Bedroom Closet Transformation

My son, Jackson, has an unusual bedroom closet. When you first open the closet door, it doesn't appear to be anything special. Turn your head to the right and you realize that it also includes large steps leading up to a small door in the ceiling - access to our attic. When we first walked through our home over 3 years ago, I knew instantly that this would be a reading nook for J as he grew up. I could envision a reading light, comfy blankets, tons of books - a cozy hide out for our little book worm.

Last winter, a little after Jackson turned 4, inspiration finally hit on how to style the space. I knew I wanted to tackle peel and stick wallpaper, which I had never done before. My dad, being the wallpaper master that he is, had helped us paper Jackson's original nursery and our powder room, but peel and stick was brand new territory, and I was going to do it on my own! I had been eyeing this black and white buffalo plaid paper at Target for quite some time and decided it would be a bold statement when you open up the door.

I found some tutorials online on how to install peel and stick wallpaper. This one was my favorite. I'm not going to lie, wallpapering around stairs for my first experience with wallpaper was not very joyful. But I took my time, repositioned the paper as needed, and had it all installed in an afternoon. I decided not to wallpaper the inside wall because no one would see it and it would save me some money.

I absolutely LOVE how it turned out! It's bold, it's masculine, it's playful. And it's such a contrast from his blue-green bedroom walls. I had extra paper, so I decided to go ahead and also wrap the shelf.

I wanted part of this closet to remain functional for us. The upper stairs are the perfect spot to store our luggage and some travel mattresses. In order to keep them hidden, I installed a tension curtain rod and a colorful curtain. Jackson still has access to the bottom 2 stairs to curl up with a book or store his treasures.

I made a cushion for the bottom step by taking one of Jackson's soft toddler bed quilts and wrapping it around an extra duvet insert I had. I secured the quilt with large safety pins so that I can switch out the "cover" if needed and reuse the quilt. A big fluffy pillow and an extra blanket complete the space for Jackson to curl up and read!

I found this vintage school desk at a neighborhood yard sale. I would like to repaint it some day but I haven't been inspired yet with what color to choose. One big tip from me, don't feel pressure to style a room just for the sake of getting it done. Take your time waiting for the right inspiration! You will always experience more joy in your space when you use the pieces that make you happy, even if that means you slowly transform a space over time!

I paired the desk with an industrial black stool so Jackson can sit and draw or play with his toys. I also hung a few pieces of art on the wall for a little flair. The "be bold" art was made out of an art piece I made back in graduate school and I simply wrote the words over it with a sharpie. The llama art was gifted to me by my dear college friends and is from a local artist. I hung a wall sconce and used Nesting with Grace's Magic Light Trick. Instead of hardwiring the light or needing to plug it in, you attach an LED puck light to the inside of the shade. Jackson can simply tap the puck light inside to turn on the light!

Jackson also keeps his micro machines in the closet. Full disclosure, they are RARELY this neat and tidy on top of the desk. Generally, they are scattered all over the closet floor and steps, but I love that they are contained and that this closet is his sacred space to make all the mess he wants!

Have you found a creative way to transform a closet? I have seen many inspiring closets turned offices ("cloffice") and even a closet turned wet bar (barffice, lol) What other ways could you be inspired to reuse a space in your home? Let me know in the comments!

xoxo, L

Update

Recently, we inherited a gorgeous antique bed frame for Jackson's bedroom! I pulled the desk out of the closet to use as a night stand because it looked much better than the industrial metal book cart we had before. After enjoying his closet play space for a year, I asked how he wanted to use it now. He told me he wanted, "a relaxation room." I loaded up the space with thick cushions, blankets and all of his stuffed animals to make a cozy reading nook in the corner.