Finding Functional Storage Space In an Awkward Linen Closet

After our bathroom renovation, we were left with a freshly drywalled closet that looked much better, but it now featured lots of awkward nooks and angles. We’re walking through the process of how we created functional storage space where you’d least expect it!

Starting With a Blank Slate

So many of you wondered where we keep all our ‘stuff’ since we upgraded our vanity to a large basin sink during our bathroom renovation. Your answer’s below! Most of the pipes and valves that had formerly surrounded our tankless water heater were now neatly boxed in with drywall by our contractor. To provide future access to valves and plumbing, two small access panels were installed beneath the water heater:

The penny tile from the main space continues into the closet, and the same baseboards we’ve used throughout the house were installed as a finishing touch. While we were at it, we swapped out the old louvered bi-fold doors for a 24″ solid core door that comes pretty close to matching the rest of the vintage doors throughout Tree House!

It was a huge improvement over how things looked previously, which was so bad that, until writing this post, we realized that we never took a photo to document the madness! So, um, just imagine a mess of pipes running underneath the water heater and up the back left corner of the space. Bright orange fireproof foam insulation also closed gaps at the floor and ceiling. It was truly a sight to behold, I tell you.

In order to maximize the usable space (and rather than box out the tankless water heater completely), our contractor came up with ways to allow for nooks that could stash our ‘stuff.’ We told him we’d deal with the awkward angles later, but we knew we’d need to get creative if we wanted this closet to be as useful as possible!

Measuring + Fabrication

The first step of the project was to draw a rough diagram of the space and take detailed measurements. We also needed to determine the quantity of shelves in each area and plan for the spaces between them. To do this, we brought in the items we knew we’d be storing and put them in place; this is key. Something as simple as ensuring that a triple stack of toilet paper would fit under the bottom shelf couldn’t have been more important in this tiny space!

Once measurements were complete, we used scrap 1″ x 2″ oak strips that were leftover from our DIY dining banquette and cut them down to the appropriate lengths on the miter saw – no fancy cuts or mitered corners. To fasten the supports to the walls, I simply leveled them and nailed them into the studs, which I marked with green tape, seen here:

Once the shelf supports were in place, it was time to put my new favorite tool to work! This Dewalt 4 1/2″ circular saw was the only thing I asked Santa to bring me for Christmas this year. It turned out to be the perfect tool for the job of cutting down the shelves we made from 3/4″ MDF! Pro tip: the dust bag is sold seperately, but definitely worth the $10 add-on! I couldn’t believe how full it was after just a few cuts.

Installation + Prep

We cut the lowest shelf into an ‘L’ shape to ensure there was enough floor space to step partially into the closet and use up every inch possible. The remaining shelves were simple rectangles that dropped right into place.

Once the MDF shelves were all cut to size, we popped a few finish nails from the top and into the supports to ensure they were sturdy. For a final finishing touch, we caulked all of the seams for a clean, uniform look. We were ready for paint!

Painting + Stocking the Shelves

Kim used her favorite brush and a 4″ foam roller for smooth and even coverage on the shelves and supports. Like all of the white trim in the house, we used Sherwin Williams Ultra White paint in a satin finish.

We (not so patiently) waited for the paint to cure overnight before loading up the shelves. These wood nesting boxes came in extraordinarily handy since our search for maximum storage space yielded shelves that were varying depths and sizes! The middle shelves store our bulk bath + body supplies with room to spare. Refills for liquid hand soap, body wash and shampoo will hang out here until they’re ready to be poured into our amber plastic bottles.

Our careful planning worked out perfectly and all of our paper products, cleaning sprays, and microfiber mops and towels were able to be stored on the floor below the first shelf. The varied sizes of the wood boxes make them easy to stack and layer where necessary.

Access to Supply Lines

Oh, and you might be wondering why we didn’t just run shelving across the entire front of the space below the water heater? Those spring-fit access panels that we mentioned early on need to be left clear in case we’d ever need to access shut-off valves or water supply lines. They simply pop in and are held in place with spring tension!

Thinking Vertically with On-the-Wall Storage

With the shelves loaded up, we were ready to turn our focus towards on-the-wall storage solutions. We used a vintage hook (it once lived on the back of the bathroom door) to provide the perfect hanging location for this cute dust pan + brush.

To save space with our telescoping duster and microfiber mop, we used a wall-mounted broom holder (this one is similar, and I like it better!) to keep things upright and off of the floor. This corner would have proven nearly useless otherwise, so it felt like a perfect way to take advantage of the space!

On the back of the door, we add yet another vintage hook for this handy hair dryer bag. Again, keeping things up out of the way but within easy reach was the name of the game in this linen closet! If we find it necessary down the road, we’ve got room for additional compact shelving below the hair dryer, but we’ll live with it for now and see if our needs change. Our motto is to have only the things you need – and nothing you don’t.

We’re really happy with how much function we packed into the small space behind this humble 2-ft door! It’s incredibly satisfying to open a brand new door with a brand new(-to-us) knob and step into a space that feels bright and open (and, of course, brand new), while maximizing every inch of space!

Years of small space living in our former 675 sq. ft. condo have made us not only love a small space, but excited for the challenge! Between this closet and the massive medicine cabinet mounted above the sink on the opposite wall, we don’t miss having traditional below-sink vanity storage one bit. It just goes to show that with careful planning, any space can be made to fit your storage needs!