Linen Closet Reveal

Here’s a look back  at one of our most popular posts involving Tessa and organizing–two of my favorite things!

So, this weekend we took on the hefty project of Tessa’s linen closet. Testing the tips put together for yesterday’s post on the perfect Martha Stewart-esque linen closet, we set forth into dangerous territory…and we’re only exaggerating a little bit!

Here’s what it looked like when we opened Tessa’s linen closet door:

We know half of you have linen closets that look like this! Not exactly following the “keep sheet sets together” rule and this is certainly no folding method Martha would endorse!

 And here’s where we ended up:

So, how’d we get there? Remember that junk drawer post? Well, the process for tackling Tessa’s closet was the same steps.

1. Remove everything from the closet. Separate items by category: bath towels; hand towels; washcloths; sheets; blankets. Take inventory of what you have and determine what is really necessary. Remember, keep only those items that are essential and worth keeping. Extra towels and sheets (in good condition!) can be donated–we like the idea of a local women’s shelter as there is always need.

We dumped everything into Tessa’s hallway to figure out what to keep, what to donate and what to chuck.

2. Fold everything properly. Once inventory is complete and you’ve got all your linens categorized based on how you’ll actually use them, your next step is to start folding sheets and towels properly. It’s not until they’re all folded properly that you’ll really have a sense of how much space they’ll take up and, therefore, what shelf each category should go on. When we were working on Tessa’s we decided to keep her hand towels and facecloths in a basket so that she doesn’t have to take the time to fold all of them.  The basket is tall enough so you don’t see the mess inside but still easy to grab a wash cloth and go.  The first aid basket is filled with items such as band-aids, ice packs, etc. However, we chose to keep medicine in the baskets on the door so it would be easy for her to have a quick glance of what she has and what she is running low on.

We also made sure to keep her sheet sets together.  You can see that the pillowcases divide the next set of sheets.

 3. Get out the label maker. Like we said yesterday, using a label maker to mark each category on the shelves will help keep you in check moving forward.

4. Consider other things you’ll need to store. Do you want to have a place to store cleaning products? First aid? Toiletries? It’s much easier to see what you have and what you might need to buy if you display toiletries in clear containers or an over the door system that we used to hold all of her toiletries.  This will allow Tessa to take a quick glance before she heads off to the store. Previously, they were just getting lost under the bathroom sink!

Tessa loves to decorate her home, but somehow gets lost when it comes to anything behind a door or inside a drawer…we know many of you can relate so we hope we’re inspiring you to take on design that will be seen by all who enter your house, but also those areas that will seen by only you, but will make you just as happy!