If you are looking for a manageable home makeover project that makes a big difference, take a look at your linen closet! I can’t believe how happy this small linen closet makeover made me!
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
Note: This post may contain affiliate links that won’t change your price but may share some commission.
Table of Contents
Small Linen Closet Before & After
We have one linen closet on the main floor of our house and up until recently, it was a bit of a hot mess behind closed doors. It’s a decent size, but it had become a drop zone for everything from kids’ hair ties to old camping blankets. It desperately needed a makeover!
I had made already made a little bit of an effort with some baskets and organization when I took this photo. But I go in and out of this closet multiple times a day so I wanted it to not only be functional but pretty as well!
And this is how it turned out! It makes me happy every time I open the doors to grab a fresh towel or a roll of tp now!!
Linen Closet Design Tips
When I was looking for linen closet ideas, I came across quite a few very neat and organized, but also empty-looking spaces and I thought “Well that looks nice, but where’s all the stuff?” Our house is small and storage is limited so I needed to make our linen closet not only pretty but also functional.
The first thing I did was take everything out of the closet so that I could start with a clean slate. I painted the entire closet in Benjamin Moore “Simply White” including the shelves. The paint freshened it up, but it still needed a little something extra. I found these cute tangerine wall decals from Urban Walls.
I like using decals because they are so much easier to install than wallpaper. No lining edges up or complicated measuring required. I wanted this project to be quick and easy. Including time for the paint to dry, this linen closet DIY makeover only took me 2 days. You could easily revamp a little closet like this in a weekend!
The decals come in sheets. I simply laid the sheets out on the kitchen counter and cut out each individual decal.
Then I taped the decals to the back of the cupboard to make sure I spaced them evenly and I liked the pattern I was creating.
Once I had them all in place, I peeled off the protective layer on the front of each one and stuck them to the wall. I ran a credit card over each one to make sure they were well adhered and there were no bubbles before I pulled off the backing! It was so simple!
Once the decals were installed it was time to tackle organization!
The Best Way To Organize A Linen Closet
I took all of the things that I had removed from the closet and organized them into three piles :
- “Move” – things that had somehow migrated into the closet, but could be stored somewhere else
- “Recycle” – things that were worn out and needed to be replaced
- “Donate” – things that were still usable, but I felt that we could do without
For example:
- I finally replaced the worn-out towels from when we got married with some new white fluffy sets.
- I decided to keep the linens for the kids’ rooms in their own closets.
- Extra pillows moved downstairs.
- Camping gear got it’s own tote outside in the garage.
- The girl’s hair ties and brushes moved under their bathroom sink.
- I donated extra linens like random pillowcases and infrequently used napkins, table runners etc…
I kept only the things that we used frequently and truly loved! For more info on how to declutter check my complete guide 7 DAY DECLUTTER!
The Best Linen Closet Baskets & Storage
I used a variety of baskets and bins to organize everything that I had chosen to keep. It’s so much easier to keep everything organized when each item has a home!
I can also just grab whichever container or basket I need to find what I’m looking for instead of craning my neck trying to see what’s on the top shelves.
I found these white plastic bins with built-in handles at Ikea. They are so handy, come in lots of different sizes and are really sturdy. I have used these in the kitchen and mudroom as well!
I used Marie Kondo style vertical folding to fit fresh white hand towels and face cloths into these containers. It’s amazing how much less space they take up stored this way!
The white mesh baskets with natural wood handles are also from Ikea. I use these to store potatoes and onions in the pantry as well. They are so pretty and so reasonably priced! Here I’m using them to store linen spray, pillow spray, and a few other essential oil and bath products!
The clear glass jars with lids are also, you guessed it, from Ikea. You just can’t beat the prices on these and they also come in several sizes. I have bath salts in one and cotton rounds in another!
I think my favourite find from Ikea might be these rolling bins! They are perfect for the bottom of the closet and allow for easy access to beach towels and extra tp. I love how easy it is to roll them out of the way to sweep. No dust bunnies gathering in this closet!
Because I spent so little on all the bins and baskets from Ikea, I splurged a little on the striped seagrass and cotton baskets from The Container Store!
Now when I open this closet it actually makes me happy and I can find what I’m looking for quickly and easily! It’s amazing how much a small change like this can affect your daily life!
SHOP SMALL LINEN CLOSET ORGANIZATION
I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at our small linen closet makeover! You can also check out how we made the most of our tiny master bedroom walk-in closet in How to Create a Dreamy Custom Closet on a Budget. Hint….we made this DIY Rolling Library Ladder!!
Looking for more closet organization tips? Check out the amazing bloggers below!
9 Closet and Cupboard Organizing Ideas For Your Home
Organizing Through Our Home // Finding Lovely
Clean Out Your Closet in 5 Easy Steps! // Modern Glam
How to Organize Your Bedroom Closet // Dreaming Of Homemaking
Spice Rack Organizing Ideas // Happy Happy Nester
Baking Cupboard Organization // Zevy Joy
Tips to Organizing the Pantry // My 100 Year Old Home
A Pretty & Functional Small Linen Closet Makeover // The Ginger Home
How To Organize A Small Reach In Closet // The Happy Housie
Bathroom Organization // My Sweet Savannah
MORE GOOD READS…
Amanda,
Your linen closet is so organized and so beautiful! I love the wall decals and all your containers from Ikea. I love that store!
Thatis a very nice linen closet! It’s neat and very well organized. The decals certainly add to the interest.