Organizing Project: Linen closet

Martha's people are geniuses.

Excluding the bedroom closets, this house has three. Three. A Coat closet (which also holds tote bags, the picnic basket, games and the mop, broom, dusters and vaccuum. The cleaning closet which holds cleaning supplies, household stuff, and serves as bathroom storage. It's a nightmare.

The third closet is upstairs.

This closet has to store a fair bit. We've two bedrooms and a powder room up here: the bedrooms have closets, but the powder room does not (it is 5 1/2 feet x 5 1/2 feet). So, this closet has to hold three categories of items: linens for the bedrooms (there's a third on the main floor), bathroom stuff and cleaning supplies.

We have two twin beds and a queen. I like to have three sets for each. Somehow, with the twin sheets (there should have been a total of four bottom sheets and four top sheets in the closet as all the laundry is done) I've lost control--there were six fitted bottom sheets and seven top sheets in the closet! So., I will weed out a few!

Also in that closet I like to keep

* cleaning supplies for the upstairs (we've a powder room up there with zero storage),
* light bulbs for the fixtures upstairs,
* a humidifier, (cool for summer, warm for winter, I keep the other in the basement and switch them out when I do clothing),
* travel totes,
* hair dryer,
* scatter rugs,
* pillow cases (two sizes, standard and Queen)
* pillow protectors (standard and queen. I haven't yet set a limit on the number of standard pillow cases and protectors I should have: any ideas?)



I have spent a total of 45 minutes on the closet so far.

Before: (Wednesday)



After 45 Minutes: (Friday)


I'd like to find room for

* towels and washcloths for the bathroom,
* toilet paper
* overflow supplies like soap and toothpaste
* blankets (though they're probably too bulky!)

Here's an idea, from Aby:




Of course, Apartment therapy featured it in an article, "The Many Uses of...". There were a lot of interesting ideas in the comments.

And here it is interpreted into a home sewn version by the folks at MSL, again.



And so, I shall have to see what I can do, now that I've some ideas!