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5 Essential Elements of Linen Closet Organization

October 5, 2016 by Leslie 52 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. To learn more, please read our disclosure and privacy policy

Are you ready to get organized?! Take a look at these 7 inspiring linen closets and learn the 5 elements of linen closet organization that you can easily recreate in your own home.

Linen Closet Organization Ideas: 7 Perfectly organized linen closets and how to get the look for yourself.

Nearly every time the husband get sick he buys a new package of cold and flu medicine.

Why? Well, because it’s nearly impossible to find anything in our linen closet. It’s a complete disaster.

I bet we have at least 5 different kinds of cold and flue medicine in there…but good luck trying to find them.

It’s not like I haven’t tried to organize the linen closet before. I have! But nothing seems to work long term. Eventually, stuff just gets shoved in there with no organization at all, and then we find ourselves in the messy situation again.

It’s maddening.

That’s why I’m taking on our linen closet (and some open shelving) for the One Room Challenge this fall. It’s time to dig deep and do it right. .

No, I’m not going to wing it. Over the next 6 weeks, our tiny little linen closet will be transformed from disaster to dream. And I’m ready to jump right in.

The Linen Closet Right Now/Before

Here’s a quick look at our linen closet as it is right now. What a mess!

Messy linen closet photos before getting organized

Our Open Shelves Right Now/Before

And here’s the open shelving I mentioned as well. I can’t believe we let this sit out in the open for all our guests to see!

Cluttered open shelving with no style.

So, now it’s time to get to the inspiration, right? Not quite!

Putting Together a Good Organizational Plan

A good design plan starts with inspiration.

That’s right. It doesn’t start with purging, or pulling together a shopping list, or even identifying what projects to make.

You’ve got to first figure out what inspires you.

The easiest way I’ve found to do that is to start with browsing sites like Pinterest and Google Image search for your project. Keep an open mind and don’t worry about looking for anything specific.

All you want to do is collect a bunch of images that you love.

Only then do you pull it all together.

You see, when you put several images together that inspire you, you are better able to see what the common elements are. And that’s what you want to focus on when designing your final space.

RELATED>>>>3 Unusual Ways to Create a Design Plan When You Have No Idea Where to Start

Let’s take a look at what that means for linen closet organization and open shelving, shall we?

Linen Closet Organization – The Plan

Whether your closet is big or small, you can still have beautiful linen closet organization! Head over to playdatesparties.com to find out how easy it is to recreate the most gorgeous linen closets! #organized #declutter #organizationtips #pdpdecorates

Credits: 1 – 5 Steps to the Perfect Linen Closet by Bliss at Home, 2 – A Little Peek at Our Linen Closet Makeover by Dear Lillie, 3 – Laundry Room Organization Using the NEAT Method from The Pottery Barn Blog, 4 – Pin Stripe Linen Closet from Better Homes and Gardens, 5 – Organized Linen Closet from Honey We’re Home, 6 – Linen Closet Organization from Waiting on Martha, 7 – Paulette Pantry used as a linen closet from How to Decorate by Ballard Designs

All of the linen closets above are beautiful on their own. But when you see all the pictures together, the common design really becomes obvious.

The overall feel is neutral and sophisticated. While brightly colored plastic bins are inexpensive, the inspiration photos show I need to steer away. Otherwise, I’ll be disappointed in the result.

Here are the 5 main elements of linen closet organization that are clear from these inspiration photos:

Woven Baskets.

Baskets are a great way to store the ugly items in your linen closet. Not only do they add visual texture, but they make it easy to keep similar items together.

RELATED>>>How to Make a Twine-Wrapped Storage Box

Metals.

Wire or metal baskets are sturdier than woven baskets. They’re great for large, similar items, like toilet paper and paper towels. They also add a bit more dimension and visual interest to your linen closet organization.

Glass Jars.

Apothecary jars are a beautiful way to store things like cotton balls and q-tips.  These jars from Anchor Hawking come highly recommended. But, if you have three little ones in the house, like us, you’ll want to find a safe solution. (Update: We found the PERFECT solution! Click here for details)

Behind-the-door Storage.

Our linen closet is barely two feet wide, and the shelves are only about 11 inches deep. That’s not a lot of storage for a family of five. Adding storage to the back of the closet door is going to be crucial to keeping us organized.

Obviously we attempted this before with the hanging shoe bag. And as you can see from the before pictures, it didn’t work at all. I recommend sticking to narrow shelves or hanging rods. That way you can keep things a bit more organized.

On-the-floor Storage.

The space between the floor and the bottom shelf is usually the tallest. That means that it is easily the space that gets stuffed with the heaviest and bulkiest items. Make life easy for yourself and use rolling or sliding storage on the floor whenever possible.

Open Shelf Organization and Styling – The Plan

Four open shelf styling ideas, including built-in storage, headboard backers, boxes to corral clutter, and plants and greenery.

Credits: 1 – Unknown Source via Dawn Radke on Pinterest, 2 – DIY Between the Studs Shelf Closet Makeover by Remodelando la Casa, 3 – Trimmed Storage Niche at Better Homes and Gardens, 4 – Bathroom Storage Shelves by Stacey Risenmay (Not Just a Housewife), 5 – Open Shelving by Aimee Weaver Designs

Here again we can see several common elements among the inspiration pictures:

Creative Built-in Storage

I’m not sure we’ll be able to do anything built-in, but I love the idea. It’s especially functional for shallow shelves that are created between studs.

Beadboard Backer

The beadboard on the back of several of these shelves adds so much texture without being fussy. It’s a great way to make the a set of open shelves look nicely finished.

Boxes to Corral Clutter

Both open and closed-top boxes are a great way to keep clutter from spreading all along the shelves. Plus, they look pretty, too!

Plants and Greenery

You don’t really NEED plants to make open shelving look nice. But adding a natural touch with a small plant or two makes a space feel much more refined. (Even if it is a fake plant!)

Now, It’s Your Turn

Hopefully you can now see how important it is to create the right kind of design plan for your space before you get started. Armed with this, and the 5 ways to recreate the perfect linen closet organization, we can both now begin the journey toward a less-cluttered life.

Though, honestly, if we can just avoid having 5 or more boxes of cough and cold medication at any given time, I’ll be happy.

What are your best linen closet organization tips?
Do you prefer colorful or neutral closet storage?

See the Entire Renovation:

  • 7 Simple Steps to a Perfectly Organized Linen Closet
  • Stop searching through your storage bins, and organize your storage baskets and boxes with just a few easy-to-find items.
    Custom Organization for Woven Storage Baskets
  • Get the Look: Dip Painted Storage Boxes
  • DIY Reversible Shelf Backing
  • DIY Door Trim in One Afternoon
  • 5 Tips to Stay Motivated During a Renovation
  • 8 Tips for Using Contact Paper on Closet Shelves
  • The Smart Way to Clean Out a Linen Closet
  • Inspiration: How to Get Beautiful & Organized Linen Closets

Join me over at Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter,

for more fun ideas and inspiration!

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I want to extend many thanks to the readers who have enjoyed renovation and home DIY posts over the years. Unfortunately, in January 2018 I was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer and had to stop doing home renovation posts due to treatment.

Since that time, my focus has been on making this website an amazing resource for the everyday mom’s parties. Due to their popularity, the DIY posts and tutorials will remain on the website, but comments are now closed. Thank you again and I wish you the best in your DIY endeavors!

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Filed Under: Decorations, Organization Tagged With: closets, one room challenge, ORC Fall 2016, Organizing

About Leslie

Leslie is the passionate party planner in her family. Living with metastatic breast cancer since 2022, she is determined to find a way to continue making amazing parties for her kids that don't leave you exhausted. To do that Leslie combines the experience she learned working for a professional event planner with the reality of a busy family life to create party inspiration that the average mom can reproduce and be proud of.

Comments

  1. Tamara says

    October 5, 2016 at 5:20 pm

    Oh dear – not in ages. Cassidy and I have a funny system. I will say that I often clean it out of all the free toothbrushes or products I got from blogging (or the dentist) and I donate them all to charity, and then it all gets nice again.
    I’m into colorful designs so much. Luckily Cassidy is too!

    Reply
  2. Candace Playforth says

    October 5, 2016 at 8:27 pm

    So many great resources here! Thanks for the much needed inspiration. My linen closet is frightening. Pinning for later. This is definitely a project in my future :).

    Reply
  3. Jen says

    October 10, 2016 at 8:52 am

    Oh come do my linen closet! Every time I open it, it saps my will to live!

    Well fone 🙂

    Reply
    • Jen says

      October 10, 2016 at 8:53 am

      Oh come do my linen closet! Every time I open it, it saps my will to live!

      Well done 🙂

      Reply
  4. Janine Huldie says

    October 11, 2016 at 7:14 am

    It is like you read my mind as I just thought this weekend that I need to clean out my linen closet and organize it. So definitely going to use some of your tips above when I do it now! Thanks Leslie 🙂

    Reply
  5. marie says

    October 11, 2016 at 8:56 am

    I love this and I am going to apply it to my actual closets because those are worst than my linens! Hoarding baby stuff is real!!!!

    Reply
  6. Lowanda j says

    October 11, 2016 at 11:46 am

    I love the ideas you have to improve storage and add a stylish flair. I am constantly changing my linen closet based on my boys. I have twins in college. When they come home with their junk, a lot of it ends up in storage, but some things change with what they take and leave. So, I have to adjust what we have in the closet. However, I only use mine for towels, linens, blankets, comforters and cleaning supplies…at the bottom and bag storage.

    Reply
  7. Brandi Puga says

    October 11, 2016 at 3:37 pm

    Great ideas! I really need to do this! #happynowlinkup

    Reply
  8. Holly from klinwin.com says

    October 12, 2016 at 10:06 am

    Our linen closet needs a makeover too and I love the idea of the one room challenge! You’ve inspired me to either tackle our wreck of a linen closet OR our totally boring dining room.
    #happynowlinkup

    Reply
  9. Jessica says

    October 12, 2016 at 4:44 pm

    Thank you for sharing such great resources! I need to do this ASAP! I am a sucker for organization and for some reason it is the linen closet that gets messy first. Thanks for the inspiration! #happynowlinkup

    Reply
  10. April says

    October 13, 2016 at 4:38 pm

    I’ve let my linen closet go..and go..and go. It’s just piles of towels really. These are pretty inspiration photos. Can’t wait to see your finished product!

    Reply
  11. KELLIE says

    October 15, 2016 at 1:05 pm

    Love these organization ideas! It’s time to clean out and organize my own closet, and now the task doesn’t seem quite so daunting. Thanks!

    #happynowlinkup

    Reply
  12. Jess says

    October 25, 2016 at 8:56 pm

    Great ideas!! Looks so organized. The OCD in me would love this! 🙂

    I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

    Reply
  13. Kim~madeinaday says

    October 26, 2016 at 10:18 am

    My linen closet looks pretty close you yours! I can’t wait to see what you do with it. Thanks for linking up to Merry Monday! Pinned! Have a great week!
    Kim

    Reply
  14. Angie Rose says

    September 3, 2017 at 4:39 pm

    I need to do this so bad, it’s not even funny! Great tips!

    Reply
    • Leslie says

      September 3, 2017 at 5:42 pm

      As you can tell by the before photos, our linen closet was in dire straights. Having it cleaned up and organized is so wonderful!

      Reply
  15. Jess says

    September 4, 2017 at 12:10 pm

    Great Tips! 🙂

    I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/

    Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

    Reply
  16. Miriam says

    September 5, 2017 at 6:47 pm

    Great inspiration for a linen closet and other storage spaces.

    Reply
    • Leslie says

      September 9, 2017 at 10:33 am

      Aren’t those closets gorgeous! It’s always fantastic to start with good inspiration.

      Reply
  17. Jessica says

    September 5, 2017 at 8:58 pm

    I love this! Our linen closet is not terribly unsightly, but it certainly isn’t pretty. I’d love a “pinterest worthy” linen closet.

    Reply
    • Leslie says

      September 9, 2017 at 11:07 am

      It’s been wonderful having an organized linen closet…and I don’t let the family mess it up, either!

      Reply
  18. hannah says

    September 7, 2017 at 10:52 am

    For some reason, the linen closet is really hard to make look pretty. I like the idea of adding baskets, that would really add a nice touch. I’m saving this for inspiration 🙂

    Reply
    • Leslie says

      September 9, 2017 at 11:10 am

      I think the most important thing we figured out was finding a system that makes it EASY to maintain. Then you make the rest of it look pretty. Thanks for stopping by and for saving!

      Reply
  19. Lisa says

    September 8, 2017 at 8:03 am

    Great inspiration for organizing a linen closet. I refer to my closets like this as rat’s nests. Things seem to magically collect and become jumbled and lost inside of them. I will be very interested to see what you do. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Leslie says

      September 9, 2017 at 11:11 am

      YES! This was the problem we had. We could never find anything, and then we would end up buying more and more of what we already had. Now we can find things easily and avoid duplicate expenses.

      Reply
  20. Victoria @DazzleWhileFrazzled says

    September 9, 2017 at 8:23 am

    For me, it’s my large pantry/craft room/baking pan storage/dog supplies cluster that’s the problem. I should tackle it…someday! Visiting from Saturday Shuffle party.

    Reply
    • Leslie says

      September 9, 2017 at 11:14 am

      Oh, yes. I’ve spent the last few weeks taking any extra time I had to purge my party and craft supplies. It’s amazing how much stuff accumulates that we don’t use!

      Reply
  21. Mimi says

    September 9, 2017 at 8:38 am

    Thank you for good ideas!
    Mimi

    Reply
    • Leslie says

      September 9, 2017 at 11:14 am

      So glad you like them Mimi!

      Reply
  22. Mother of 3 says

    September 9, 2017 at 1:15 pm

    I am a compulsive neat freak but even i let my closets get a bit messier than I’d like. I typically go through and organize each winter just after christmas; pulling out everything, deciding what to keep and what to toss and then putting like stuff with like stuff. I’ll buy bins an d label them too… It makes me so happy to take a messy eye sore and make it look pretty again. There are some really great ideas here!!

    Reply
    • Leslie says

      September 14, 2017 at 12:52 pm

      Isn’t it awesome to see a mess turn into something gorgeous? My closet is done now, and these images were so helpful. I hope they help you too!

      Reply
  23. Angela Boone says

    September 9, 2017 at 1:44 pm

    Such great ideas! Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply
    • Leslie says

      September 14, 2017 at 12:53 pm

      Thanks so much for stopping by!

      Reply
  24. FLORENCE @ VintageSouthernPicks says

    September 10, 2017 at 9:29 pm

    Our linen closet is really just a couple of cabinets. I would love to have a real closet. In addition to towels and bedding, ours has cat food.in it. Ha! Made me feel so good to purge a bunch of stuff out of it last year. Love those modern styles you chose! Each one of them is something I would like!

    Reply
    • Leslie says

      September 14, 2017 at 1:02 pm

      Our linen closet is pitifully small. Purging definitely helps. The hardest part is actually maintaining the organization! Thanks so much for stopping by!

      Reply
  25. Maisy says

    September 14, 2017 at 11:29 am

    Truly inspiring to declutter and transform those overflowing shelves and drawers into a bright and open storage space! Love it 🙂 Happy Thursday!

    Reply
    • Leslie says

      September 14, 2017 at 1:16 pm

      Thanks so much Maisy! We love our cleaned up linen closet, and this inspiration was instrumental in getting us there.

      Reply
  26. Bella and dawn at Dear mummy blog says

    June 4, 2018 at 8:37 am

    This is a great space saving exercise and we love what’ you’ve done! We have a couple of cupboards like that in need of TLC x #FamilyFunLinky

    Reply
  27. Kristine says

    June 4, 2018 at 4:10 pm

    These photos are so inspiring; and that is good advice to start the project with an inspiration board! Since it’s so much fun to do that, I am excited to take that step! Thank you for presenting a good plan to follow!

    Reply
  28. KAren says

    June 7, 2018 at 1:46 pm

    Can I just hire you to come sort my house!! We’re very cluttered and chaotic every where in our home atm hopefully will get better one day. ‪Thank you for linking up to the #familyfunlinky‬

    Reply
    • Leslie says

      June 8, 2018 at 1:27 pm

      Ha! I wish the rest of the place were so organized. With 3 little kids, we’ve got plenty of chaos here, too. My best advice: take it slow, be thoughtful, and don’t tackle the areas that aren’t worth it. (playroom, anyone?)

      Reply
  29. Jann Olson says

    June 9, 2018 at 10:24 pm

    So many great organizational ideas! There are so many cute baskets and jars now days. I have open shelving in our basement linen closet. It stays neat and tidy, but it’s not used very often. Makes a big difference. 🙂 Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

    Reply

Trackbacks

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I love helping busy moms create DIY parties that aren’t overwhelming. Here you'll find crafts, recipes, and fun printables you can use to create a celebration you’re proud of that you get to enjoy too! Read More
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