Today's the day... the Closet Reading Loft Reveal! Yay! It's going to be mainly pictures today and then I'll be back later this week with the how-to tutorial. Seriously though, this project wasn't hard and it was inexpensive. I'm so glad that we went ahead and decided to go for it. Our little man LOVES it and I catch him up there all the time.
*Updated to add: Here is the "How To Build a Reading Loft".
Here's a before/progress shot of where we were:
Here's the DIY Closet Loft now...
So, what did you think? Pretty cool, right? Also, pretty colorful! Ha. Our little guy mentioned that he didn't think it had enough color and I looked at him like he was crazy. lol. The good thing about the color is that it is really just the mattress pad and the pillows. They can all be changed really easily.
We are super happy with how the project turned out. I'll be back later this week with details on how you can build one!
*Edited to add: See the complete building process here.
Linking up to:
All Things Boy, DIY Sunday Showcase, Found and Foraged, Your Designs This Time, The Makers, The Winthrop Chronicles, Home Stories A-Z, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Outside the Box, Work It Wednesday, On Display Thursday, Think and Make Thursday, Fry Sauce and Grits, The Inspiration Gallery, Creativity Unleashed - The Bold Abode, Remodelaholic, Whipperberry, The Creative Collection, Tatertots and Jello, and Frugal Crafty Blog Hop.
Christine
What a super cute space! I love it! And how clever to put the nook in the closet.
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Christine! We had closet issues before (with the doors hitting the main door to the room) so it just made sense to change it up!
nikita
This is awesome. What size bed did you fit in there?
Ashley Mayes
It's not a bed... just a little nook for our little man. But, it's about 3ft by 6ft.
Corinna - For My Love Of
WHAT?!?! THIS is why you were taking doors off a closet? This is insanely good!
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Corinna! Ha. Yes, the hinge tutorial came from this post. Love how that works!
Julia@Cuckoo4Design
I absolutely love it. So so awesome!
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Julia! It's definitely a fit for us right now.
Katie
Oh my!! This is absolutely fantastic!! My boys would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this! What a great idea! It turned out awesome ... Great job!
Ashley Mayes
Thanks so much! My little guy is in love with it... I'm sure eventually it will turn to a spot to jump off of but he hasn't thought of that yet. =)
Emily @ Two Purple Couches
I love this!! I might do this with my own closet 😛
Ashley Mayes
Lol. I know, right?
Marybeth
That came out great! I love the colors! So adorable. I really like the details like the little shelves on the bottom and that Neil Armstrong quote. I can't wait to see the tutorial.
Ashley Mayes
Thanks so much! I can't claim credit to the shelves underneath... they were already there. But, I will share the tutorial this week.
Charlotte W
This turned out great! Love it. All the little details are perfect. I think G and I are on the same crazy train though, because I could totally see the back upper part of the wall being painted a bright green.
Has he asked to sleep up there? I can totally see Alden "calling" this spot when we stay again =)
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Char! Ha. I think the color is just so primary that it's not my thing. But, he LOVES it and the primary colors so that's fine. You must love colors as well. I'm sure the boys will have fun it in!
Emily, Our house now a home
This is adorable! Anyone would be lucky to have this cozy spot to hang out in. Those little baskets are prefect for it.
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Emily. Can you believe those baskets are from Walmart? Super cheap as well!
Gretchen@BoxyColonial
love it! what a fun space! I definitely need to do something like this with my toddler's closet when he's a bit bigger 🙂
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Gretchen! You totally should!
Krista @ the happy housie
So adorable! What a great idea... I would probably have to add a small railing because my two boys would likely wrestle each other right off the reading nook... but that's a whole other story! Such a great use of space- sharing on my FB page!
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Krista! I laughed when I read the railing part! Thanks so much for the share!
Jenna @ Wife in Progress
What a great idea! I would love to try this once my little man is older!!
Ashley Mayes
You totally should!
Brynne@TheGatheredHome
This is so amazing Ashley! My hat's off to you guys for dreaming this up and creating such a magical space! I would have died and gone to heaven for this as a kid and I still kind of want one in my house for me now 🙂
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Brynne! We are slowly getting more adventurous with building. Slowly.
Jennifer @ Brave New Home
Uh, what do I think? I think it's pretty freakin awesome! Wow, Ashley. What vision! You really knocked this one out of the park. Great job and I can't wait for an update on how much your little guy loves it.
Ashley Mayes
Ha. Thanks Jennifer! I may try to do one of your day in the life type posts and include that because he is in it everyday!
Anna @Annabode
This is so cute! I love that his clothes are at the right height for him now, and that he has little shelves for his vehicles. Way to make the space multi-functional!
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Anna! The clothing bar before was a huge problem for us. He couldn't pick out clothes (which was ok with me!) but that meant he couldn't put his own laundry away either. It's definitely a much better fit for us now.
Amy W
Couldn't love it more!!
Ashley Mayes
Thanks so much Amy!
Tara @ Lehman lane
Ashley, The closet reading nook looks fantastic! I love all the little touches like the shelves and storage for toys and books. Perfect for a little guy! Great job - Tara
Ashley Mayes
Thanks so much! We tried to think how to incorporate things that would work for us.
Jennifer
What a precious idea! This is such a gift for your son.
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Jennifer! Our little guy really loves it.
Sam @ DIY Just Cuz
This turned out really well - only question are the baskets too high to reach!? Love the way this looks, I'm checking out how you made it now!
Ashley Mayes
Our little guy is a rule follower and we have told him not to stand on the the loft and reach them. However, he can reach them at the height they are at if he did stand up. I can get them easily from the ground but I'm pretty tall. Hope that helps!
Kati
OMG! This is brilliant! No kid needs all that space for their clothes so why not make a fun place for them to hang out and read.
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Kati! My little man gets quite a bit of use out of it.
Jamin Mills
Looks amazing! I love seeing people create reading spaces for the littles! You knock this one out of the park!
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Jamin! It was definitely a fun project that still gets lots of use.
Cynthia Cotmen
Thank you so much for posting this! I made one following your wonderful instructions!
https://pin.it/5ouI3td