Grabbing a fresh towel, or putting away washed bed sheets doesn't need to be a mundane task. Ever since I revamped my linen cupboard, I find beauty in the most ordinary of chores.
Sounds crazy? Well I encourage you to keep reading to see how I turned this space into one of my favourite rooms in the house.
My linen cupboard has no windows, but we did install a sky light which allows plenty of natural light into the space. A sky light is perfect for storage rooms which do not get much natural light.
We also installed down lights which are on a timer. They automatically switch off after a certain time period. This has been useful as I often forget to switch off the light.
As the room has no windows I really felt the need to bring the outdoors in and make this space my own little oasis. I achieved this through lots of faux plants, a palm print feature, wooden textures, bamboo and a jute rug.
I am absolutely obsessed with this jute rug. It was the perfect size and was super affordable from Kmart. I have an anti slip backing underneath so it doesn't slide around on the wooden floors.
If you know me, you know how much I absolutely love labeling. So my linen cupboard was going to be no different. I ensured everything was organised in categories and labelled accordingly.
All my bedding is stored in the following categories: Cot, Bassinet, King Single, Queen, King, Super King and I even used one for my Beach towels.
I store these in these items in collapsible Kmart bamboo frame laundry baskets, these are a beautiful grey material with a bamboo handle. They are the perfect size for me, and they're big enough to fit all my linen (as I tend to have multiple quantities).
I also love the fact that I can easily hold these via the handle. It makes it so easily to access, and pull down. For me it's all about efficiency and practicality, and these tick all the boxes!
As you can see on the right wall (pictured above) I wanted more of a seamless look on this side so I opted for all white storage solutions, and the white makes the room look more spacious and open.
For the rest of my items I have utilised these IKEA Drona Boxes to store them in as they are really cost effective. They are much smaller than the Kmart laundry hampers so are perfect for items like: Throws, Baby Blankets, Pool towels and items, Gym towels, Guest Room items, Powder Room hand towels, bedding Protectors (mainly pillow protectors) and all my Euro Pillowcases which don't necessarily belong to a set.
As I don't access these items often I am happy to keep them in these Drona boxes, but I do find the Kmart Laundry hampers more user friendly.
I have utilised ceiling height by using the IKEA Filur bins to store items I don't need to access often. These bins fit that area perfect as they are tall. This is where I store seasonal items like Easter and Christmas stuff as well as Newborn items and Memories (old photographs and sentimental items etc).
I labelled these bins as well, and I even got super creative and added an image that reflected what was inside. I made these myself using my Cricut Maker craft machine with the same silver vinyl.
On the bottom right I have utilised the IKEA SOCKERBIT storage boxes to store: Electronics, travel items, bags, and board games. I also made labels for these, and placed them on the lid.
On the bottom left I store Little Miss' toys (which need to be rotated) in the hyacinth boxes with lids from Target. I like to regularly rotate her toys, so putting these away out of sight has been useful. Having the lid kept on them means she doesn't see what's inside (and therefore less mess as shes unlikely to pull them out to play with them).
I have used wire baskets I found from TK Maxx to store face towels, hand towels and bath mats. I roll the towels up as I find I can fit more in the basket this way than if I were to fold them.
For the rest of my towels I store these underneath. I use towels from Costco as well as the Palais Sheridan towels. I decided to only have white towels as it looks neater and is more uniform.
(On a side note, if you're tossing up between the two brands I much prefer my Costco towels over the costly Sheridan ones!)
On the vacant wall I have a palm print from Adairs and this adds a bit of character and colour to the space.
On the middle shelf I have decided to keep all the decorative pillows I am not currently using in the bedrooms, and the shelf directly underneath I leave empty. I believe this is an important point to mention, just because you have some extra space it doesn't mean you need to use it!
I find keeping some space vacant helps reduce clutter in the future. I am able to also place any items there that will need to be put away instead of on the floor. And it allows the cupboard to always look tidy.
I prefer to fold my towels in a specific way and stack them on top of each other. I do not vertically fold these, as I find it unnecessary for this space.
I have utilised faux flowers which add some softness and femininity to the space, and I have a diffuser situated next to the towels which makes the room (and towels) smell delicious.
I always buy toilet paper in bulk as it works out cheaper, and I have stored all my toilet paper in these wooden KNAGGLIG baskets from IKEA. These are not labelled as I think it's pretty common sense what's inside.
Between the two boxes I have a wooden step which I use to stand on if I need to access anything high. I purchased this from TK Maxx and it's very sturdy.
I used Kmart Adhesive Vinyl in Oak Woodgrain to cover little cards, and I slid them into the section at the front of the wire baskets. I then used my Cricut Maker to make labels for these with silver vinyl. It's all in the details!
I used my Cricut Maker craft machine to make iron on labels for the IKEA Drona Boxes. I absolutely love how these turned out. They look so neat and flawless.
For a video on how I achieved this look using the Cricut Maker and Easy Press 2 head to my Instagram page. I used silver iron on vinyl for these, and they were super cost effective for me.
I have a file storage from IKEA which slides over the shelf. I use as an in tray or to put any paperwork which needs to be filed away. This ensures papers or documents don't get lost or misplaced, as I often bring up items from downstairs and don't necessarily file them straight away. Beneath this I have a IKEA FRIDFULL Plant pot which I use as a bin for small items.
For the Kmart Laundry hampers I got these white patches embroidered from a local embroidery shop. I used pink stitching and a white backing so it would stand out against the grey fabric, and I used a hot glue gun to attach these to the hampers.
These were quite costly at around $15 a patch. Next time I might try iron on labels to see if it works on this material.
I often keep the door closed in this room when not in use to minimise dust entering the space, and therefore reduce cleaning!
I found this project a great way to get creative, and style a space differently than I would necessarily decorate communal areas of my home.
Doing house work does not need to be boring! Now that I have a beautiful space that not only looks good, but smells good, I find that I am less overwhelmed and more productive.
If you want to do the same, but are unsure where to start. The first step is to declutter! That's right, remove absolutely everything and donate any items which haven't been used in the last year.
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Also stay tuned for part 2. Yes there's more! I actually have another use for my linen cupboard which I can't wait to show you!
Shop the look
Kmart, jute rug
Kmart, Bamboo frame laundry basket
IKEA, drona box
IKEA, filur bin (42l)
IKEA, SOCKERBIT box with lid
IKEA, KNAGGLIG box
Cricut Maker
Cricut, silver vinyl
Cricut, silver iron on vinyl
Sheridan, Palais silver stripe towels
Target, SWORD grass planter stand
Adairs, Aroma wash linen spray
Others (no links available)
- TK Maxx wire baskets
- TK Maxx wooden Step Stool
- White bath towels from Costco
- Potted faux string of pearls plant from Freedom
- Faux flowers from MyHouse
- Faux fern and pot from MyHouse
- Diffuser from Costco
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