Quick Wins: The Hall Linen Closet Makeover
Linen Closet Makeover
“What a gift of grace to be able to take chaos from within and from it create some semblance of order.”
Remember cracking open those Martha Stewart magazines back in the early 90’s and gushing over the pictures of linen closets filled with freshly pressed pillow cases tied with green velvet ribbons? I remember the thrill of seeing little lavender bundles sitting atop of soft white towels.
This holiday season, as we get ready to welcome guests, let’s give ourselves a little gift. Let’s curate the linen closet of our dreams. This is a small project that will make makes an outsized impact. If you can’t do the whole closet, tidy the counter top, or bathroom drawers.
This week’s quick win?
My hall linen closet.
“Close your eyes for a moment and let an azure-lidded fantasy flood your mind’s eye. You open a white door. There, on lace-edged deep wooden shelves, you find row after row of neat and tidy willow baskets piled high with perfectly folded sheets; fleecy blankets; fluffy terry cloth; crisp starched, white damask tablecloths; pristine napkins; crisp tea towels; pillow slips with the patina for the past edged in cotton crochet. Around the bountiful bundles are pale French silk ribbons, tied in perfect bows. You stand transfixed before this eighth wonder of the world... The air is perfumed with an intoxicating fragrance. A sigh of exquisite pleasure escapes you lips. It will be yours. It will. ”
Linen Closet Before Pic
Step One: Empty, Wipe, Reset
I pulled everything out and gave the shelves a good wipe-down. I’ve learned that sometimes the best fresh start is simply a clean, blank surface. I wiped the shelves down. They need to be painted, but that will be for another day.
In a perfect world I’d have matching shelf paper—but I’m not making an extra trip or spending money I don’t need to spend. Instead, I turned to something I’ve collected for years: my scrapbook supplies. I chose several prints in the same colour family, and honestly, I don’t mind the eclectic look of mixing and and matching. Years ago, in my grandmother’s day cupboards were lined with newspaper or brown paper bags. We can think outside the box, too—old pillowcases, pretty placemats, even pieces of vintage fabric will be perfect.
Use the Good Things Now
I gathered the bits of lace and pom-poms I had harvested from old curtains and hot glued them right onto the shelf edges. Nothing fancy. Just a simple upgrade using things I already owned.
We all tend to “save” our lovely things for some future event. My rule: use it now. Use the good towels, the good china plates, the silver cutlery. Use it all now, because today, you are your best self.
Pretty, Practical Storage
Out went the white plastic bins. In came wicker baskets, crystal candy dishes, old mason jars, kitchen canisters, a crystal decanter.
I filled old vintage jars with epsom salts, cotton balls, and Q-tips. A decanter was filled with mouth wash.
Beautiful antique serving dishes—once hidden away for special occasions—now hold soaps and bath balls, vintage kitchen canister holds razors, and new toothbrushes. I even repurposed a leaky lemonade carafe to house feminine products.
These small touches added charm without costing anything. I felt like I was shopping my own home. I moved things from one space ( my china cabinet) to another.
Less Stuff, More Beauty
“Have nothing in your homes that you do not know to be useful and believe to be beautiful”.”
No one who has ever been to my little pink home, would accuse me of being a minimalist. My friend Amanda introduced me to to term, “ curated maximalist” and I wear it with pride. There are several areas that I really don’t keep excess. I might have forty vintage sheets, and an equal number of tablecloths, but I find that two shampoos, a body lotion, one or two extra toothpastes is more than adequate.
I made the decision to let go of every towel that was stained or worn. Less is more. I kept my best washcloths and added “buy new ones” to my household list. The old ones will be cut up for the rag bag—useful, but no longer taking up precious space in the linen closet.
Then came the truth-telling moment: a basket full of extra bottles and forgotten products. As I sorted, I realized some of it belonged to my daughters… both of whom moved out years ago. Out it went. I had two face steamers, a collection of curling wands and flatteners. I went through my bottles of fingernail polish, and got rid of everything that seemed thick and old. I paired them down to what I use on a consistent basis, and put the rest in a donation box, that will move immediately to my trunk to ensure it gets dropped off.
Linen Closet Makeover
A Closet That Reflects Who You’re Becoming
When I stepped back, the whole space felt lighter, prettier, and more intentional. It didn’t require money—only vision, honesty, and a willingness to use what I already had.
