Like most people this year, I’ve downsized my possessions quite a bit since the start of this wretched experience we shall call 2020. There’s just no need for so much stuff anymore because we’re all getting used to the notion that nothing is going back to normal any time soon. Life as we know it is going to be different.

There’s no need for get-dressed-up-for-work stuff — at least not like it used to be, since aesthetics are relegated largely to top-half dressing. There’s drastically less need for fancy party stuff. High heels are pretty much a relic of a dying time since my feet have not known a shoe that wasn’t wide and low to the ground utilitarian like an aircraft carrier. There’s little need for going out stuff since eating in is the new going out. I’ve gone out to our local tiny restaurant with ample outdoor seating lately, mostly because I want them to make it past this economic downturn and I want to go out and wear actual clothing again and pay some respect to the dying ritual of having professionals make and serve you food.

I’ve accumulated very pretty things over the years — designer dresses I adore, pretty accessories from vintage shops abroad, and sentimental hand-me-downs. These are permanent collection items, and if I never get to wear them again, then at least they’ll be for my enjoyment whoever I give them to’s enjoyment.

So with all this, the first step in reimagining my closet solutions is taking inventory.

This stage is called Planning.

I’ve taken stock of everything I own, after several donation and editing cycles, and I’ve collected them in a Google Sheet. I then categorized them according to ideal storage method, like folding, shelf items, or hanging. Then I counted how many of these items I own and color coded them. Without boring you with the accounting, I’ve attached a screenshot of a diagram that shows my plan for how all these things will fit in my new yet-to-be-built custom closet.

Who is building it? I am*. Well, we are. With a lot of help from my handy and talented Nick. We own a home built in 1927 with 1927 idea of what closets are. We need 2020 closets that are deep and modular. We’ve scoped out what this would cost to contract out, but at about $20,000-30,000 for three closets I’m thinking the endless shelter-in-place/our-new-lifestyle is prime time for us to do it ourselves. It’s not so much that we are cheap and don’t value what skills cost, but it’s because I know we can do it. And specifically, I have such high standards that I just don’t think it’ll be cost-effective to ever hire someone to execute my vision for this pilot.

Our goal is to start with my office (where I keep my clothes and WFH daily), and then take those closet plans and redo the other two bedrooms in our home. I’ve (ha) given us a deadline of EOY 2020 for the pilot closet. So wish us luck, and I’ll keep this corner of the internet posted on progress, challenges, and whatever else comes up.

*We are more handy than your average homeowners, with Nick as a lead, having built our own french drains, repaired and reframed windows, installed drywall, and are currently contracting out more complex projects that involve drainage and foundation leveling.