Crafting the Perfect Art Closet for Your Masterpieces
The most recent project I finished was one that I decided to do last minute. It was a space I had already re done 2 times in the last 3 years, and this time I think I finally got it right. I love how it turned out. The first time was a simple facelift with sharpie stencil, the second time (<– click there to see the reveal) I used peel and stick vinyl tiles and installed builtin cabinets to create an art closet. While I absolutely love the way it looked, the peel and stick vinyl did not last due to how hot and cold this room gets. So, that is what brings us here.
Demo
To start, I had to demo the existing peel and stick vinyl, however I had 2 problems…
- I used liquid nail on a few of the pieces, and removing liquid nail is a huge pain and creates a lot damage when removing it.
- When the builder built our home they did not primer our walls, so the paint peels easily. When removing the peel and stick vinyl it took the paint off with it and I was left with incredibly damaged walls. I could either cover it up again, or take it down to the the drywall and start over… I choose option 2.
Before anything could start with this project, I had to scrape the paint off the entire closet, which took FOUR DAYS!! It took soo long! But I am 100% glad I did it! I will admit, these videos are pretty satisfying. What do you think?
Once the paint was all peeled, it was time to do what the builder should have done, PRIME THE WALLS, then paint them. Now that we have a blank slate, the fun could start! This project was broken into 3 parts. Art desk, stencil wall, and barn door. Let’s start with the Stencil wall!
Stencil Wall
The only thing really changing here was the “backsplash”. I found this stencil, and I LOVED it. I have a love/hate relationship with stencils. So I traced the stencil with a pencil, then filled it in freehand with paint. It took a bit of time, but was worth it.
What art room would be complete without all the art supplies? I filled the drawers and desk with all the supplies. I cannot wait to see what my kids create in here.
Art Desk in the Art Closet
I found these frames that I knew was perfect for this room. My kids can display their “masterpieces” in them instead of all over my fridge. I wanted a little more color in this corner, and made some abstract artwork of my own.
The key here is getting perfectly crisp paint lines. First, use the GREEN FROG tape. It is hands down the best tape. PERIOD! Second, place your tape where you want it then run a baby wipe along the edge of the tape, let it dry and then paint. Finally, remove the tape while the paint is still wet to expose the most beautifully crisp lines.
I painted one large square in the corner, then an overlapping rectangle and a square in complimentary colors, using the same tape technique as above. I love the way this little art wall ended up.
Art Closet Barn Door
The last section of this project was the door. Adding a barn door here would make this space feel like an extension of the house instead of a closed off, forgotten, nook that never gets used. And boy was I right, adding the barn door was the best decision of the entire project!
I got this door from Amazon and painted it black. Hanging it was not too difficult, and the kit included everything to install it.
Because there was a standard door here before I needed to make the hinge cutouts and holes disappear. I used Bondo to fill them in, then sanded it down and painted it. Its like the original door never even existed.
This project was so fun to do. A few mini projects all wrapped into one fun project that my kids now get to enjoy! I cannot wait to see what they create in this little room.
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