simply cut plywood to size and mounted them with heavy-duty hinges. I edge banded the plywood doors and finished the doors with some simple pulls:
We installed the same pull in a bigger size on the murphy bed panel to make it easier to open and close.
The narrow shelf above the bed (which functions as a stop for the bed) was perfect for storing all the camping gears. We might cover it with a hinged door down the road… but for now, the open look does not bother me and it is better for venting.
After everything was installed, I gave the whole closet wall three coats of shellac. It slightly darkened the birch plywood by bringing the wood grain out, but in person, it looks nice and smooth. The photo below was taken after I coated the Murphy bed side, but not yet on the closet doors, so you can get an idea how much shellac darkens the birch plywood:
I had to remove the mattress and lower the murphy bed during coating process. And soon I found Roxie like this:
If Roxie could talk, she was probably screaming “I hate renovations” or “give my spot back”. But she could not voice for herself. So deal with it, Pup! Life is tough for everyone nowadays…
This is how the closet wall looks like now! I think it is nice! The dog bed is back and our two pups are happy. When I work in the room they take turns napping on it and let out cute little snores. Life is good again for everyone.
We still yet to finish the floor on the entire main floor and add baseboards (again for the entire main floor). But my room has become so tidy and airy compared to the before. I think concealing the big guest mattress really paid off! I honestly cannot believe how empty this room feels…So I have been bringing in plants to add life back to the room. If there is anything else I’d like to add to my retreat space, it will be a headboard/cabinet for the murphy bed, so our guests have something to lean against to when sitting in bed, and a horizontal surface for a reading lamp, books, glasses, and water at night. It should be a fun winter project to tackle this Christmas I am sure!
Again, let’s finish with the list. Did I tell you I love lists?
1. Patch missing floor boards;
2. Repair and finish drywall edges against the closet wall and doorway;3.
Reinforce the closet framing;
4. Murphy bed construction and installation;
5. Wire the electrical outlet to face the room;
6. Construct the closet;
7. Trim out the closet wall;
8. Edge banding the plywood doors;
9. Put wood finish on closet wall to protect the plywood surface;
10. Adding a storage headboard for the Murphy Bed;
11. Construct a standing desk with motorized legs and a wood top;
12. Refinish the hardwood floor;
13. Install baseboard all around.
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