Linen Closet Makeover

We have eight closets in our 1600 square foot house. I’m not sure if that is normal, but it seems like a lot. We use the closets in our master bedroom, but the only other closet that gets used routinely is in the office.

We could be using these storage spaces much more efficiently, so like every other normal person, I made a spreadsheet and listed each storage space and each category of items that needed to be stored. It looked a little something like this:

Master Closet : Clothes, Shoes, Accessories

Coat Closet: Cleaning Supplies

Attic: Holiday Decorations, Camping Items, Rarely Used Sports Equipment

…and so on.

The linen closet was the first space I planned to tackle. 

There are actually two small closets right next to each other that make up the“linen closet”.  I’m not sure why the builders didn’t just make it one big closet. It seems like a waste of space, but what do I know? Anyway, there are literally five doors and one opening in the tiny little hallway between the two spare bedrooms. Maybe I should label the doors (yes, that thought seriously just went through my head) so our guests won’t get confused.  Don’t you worry, I probably won’t do that. AND that is the reason why I can never ever own a labeler.

Moving on, my plan of action was to roughly sketch the space that I had to work with and organize it on paper first. Once that was done, the search was on for containers. Hobby Lobby had some that were just the right size and durability, and they were half off. With $40 dollars in gift cards (thanks to my mom and Bunco!), they only set me back $30. Not too bad for ten bins.

A little bit of hard work and a few afternoons later, and I had an organized and pretty linen closet!

I had planned to line the shelves with pretty paper, but after searching all of Paris and coming up short, I discovered this decorative tape at Office Max that adds the perfect amount of color without being overwhelming. It also creates contrast when I get around to making shelf labels.

The shelf dividers aren’t necessary, but they definitely make the space feel more put together.

The closet directly across from the guest bathroom (the one on the right) contains board games, travel bags, toilet paper, guest supplies, sheets, towels, blankets, medicine, and extra pillows. After reading that the moisture in bathrooms causes medicines to lose their effectiveness, I moved them from the master bathroom to this closet.

The other closet holds our books and notebooks from school, sports equipment and painting supplies. Shannon had 40+ binders from PT school and they were taking up way too much space! I ordered a few of my favorite binders from Staples and condensed twenty of the forty into six uniform binders. I’m pretty sure the only reason my husband allowed me to do this is because they are Texas Tech colors, red and black.  Whatever works, right? I still need to order more to finish the rest, but I’m waiting to see if they go on sale anytime soon. This project was by far my favorite based on the transformation alone.

I added more things than I took away, and there is still room to spare. The clutter is gone and everything has a place. I just want to leave the doors open all day every day because it is so pretty to look at.

Also, I folded my first fitted sheet ever! I have tried several times before and failed miserably. I followed this tutorial and for some reason, it clicked this time. I know a lot of people make fun of those who fold fitted sheets, but it really does save space and it is much easier on the eyes.

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Hope y'all enjoyed this little makeover as much as I did!