How to Design a Linen Closet

Everyone knows a "linen closet" isn't strictly a closet for linens. An assortment of articles constantly vie for a slice of space. These items cause confusion, edge other items off the shelves, or conceal the objects that sit behind them. If your linen closet held only linens, it might be spacious enough. But then what would you do with the medicines, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and tissues that are normally kept in a linen closet?

Line Closet
Linen closets are usually small and
narrow, but lots of shelves should
leave room for linens and bath items.

In this article, we will discuss the ways to divide space in the valuable real estate of a linen closet. We'll begin with one of the most valuable weapons in organizing almost any closet -- a door rack.

Think Door Rack

A door rack is perfect for holding many items, consigning them to a more manageable area of space. This should empty at least one or two shelves of the linen closet, which can now be used for linens. Be sure to arrange the objects on the door rack methodically, or the rack won't be working to its full potential. To obtain the maximum use from the rack, designate a specific role to each shelf.

This rack does have one structural drawback. The evenly spaced openings of the shelves allow smaller bottles and jars to fall through the gaps or sit cockeyed between the struts. As a remedy place shallow, narrow boxes on the shelves. Each box holds the contents of the shelf. In addition, a box -- complete with contents -- can be removed from the shelf and carried to anyplace it is needed. This rack system adds another advantage. Since each shelf holds all the items of one category, you know the quantity you own. This will help prevent stockpiling: owning three or four containers of the same product.

Shelf Space

Whether or not the door rack is a viable option for your linen closet, you still must decide what to do with the existing shelves inside the closet. The shelves are unlikely to be positioned at favorable heights, and there is probably too much space between shelves, which promotes unwieldy stacks of items. The items on the bottom or at the back of the stacks are the most difficult to obtain.

Board Rack
A compact ironing board rack can make
 your linen closet do double duty, saving
space elsewhere in your home.

The large expanses of space should be divided into smaller, more workable sections that are compatible with the size and shape of folded towels and bedding. Portable shelves are perfect for this. If you decide to remodel a linen closet, give serious thought to shelves that can be adjusted for height. And don't let a remodeling expert convince you that a shelf with a 16-inch depth is preferable to a shelf with a 12-inch depth. In a linen closet, that extra four inches will always capture mismatched objects. These objects will end up in seclusion at the back of the shelf, creating a place that contains nothing but clutter. Also, with shallower shelves, more room will be available for a door rack or other storage ideas.

A Home for All

Linen closets are generally a multipurpose storage area. Many odds and ends -- such as vacuum cleaners or ironing boards -- can conceivably find their way into a linen closet. It can seem like a lot to ask from one small closet. There isn't any established theory for choosing which closet, room, or nook will hold your vacuum cleaner or ironing board and their accessories.

If the linen closet is your choice to hold a vacuum cleaner or ironing board, you'll need compact racks that can handle a very specific need. The linen closet leaves little space to work with. For example, the ironing board rack shown above is well suited, both in size and shape, to the confined areas of a linen closet. Other items that could be stored in this area include: miniature tools, mops, brooms, and plungers.

Door Rack
A door rack, such as the one shown above, employs otherwise unused space.

If you don't have a linen closet or you'd like to preserve its space for towels, wash clothes, and bedding only, there are several ways to approach this problem. A self-supporting shelf system can be set up anywhere you deem appropriate. Or bed linens could be placed in the guest bedroom, on a shelf in that room's closet or in under-the-bed storage drawers.

Because many items compete for space in the linen closet, a detailed plan in necessary. With careful thought, your linen closet can be neat and tidy.