Almost Free Shelves

When houses were built in 1944 like ours, they did not invest in as much closet space as modern homes. Or they didn't have as much stuff! Either way we decided our closets needed additional shelves to maximize storage. We took a trip to the Habitat for Humanity East Bay ReStore to find some salvaged baseboard trim to use to hold up the shelves. I recommend anyone with home projects to visit a ReStore near them. The stores have all kinds of home improvement items -- windows, doors, paint, cabinets, fixtures and lights. Most things have been donated from construction projects and some items are even new. Plus your purchases help a great organization that builds homes for low income families.
For our shelves, Patrick picked up some free extra-thick, plywood from a neighbor. Using a table saw borrowed from the Oakland Tool Lending Library, he carefully cut our shelves to size. Then we painted them to match our current shelves with paint left over from the previous owners' remodel. A few nails and wood glue applications later, we have more storage than we need. (At least for now!)

Patrick adds shelf to office closet

Storage!

Bedroom Closet: After

Bedroom Closet: Before