Pour l'amour de Paris {For the love of Paris}: A Pied dans le Placard

"If only people would act more on their ideas,

I'm convinced they would lead more interesting lives."

- Dorothy Draper

I've wanted a walk-in closet since...forever. What self respecting Diva doesn't? Well that day has arrived - Enfin! (Finally!)

I officially began this project in December, but there were some delays and though I had made some progress by January I still had not broken ground. Then at the beginning of this month, everything started happening at once...

Sarah finished my room divider, crated it and put it on a freight truck from California. In the meantime, it was time to 'break ground'...

I cleared out the space and carpenter Matt got to work, installing shelves and rods inside my original space; and building a chest of drawers in one corner.

My chandelier arrived the next day, expertly installed by my handyman extraordinaire - Sal

Once the foundation was set, I spent a few days: cleaning, moving the armoire, filling my gorgeous closet and chest of drawers. And I love the results...

In my original design, I was going to: remove the existing closet doors, buy an antique mercury lamp (to sit atop the chest of drawers). But I soon realized that the existing doors perfectly fit the space (and, when closed, give the space a clean simple look and 'feel'). And my bedside lamp just looks so much better atop my chest of drawers. And I managed to shave $500+ from my budget (woo hoo!).

Shoes to the ceiling honey!

Clean, simple, elegant lines ;-)

Tres Parisian!

Interior closet ceiling light fixture

Mr. Gorgeous saw this at Lowes and knew it would be perfect - he was SO right.

My gorgeous chest of drawers. Note that the drawers are 4 different depths - Diva!

Turns out I stocked and arranged my new space in the nick of time. On Monday, my room divider arrived - and a what a challenge that was...

It seems that Sarah did too good of a job. She so carefully and professionally packed my screen that the resulting crate was large and quite heavy - and the shipping company was totally disorganized. They had to reschedule delivery three times (didn't have the right truck or enough men to haul it in).

And when they finally did come, the delivery man was alone! He told me that he could not unload my crate so he'd just have to leave - oh hell no! We went back and forth for about an hour ( although I have to say that he was very nice). I finally called Mr. Gorgeous - he came home, from a business meeting, to help the delivery man. Before they began, Mr. Gorgeous went across the street and enlisted the help of our amazing neighbor Money (yes, that's his real name ;-)

Mr. Gorgeous is the bald one ;-)

The gentlemen soon realized that there was no way that the huge heavy crate would get through our front door, let alone up a flight of stairs! The solution - unpack it in our front yard...

Victory! Now, time to get to work...

Unpacking and assembling my room divider (screen) was an easy dream. All I needed was a small hammer and a drill. Et voila...

View from my bedroom door.

Note: my new bedside lamp (gift from Mr. Gorgeous)

the blue toile upholstered antique bench w/ ball claw feet

(a $50 flea market find).

I'm astonished at how perfect Sarah's screen is. I mean, I had a vision but I didn't really think that I could have exactly that. I thought that I'd have to 'settle' for a close approximation. But the amazing quality of her craftmen's ship, the exacting attention to detail, measurement, etc. - WOW. Sarah's creation turned out to be the most pivotal piece of my walk-in closet design. Her screen - simply, elegantly, and clearly - now separate my 'sleeping space' from my walk-in closet.

View from 'inside' my walk-in closet

I still have not decided what to do with this corner. But,

I did unearth this fabulous clothes steamer from my basement

and now it has an honored place in my closet ;-)

My grandmother's chair - how perfect!

Sarah's screen 'finishes' my space - gives it shape and dimension. And I love the details in my new closet. Every piece I've placed in it, the entire design actually, was inspired by my many design/fashion Paris books - and more importantly - by my life long torrid love affair with Paris.

Still, my Diva haven is not quite finished. I've still got to find the perfect aubusson rug. And there's the quandry of what to do with the corner that has the clothes steamer. Yes, there are a few details to consider and solve. But I'm so happy to say that the major work has been completed and my Diva-walk-in-closet is born!

What do you think? She is very Paris-Diva, oui? Next? To finish our sleeping space. Allons-y!

Update: I finally decided what to do with the last corner. No surprise, I had a floor-to-celing bookshelf installed…