Kids Closet Organization with Book Storage

A few months ago, I kicked off two transformations simultaneously including today’s kids closet organization makeover. Yes, we have been busy little bees, but the payoff as vacation starts is going to make our summer so much more relaxing. Not only is the new dining room my happy place, but the kid’s closet makeover is killin’ it!

So this is where we started. For a little boy who pretty much lives in t-shirts and shorts, he has no use for clothes that require hanging. What he really needed was a place to store (and read) all of his books. Seriously, how lucky am I to have a child who loves reading every day? It is a welcome break from the loud bangs, crashes, and general mayhem that is my darling boy. However, the books are piling up. On the floor. On the bed. In his desk. In the bathroom and more places I can’t even remember. It was time for them to have a place of their own.

Custom Closet after priming and building

A few weeks ago, I shared about us building his custom closet and bookcase on the back of the door. Now that building is done, I get to do the fun part with decorating and organizing.

Ok, I have to say this. All the best pictures of closets on the internet clearly (and I mean clearly) belong to the girls. Why do girls get to have all the fun? Well, not anymore, because I am bringing it in this boy’s closet makeover! I will share the sources at the bottom of this post as well.

DIY custom closet makeover for a small closet

And here it is today! Paint is pretty much the best part of any transformation, but finding just the right color can be daunting. I picked up this Celestial wallpaper online. Isn’t it so cool?

I just wanted to dive right in to the end. For this kid’s closet, I used metallic paint on the bookshelf dowel rods to coordinate with the blue wallpaper and paint – which unfortunately is now discontinued.

kid's closet organization with shelves closeup

Truth be told, I styled this up and I will continue to play with it until the rest of the room is organized. I could fill most of those shelves with more books or I could leave a few of his precious belongings that don’t have a home either. I haven’t quite decided yet.

Isn’t this sign the cutest?! We couldn’t resist the BE YOU sign since it is so adorable and sweet.

We added gold hooks (here are some similar) to store hats and belts, as well as two perfectly coordinated baskets on the top shelf. (I wish I had seen these budget friendly bins though!)

Making a bookshelf on the back of the door of a kid's closet. Kids closet organization including built-ins for about $200! No more books on the floor. It is a major organization transformation.

Yep, the bookshelf is definitely my favorite. Definitely. I primed and then painted 2 coats of the Devine Compass and got a nice even coverage. The paint is durable with a matte sheen, and a sample sized can was more than enough for this project. Hello, budget friendly!

Boy reading book in front of bookshelf on closet door.

Pardon me for a moment while I gush. He is growing up fast. Seriously. Stop. Now.

I did this whole closet, including the painting, in four hours. Wanna see it happen in about 30 seconds? Huzzah! You’re Welcome.

My first video/slideshow! What do you think of it? I didn’t want to overwhelm you with 30+ pictures of it coming together, haha. It also really illustrates just how simple, yet impactful this makeover was. I am so impressed with our test-run of this closet that I might have to tackle our master closet sooner rather than later. In fact, Hubby even told our son that he’s a lot little jealous. I think I see someone giving me hints for our next project.

If you liked this project, check out our other DIY Decorating Projects