To Color or Not: Painting a Closet White

by Megan Aubrey

Color overload. It’s definitely a thing.
Just look in my closet. The salmon colored pants sandwiched in between the bright green and bright blue capris. How about that multi-colored patterned top beside the chevron blue top. And for goodness sake, those purple shoes with a side of gold glitter flats!
So balance all the color I decided to go neutral on the closet - white baby!

to color or not painting a closet white, bedroom ideas, closet, painting

Look at all that color!

Cause that’s just how I see life. I see bright colors, bold patterns, and lots and lots of fun combinations.

So when I went to give my closet a little upgrade, I immediately thought about painting it a bold color. Perhaps even stenciling the back ground. That’s basically where my mind goes whether I’m dressing myself or decorating my house.

But after some seriously bad blue eye shadow years in middle school followed by a brightly striped knee sock period, I learned that it’s all about balance. Not all the colors and all the patterns at the same time are a good thing. You need some rest to allow the colors and patterns to pop.

So that’s where I went with the closet. I painted it white.

Sounds so boring for the self-proclaimed color addict, right?

Wrong.

It’s like I opened a boutique in my own home. Oh how the colors and patterns now shine in their resplendent boldness. They now have a spot to shine instead of being overloaded by another competing color.

[Oh how that rings true in life. Isn't it funny how decorating rules can be translated to life so easily? You need to let other people have their moments in the spotlight. There's nothing worse than a "one - upping" conversation where everyone is vying for attention. Everyone needs their moment. Let them have it.]

This is also one of the final spots where that terrible yellowed beige that was EVERYWHERE in the house. Beige be gone! White wins over you every time.

After the closet was white (one coat of primer followed by two coats of Olympic white paint straight from the can) it was time to put the clothes back in their freshly painted space.

However, I decided to put each item back with intention. I didn’t just pile everything in there. I first when through a series of questions:

1.Do I love this clothing item?

2.Does it make me feel great every time I wear it?

3.Do I own this just because I one time spent (probably not a lot) of money on this item?

4.Does it look good?

5.Is this is best place for this item?

6.Can I more effectively organize this space?

7.Can I get rid of one piece of clothing from this pile I am putting back in?

The moral of the story: let your bold items be bold with mixing in quieter moments (like a white backdrop). It is those quiet moments that really let the statement pieces shine through. If not, bold becomes the status quo and everything is just loud all the time. Embrace the quiet to cherish the bold.

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2 comments

Cynthia H on Aug 21, 2014
I decided to go neutral with my closet makeover, also. I had paint samples of every color I like, but, I soon realized that I needed something that would let me focus on putting an outfit together. I'm glad I did!

1 Reply
- Megan Aubrey on Aug 22, 2014
  @Cynthia H I totally agree! It's fun to tone down my color love on the walls and let my clothes speak!
  
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