Moses' Closet Part II

We live in a one bedroom apartment and our 2 year old, Moses, sleeps in a closet off the living room. I haven't posted pictures of Moses' closet in a year or two (it used to look like this) so I thought I would share a few. Notes and sources below.



We recently installed a custom toddler bed that Paul built. It was a happy coincidence that a crib mattress is the exact length of the closet. The artwork is a print I blew up from a book called The Architect's Brother (without getting permission from the photographer). It is one of my favorite artbooks. I highly recommend adding it to your collection if you don't have it already.



The orange stripe bedding is from Ikea, I had to modify the twin set to fit a toddler bed.




The "It's beautiful here" coatrack is made by South African artist Heath Nash. I love love love it. (I got it a few years ago from Anthropologie.) The monkeys I bought while on vacation in Tulum, Mexico. The wall color is Benjamin Moore's Celery Salt that we had leftover from painting our bookshelves. (IT isn't as bright as it appears in these photos.)



The light fixture I bought from the Flea Market a few years ago. Although you can buy a similar one from Amazon right here.




The little red shelf is from Ikea, we painted it red. The artwork is a McSweeney's cover and the toys pictured are both also from a trip to Mexico. I laughed because I left the room for 1 minute to change a poopy diaper (glamorous, I know) and when I came back this is what my perfectly styled photo had become.



4 month old Roman will soon join his older brother in the closet, we've hired a wood worker to build a custom bunk bed crib that will lift open from the front. Anytime I start to feel badly that they sleep in a closet I remember what Kacy said, "Harry Potter also lived in a closet, and he grew up to be a fine young man."

112 comments:

  1. It's very nice. I like it a lot and am inspired by it.

    But one question: Why don't you move to a bigger place??

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  2. Gorgeous, Jordan. The yellow stripes are so happy, perfect for little boys :)

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  3. I wouldn't mind living in a closet if it was that nicely styled :)

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  4. at least it is a pretty roomy closet =) it's just barely smaller than our 2nd bedroom in ny haha.

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  5. You know, they don't realize that its a closet, they will probably just have memories of it being really cozy :-) I know that my childhood bedroom must have been ridiculously cramped with three kids and all their things stuffed into a 12x12 room and yet I don't remember it that way at all.

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  6. our baby sleeps in a closet, but it's not nearly that wonderful. we do what we have to i guess

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  7. Anonymous2:13 PM

    What a lucky lil guy sleeping under that gorgeous light fixture! Such a cute room!

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  8. i have that same lotus light! .. and umm that's ONE lucky boy - i'd SOOOOO want that to be my room - what other kid can say they lived in a closet - and a COOL one @ that! .. i'm ALL for it -- i think i'm gonna inmvistigate if i can make a closet a guest room now in my house .. think they'd mind?!

    *kiss kiss*
    Erika
    ~Tiptoe Butterfly~

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  9. My kids might as well live in a closet. They share a bedroom, and it is a nicely sized room, but we only use the room for sleeping, so the size doesn't actually matter.

    You've done such a nice job with this little space.

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  10. I love that they hare going to share this little sleeping nook together! I find that my son doesn't really play in his room, he only sleeps there, so it's perfect! I love it!

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  11. I think it is the perfect toddler sized room! And I think the two kiddos will enjoy many nights in there together laughing and sleeping and sharing secrets (once the baby is a bit older...)

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  12. robin k3:42 PM

    Gorgeous and inspired, Jordan.

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  13. Anonymous3:43 PM

    We live in one bedroom too, and what we did was let our child have the bedroom and me and my husband sleep on the sofa in the living room :).
    Jana

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  14. You are a lesson in ingenuity and fine decorating skills. I'd sleep in one of your closets any day. I hope that doesn't sound creepy.

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  15. Anonymous4:14 PM

    Wow! I find this extremely inspiring! (I also loved your post about your home office and Moses' toy storage in your living room.) My husband and I live in a small house with 2 bedrooms. Currently one of the bedrooms is my office but we'll be converting it into a baby room soon and moving my office into the hall coat closet. I love that you're making your 1-bedroom apt work for you and not just running out and getting a bigger place like most people would do. Kudos to you!!

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  16. LOVE it -- my little brother used to live in a closet too, and aside from still being a "little brother" at heart, he turned out just fine. Beautiful job, Jordan -- such a cozy, happy little spot!

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  17. That is TOTALLY adorable.

    I may have to steal that color scheme.

    I wish my closet was so inviting. But it's so small there is no way we could fit any sized bed in it. Sigh.

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  18. So cute! I would have loved sleeping in a closet as a kid - so cozy & a spot that was all my own. And as someone else said they don't know that it's a closet - it's just their room! Great colors!

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  19. Jordan....I love, love, love this. Such a sweet cozy space space for him. He has the parks and streets and museums of S.F. to play in! xo

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  20. Love. We would do this in a heartbeat if we had a walk in closet. As is, we'd have to section off part of the living room, I think. Our 1-bed is 900 Square feet, palatal by our standards. So it seems slightly absurd that we couldn't fit a kid.

    Not that we need to yet. But still. You think about these things.

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  21. Oh. And I forgot to say. AMAZING. Amazingly done. Seriously.

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  22. This is fantastic! I love what you did with this space! It's so not a closet, but more sleeping quarters:) Love the toddler bed–was hoping you bought it somewhere so I could copy. Cannot wait to see the bunk bed crib, what a great idea. I think you're on to something!

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  23. I love this! Such a great space.

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  24. Good job Paul for making the bed, the closet looks cooler than my girls full size room.

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  25. I Love it. It's beautiful, well thought out, fun perfectly decorated and the perfect size. I don't think rooms and homes and cars need to be bigger in order to make things fit. I think this is PERFECT. Love the canvas too..Who did you use for that?

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  26. What a great room for two little boys. We also live in San Francisco and our daughter (20 months) also sleeps in a closet!

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  27. So cute, I love it~

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  28. I was wondering how you'd do it with two! I like the idea of a small, cozy bedroom for them.

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  29. How big is that picture blown up?

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  30. this is inspiring. We had 6 people living in a two bedroom. I seriously don't believe that kids thrive better with lots of space.

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  31. AND this closet is way better than anything Harry had. :)Looks just lovely, Jordan.

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  32. that is the most amazing closet ever and i wouldn't for one minute be sad that they sleep there. that is adorable and if we ever get to live the dream and move to SF, i'll do the same i'm sure.

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  33. Just darling. I can't wait to see how the bunk bed crib works out.

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  34. that is the cutest little closet bedroom since i don't know when.

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  35. Anonymous6:49 PM

    hahaha, i love that you're unashamed about them living in a closet! you've made it into a beautiful space -- i wouldn't mind living in there myself!

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  36. where did you get that adorable elephant plush? love it! and everything else of course!

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  37. oh jordan - this is love! (if only i were a few fee shorter) i would totally live in this perfect little closet! well done!

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  38. I adore how nice the room/closet is, but those tiny checkered Vans are what really got me!:)

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  39. that dreamy little closet is perfection.

    i want to live there ;-)

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  41. pish-posh. Anyone living outside of SF or NYC might think it's weird to put a kid in a closet, but anyone who's ever lived in either city knows a walk-in closet = a 2nd bedroom.

    Very inspiring space.

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  42. Lovely Jordan! Our two really like their bunk crib and you are lucky to have such a spacious closet our closet bedroom is 1/2 the size of yours. Lucky ducks!

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  44. Totally happy colors and completely inspiring! I love it. I think it's also a good example of how less really is more. In SF I find that we have to be more discerning about what we keep in our homes. The upside is that we tend to be far less overruled by clutter. I too would love to know how you blew up the print from the book? Is it a canvas or something that they could do a Kinkos? More information would be great. Thank you.

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  45. Bunk bed crib??!!! PLEASE share that! We have two kids and are similarly space confined and that sounds like just what we need!

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  46. This is really cool and very creative. Can't wait to see the bunk bed crib.

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  47. So sweet. I love it. I grew up in a NYC apt and my parents did the same thing.

    Our hallway closet got a twin bed, night stand and storage above!

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  48. I've spent the last hour surfing your blog (when I should be working...opps) It is inspiring =)

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  49. City living indeed! What a wonderful cheerful little nest you've made for your boys. And it will make a great story when they are older. My aunt used to boast she grew up in a chicken coop - which she did.

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  50. I think this is a very clever way to use a space. What do we do in the bedroom but sleep....I think it is very cozy!

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  51. such a stylish closet indeed. It should be the title of a grand novel, "Moses' Closet."

    thank you for sharing your precious space with us...

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  52. Anonymous2:14 AM

    Oh I adore absolutely everything about this room! The bed is gorgeous and cozy looking too - I love the blonde color of the wood with the rest of the space, way to go Paul! And the celery color on the walls with the neutrals is great... it's a color I use a lot in my decorating too - a favorite.

    I was curious about the printing source as well, did you go with a local printer? (When you have images blown up that big from books, it's rare that they look as fantastic as yours!)

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  53. I like the color and the design of the toddler bed. This is nice stuff.

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  54. I can't wait to see Roman's crib when it's done! This is amazing!

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  55. The house we lived in until I was 10--mybedroom was less square-footage than my closet in the the house we moved into later! Nothing but good memories from the first small house.

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  56. not bad for muggles. but seriously, that is extremely creative & ingenious! can't wait to see the bunk-bed-crib.

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  57. it looks perfect, jordan! my good friend did the same thing in her 1br san fran apartment for her little boy and it was such a cute and cozy little room!

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  58. Absolutely magical. Although monkey on the left scares me a little. I think he needs pupils.

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  59. Anonymous4:40 AM

    If Harry's closet had looked that cute and cheery, he may never have left for Hogwarts :-)

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  60. Full of awesome ! When my oldest 2 were little the cribs and toddler beds were in the closests. The room had 2, this left all the floor space open for play areas. Now we have a huge house with a HUGE master closet and my youngest likes to "camp" in there, it's very magical like a tree house or fort but inside.

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  61. What a brilliant use of space. I truly love it!

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  62. i'd also love to know more about how you went about getting the picture blown up, and how much it cost.

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  63. On blowing up the picture: It wasn't cheap. It has been a few years so the exact details are foggy but we got a few quotes from different companies and went with the cheapest. We had it printed on canvas and then bought stretchers from an art store and used a staple gun to secure it.

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  64. www.smartgiftsmumbai.com is the one stop online gift shop where you can send gifts to Mumbai for every occasion. Sending Mumbai gifts online have become convenient and protected with us. For details, visit www.smartgiftsmumbai.com.

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  65. My son sleeps in the hallway. We closed off a long hallway (we just take the long way around to our bedroom), made your sister's fabulous toddler bed and added a bookcase and whatnot. He has his own little nook and loves it. The horrible hallway lighting is our only issue, but he has a sweet little lamp he can turn on and off and boy does he ever. He doesn't care at all that he sleeps in the hallway, because to him, it is his very own room and he even gets to clean it.

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  66. So inspiring! Our son also sleeps in a closet (http://offbeatmama.com/2010/05/nursery-walk-in-closet) and it's great to see the idea translate for a toddler!

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  67. it's a GREAT space. and i love the quote from kacy.

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  68. So inspiring to me! Thank you so much for posting this. It makes me feel excited about moving to Hong Kong with my family (including two young children) in a few months. They are going to have a similar room arrangement...

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  69. i LOVE it! little kids don't need much room anyway. we lived in a 750 sq. ft. apartment when our TRIPLETS came along. we managed just fine. i think families who live in smaller homes are sometimes more connected to one another because they have no other choice...maybe not a bad thing.

    and that closet is AMAZING.

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  70. closet or not, that place rocks.

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  71. I'm picturing the bunk bed crib. It's a cage.

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  72. This is amazing! What an inspiration.

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  73. The space is cute, but what about a fire? There's no window for your children to get out -- that seems completely unsafe.

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  74. I love it! Can't wait to see pics when it is converted to a shared closet. We are expecting our first and until we can afford to "take over" the whole house, we will be keeping our tenant upstairs. Our little one is going in a closet too! I thought it was the perfect solution, but I'm sure you understand about the looks you get when you tell other people. I'm going to have to start using the Harry Potter quote!

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  75. What a cute closet! I bet Moses likes it!

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  76. I can not wait to share this with my husband. We live in a teeeny Boston apartment and he is convinced kids need the suburbs and a playroom to be happy. And the fact that you are building Roman a bunkbed crib is SO awesome. I cannot wait to see.

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  77. Looks like it's working out nicely. I think we'll be moving into a 2 brm after all, though I did get some good ideas from this post. Thanks for the update. :)

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  78. I love this. So wonderful and cozy. But I love even more that you shared the picture where your perfect styling got messed up. Made me smile.

    I'm thinking my little guy needs some of those cute Vans...

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  79. Whoa, I would so live in that beautiful cozy closet!

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  80. If the room is for sleeping, it doesn't matter what the size is. What matters is that they have parents who love them. And, if the room is small (and your apartment is small), it forces you to get out! And, you live in an amazing city with lots to do! Besides, living small makes you (and others who live small) carefully assess every purchase which is also environmentally-friendly.

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  81. Very resourceful. I love the bed. My cousin lives in SF and her two boys share a tiny room off a tiny hallway. But their room is not as cute. :)

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  82. I love it Jordan! Our little boy sleeps in a closet, too. I'll post some pics soon so the boys can compare closets to closets. ; )

    BTW, I love the artwork. Great idea!

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  83. What an adorable space!

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  84. oh my goodness. love.

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  85. I really love how you made this space so beautiful and inviting! I am wondering where you had the poster blown up so large?? I love it!

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  86. Jaimie5:47 PM

    Just goes to show you that in a smaller space, you can concentrate on just a few details that make a big impact. Like so many commenters already, I find this inspiring. My son's room is a proper bedroom, but it is definitely on the small side. I love the way we've decorated it, and find it charming, and he certainly (at 21 months old!) finds it perfectly acceptable! I also agree that bedrooms are a place for sleep and quiet reflection, so they don't need to house a lot.

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  87. Anonymous5:53 PM

    this is such lovely inspiration!!! thanks for posting. i love all the details, like those insanely adorable houseslippers!!!!

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  88. Anonymous6:52 AM

    I love the room, doesn't look like a closet at all! I noticed your son had a sock doll from bla bla. Aren't they the greatest?! My son carries his EVERYWHERE!
    www.hangingonthewall.ca

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  89. This is just too sweet for words.

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  90. Anonymous4:09 PM

    I just bought the Architect's Brother after seeing your previous post and wanted to know if you lost any resolution when you blew the print up. Also, any reccomendations on where to take the print to have it blown up and mounted? I'd like to do the same thing for my daughter's room. Thanks!

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  91. Anonymous10:06 PM

    My son who just turned one, also sleeps in a closet. While ours is (I think) a little larger than yours. It's wonderful for keeping things paired down. I am a natural pack rat and this small space really seems to help

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  92. TOTALLY gorgeous!!!! wow, jordan, you have outdone yourself. joannaxo

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  93. Total inspiration! This little room is lovely and adorable! My husband and I are trying to have a baby and we LOVE our teeney one bedroom apartment and never want to move. We think we'll have to section off a bit of the living room to make room for a baby, no closets in this pad! What will you do later, though? Will you all move when they're bigger?

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  94. GENIUS! It's true - kids don't need a ton of room, just a space to call their own. I grew up in an apartment in NYC and it wasn't big and I am super close to my family because we actually had to talk to each other! Besides that, living in a smaller place fosters a good habit of going out and exploring the world. At least I think so!

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  95. elizgomz9:02 PM

    I think it's an awesome little space. My baby lives in a closet too! It has enough room for a crib and a tiny side table with a lamp. Modern art and a gold leaf mirror on the wall. I think it's beautiful.

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  96. My 19 month old also sleeps in a closet and you have absolutely inspired me to make it cute. Everything you have done is so cheery and beautiful. I think it is good for kids to see their parents be creative with the space they have and learn how little a person actually needs to live a wonderful life. Thanks for sharing!

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  97. Anonymous1:04 AM

    our son was in his closet (until we knocked the back out to open into another room), but it wasn't a walk-in...just the kind with the sliding doors. we took them off and hung fun curtains in front, he loved it...his little nest. he still misses it.

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  98. you are amazing... wow!

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  99. Please be sure to post pictures of the new bunk crib when it's finished. My daughter's room isn't much bigger than that, and it sounds like the perfect solution for two. One night, when trying to figure out how/if we could ever squeeze a second baby in there, I had the *brilliant* idea to design/build a bunk with the crib on TOP! Great minds think alike. I can't wait to see your design. Good work.

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  100. I think I want to live in that closet, please.

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  101. this is awesome...kind of makes me want to be 2 and live in a closet. ;)

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  102. This is pretty inspiring. I've been trying to figure out how to live in one bedroom with my son - well retrofit one of the closets for my 20 month old. but I had yet the nerve or made any full fledged plans! Thanks for the inspiration.

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  103. Oh man, my house sucks. I need to start caring more.

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  104. Keola3:52 AM

    That is sooo cute & cozy! You are one creative mama.

    @ Smellyann:
    Do you not live in 2010 where the economy is bad?? Some people can't afford to move into a bigger place even though they would like to.
    your question kinda kills your compliment.

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  105. Alicia7:38 PM

    I found the link to this post awhile ago on offbeatmama.com and loved the idea! It's having a major effect on our decision to downsize and move from the suburbs to downtown. I'm just wondering how you ensure adequate ventilation? Is there no door? I suppose you could just put a curtain...but if it's the closet in the master bedroom, I would assume you would want some type of separation.

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  106. I can't wait to see the bunk bed crib!

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  107. Love it. Making use of your space is a great idea.

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  108. Wow - this is so creative and such an amazing inspiration for me to make better use of my current space!

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  109. Wow! Way cute! Way to go mom. Talk about using what you've got. I'm a big fan of that.

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  110. Absolute perfection!

    I love how you've created a bright, beautiful space despite the small size. @kiki: you can easily print your own oversized canvas prints. If you have a favorite photo or piece of art, just scan or photograph it with your digital camera. Change your camera setting to the largest resolution option, turn your flash off, and use a tripod for best results. You can upload your file to a site online to be printed, mounted on canvas, and shipped right to your door!
    http://www.easycanvasprints.com/pricing-options/

    I discovered some really chic, adorable pillow covers the other day, and posted some favorites on my blog. They'd be perfect in a small space like this: http://inklingspaperie.blogspot.com/

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  111. Genius. My toddler lives in a bathroom. We converted the 12' x 5' master bath (which was so old looking) into a nursery (all plumbing drywalled over, no more toilet!). It's the perfect width of a crib and perfect length to accommodate glider and changing table. This is how we managed to stay in our 2 bedroom condo w/2 kids. Wish we could have bought a bigger place. Why didn't my money tree pan out???

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