Could you live without closets?

When we bought our early 1800s farmhouse, it was really a fixer upper. The wrap around porch was basically the only thing it had going for it at the time, but that porch was what made me fall in love with the house. Since then, we have done so much work, I still love the porch, but although its still a work in progress, I adore my house and never want to move.

My sister in law had always mentioned her lack of closets in her farmhouse and I never really gave it a second thought. In fact, in looking at the house, the fact that it didn't have closets really didn't cross my mind.

I had lived in a house that had full sized closets that were full. Before that I had a huge kitchen with cabinets that I could not even fill, I had so many cabinets but I managed to downsize and still cook meals from scratch in a smaller kitchen. Not only did I not have closets but this house has no pantry!

Imagine, if you will, taking everything that is in a closet, and pantry in your home, and pretend that the closets dont' exists. Where would you put everything? The vacuum, the ironing board, sewing machine, not to mention the clothes, shoes, etc.
My sister once said to me, you have too much stuff....when I told her to empty her closets and find new homes for everything, she changed her tune.

I have managed to live closet free for 10+ years now. Times were simple when they built my house. I had to be very creative, and, even though there are times when the clutter takes over, I am always keeping on top of it and purging to keep it under control.

My pots and pans hang from the ceiling beams in my kitchen, as well as some baskets I use for popcorn etc. My China cabinet is where I keep the plates we really use (I don't believe in having 'special plates' because my kids are more important to me than the Queen of England, so they eat off of the good plates and when they break, we dont' sweat it).

I have old wooden beer crates in my bedroom that hold my extra sweaters on top of my 10.00 cedar armoire I found at a yard sale. That Armoire holds almost nothing and takes up more room than its worth sometimes. Aprons, and table clothes etc are in the buffet in my dining room. Kitchen towels are in the living room in a Longaberger basket with a lid.

I carry my vacuum downstairs to the basement when company is coming (well when I have notice that company is coming, which doesn't happen often)..otherwise, my kirby sits in the dining room lol. I upgraded to a laptop so that I don't have to have a big clunky computer and I can sit on my patio and surf the web.

I was talking to a man the other night who told me that he bought an old farmhouse and I said to him...let me ask you a question, do you have closets..he looked at me like I must have been to it, and said, how'd you know? I said I too have an old farmhouse, they are famous for no closets lol. He said his clothes are everywhere, and I told him, I live here for 10+ years and still do not have my clothes under control, you never will! lol

I would not give up my old farmhouse for all the tea in China! Closets or not...I love it.