Linen Closet Makeover

I am SO excited to share this  project with you today! I'm slowly entering the "nesting" phase of this pregnancy and wanted to get a few projects off my to-do list before the baby comes, most of them having to do with getting organized!

There is very limited {functional} storage in our cottage, and the coat closet in our hallway was a prime example of this.

It housed coats and our vacuum cleaner and occasionally a towel or two and any other random items that didn't have a place to go.

Yikes!

We decided to transition our wannabe coat closet into something that was much more functional for our family - a linen closet.



For two years, there hasn't been a good place to store our towels and extra sheets. Because of this, they end up piling up in hampers or stuffed into the tops of our closet... not functional and definitely NOT lovely!

To start with, I cleaned out everything from the closet and did a quick sweep & dusting so we could start with a fresh palette.

Only one little shelf in this tall thin closet... so much wasted space!

More shelving was an absolute must. We wanted three shelves in addition to the one already in place for a total of four shelves. Each shelf needed to be 2ft. wide, so we went to Lowe's and purchased one 6ft. long piece of white wire shelving and cut it into three 2ft. sections.

Starting with the bottom shelf, the hubs measured and placed end brackets on the wall where each shelf needed to go. We tried to make each shelf equal distance from each other all the way up, but mostly we went with what "looked right" to us. My main concern was making sure the bottom shelf was accessible with the vacuum cleaner being stored in the closet, too. The pre-cut shelves easily slid into place in the end brackets.

Winston enjoying the handiwork

After making sure each shelf was level, c-clamps were attached from the back of the shelf to the wall for stability.

It's hard to get a good photo in such a tight space,
but there ARE four shelves in this closet...
one's hiding up top.

Then came the fun part - making it lovely!

The top shelf holds an extra queen quilt & the matching pillow shams. The next shelf down holds the first aid bin, a bin for guest shampoos and other extras, and a bin for our medications and vitamins.

 

There was some extra space on this shelf, so I also added a small dish of Downy crystals - it makes the whole closet smell like fresh clean laundry!

Next we have our hand towels, and cute basket holding our wash cloths. The last shelf holds the bath towels. Our vacuum cleaner is stored underneath along with a fabric bin with extra sheets and pillow cases. I made simple tag labels for each shelf from brown paper gift tags tied with white ribbon.

 

I tried my hardest to get a picture of the whole closet in one shot, but had to settle for sections...

Isn't it pretty? Here's the cost break down (anything not included are items I already had).

• 6 ft. white wire linen shelving - $6.98, Lowes
• Six wall mount end brackets - $1.98 each, Lowes
• 20 pack universal c-clamps - $7.38, Lowes
• Two white plastic bins - $3.00 each, Target dollar section

Grand total - $32.34!

Lovely outcome on a lovely budget! Let's see a side by side before and after as a reminder...

This mini renovation has inspired me to tackle other clutter around our house and refresh some neglected spaces as we "nest" in preparation for baby's arrival in a few short weeks!

Do you have a dysfunctional storage space or chaotic closet? What did you do to reclaim it?

-Heather