Converting a Walk-In Closet Into a Divine Art Studio

By Candice Olson

Ashira and her husband, Ohran, and their three children moved here from South Africa and finally found house of their dreams: a spacious home in a great neighborhood that overlooks a park. After living in a small apartment for so long, they were thrilled to have a big home with lots of elbow room. Ohran has a study, daughters Shali and Atarah each have a lovely bedroom, and even 3-year-old Avichai has a room designed especially for him. But even with all the space, Ashira was the only one who didn’t have a place to call her own.

Between working and volunteering in the community, this busy mom didn’t have much time for anything, let alone her one true passion of painting. She longed for a peaceful place in which she could unwind with a paintbrush in the few minutes she did have to herself each day. Her bedroom had a walk-in closet that seemed a likely choice for such a retreat, so she asked me if I could turn it into an artist’s sanctuary.

It’s not often that I get asked to design a closet, but this huge room was no ordinary closet. In fact, most women dream of having a walk-in closet like this but not Ashira. She wanted the bright, airy room to be transformed into a place where she could get her creative juices flowing.