Closet curtain with DIY Driftwood Rod
I realized I made a small change in my upstairs hall a few months ago and never shared it here. I did post it on Instagram and Twitter back in November, so some of you may have seen it there. Today I’m finally showing the easy solution I used to hide a troublesome closet.
THE PROBLEM:
Our upstairs hall closet door never closed properly. It kept getting stuck and jammed, so we eventually removed it. That left the closet open and exposed, revealing storage we’d rather not display.
It stayed that way for months—maybe a year—because I kept putting off a proper fix.
Jute striped curtain hung from driftwood!
WEIGHING PERFECTION AGAINST REALITY:
Ideally I would have installed a new closet door or finished the inside so it could stay open, but I’m busy with other projects and priorities. Finding a properly sized door and having it installed would take time I didn’t have, and making the closet interior attractive enough to leave uncovered was a bigger project than I wanted to tackle right then.
Instead of waiting for the perfect solution, I opted for a quick, practical approach just before the holidays.
CREATIVE SOLUTION:
I used a jute-striped linen curtain I found and a piece of driftwood we’d had for years. I slipped the curtain loops over the driftwood, then suspended the driftwood from the wall using jute cord and a couple of nails.
That simple setup hides the closet contents, adds texture and warmth to the hall, and took only a few minutes to install.
MORAL OF THE STORY:
Sometimes a straightforward, low-effort fix is the best choice. My perfectionist impulse had delayed this small improvement for months because I wanted to do it “right.” But “simple and done” was all this situation needed. The quick curtain solution solved the problem and created a pleasant visual element in the hallway at the same time.
I’m glad I set aside perfectionism and just completed the project. It serves as a reminder that small, creative solutions can make daily life better without requiring a major overhaul.
What simple project could you finish around the house right now if you stopped waiting for the “perfect” solution?
The upstairs hallway is painted Studio Taupe (Behr All in One), the color I plan to carry through the main rooms of the house. It’s a warm, brownish-gray that works beautifully in our lighting.