Linen Closet Organization-without the pretty

After our move in the summer, I was mainly focused on getting rid of the boxes as quickly as possible.
With Hannah's impending arrival, I was really just concerned with being able to come home from the hospital and not need to spend my maternity leave unpacking.  

As successful as I was with getting rid of all but two boxes, it was definitely not organized.  

Throughout my maternity leave, and even now, there are a handful of organizational tasks that need to take place.  
But I'm sure you all know that organization is a domino effect.
And that's what happened with my linen closet.
In order to organize, I had to re-arrange the storage under the sink as well as my armoire. 

I find organizing these types of spaces to be very overwhelming.
For starters, it's really hard to know in advance what you'll need to maximize the space.
So, because The Container Store has such an awesome return policy, I went and shopped my heart out and bought all the potential baskets, hanging bins, divided drawer organizers, and compartmental storage I wanted!  
I also pulled out all the leftover organizational supplies I had in the garage from previous organizations.
Remember, moving 5 times in 6 years is a lot of spaces to organize!  
The true goal here, was to do it as cheap as possible-it's not pretty by any means!  

Take a look at my semi-before (my jewelry had already been organized)



You can tell that I had things semi-organized but I realized the bins were really only pseudo organized but ultimately led to more problems.
They take up a lot of unnecessary space, and they needed cleaned out.

When it comes to these projects, there are few necessary staples:
stackable and hanging storage

These spaces have a lot of height, but are filled with unstackable items.  
For instance, I can't stack my makeup.  It goes in a container that takes up minimal space, but without stackable or hangable storage, the rest of the space is left not being utilized. 


Open stackable bins allow for easy access and for items to be seen easily.  


These hanging storage options are great because sometimes it doesn't make sense to stack all the way to the top!  
I have a basket with washcloths and hand towels-but the height is as tall as the basket, but too much to stack underneath, so here is when hanging storage is a great option.

Another lifesaver, and I can't believe I didn't know about these before (thanks mom!) are stackable shelves.




These are really great, not only in the kitchen for dishes, but also when your storage items, like small cosmetic bags, or open little containers aren't stackable.  

Here's the fnished product, not at all pretty, but totally functional!

Sorry for the crappy pictures-I seem to have misplaced the camera (I hope it's misplaced and wasn't lost on our Sunday outing!!! Here's to hoping it reappears soon!!!)

What do you think?
I'm loving it, every time I open that door it makes me smile.

You can read about my pretty DIY bins HERE

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