Linen Closet Demo & Rebuild

It's so true, isn't it? Linen closets have a knack for descending into chaos faster than you can say "thread count"! 

If your linen closet looks anything like ours did (and trust me, the "before" picture below tells quite the story!), you know exactly what I mean. The main culprit? A lack of functionality. Our old setup simply wasn't meeting our needs, leading to overflowing shelves and a constant struggle to find what we needed.

Well, today marks an exciting step in bringing order back to our household! We're diving headfirst into a linen closet makeover! That's right, we're tackling the demo and rebuild of our unruly linen storage, and I'm thrilled to finally implement the linen closet organization plan I outlined in my previous post. 

Get ready to see the transformation unfold as we create a functional, organized linen closet that makes finding fresh towels and sheets a breeze! Stay tuned for all the details on how we're turning this cluttered space into a dream linen closet!

A three-drawer base cabinet was bought and assembled. As per the plan, drawer storage was needed in the closet.

With the cabinet fully assembled, it was time to tackle that closet!

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DEMO

There were only three simple tasks during the demo. Most of them required plain tools, such as a utility knife to score the caulking along the joints to prevent damage to the Sheetrock, a hammer, a pry bar, and plenty of shims.

The first task was to remove the door, using a hacksaw to start with the door trim and continue with the entire door.

The second part was dealing with the framing. Removing the door opened the closet, but the framing around the door had to go, too.

Next, the set of 2 x 4s, one on each side of the door, was removed.

From inside the closet, I measured the length of that overhang and transferred it to the outside wall. I then followed that line to make that opening flush with the closet wall. 

The third part of this demo was to remove the shelves and clean up the area.

The picture below shows what I was left with. I still needed to frame that area to start building the new closet.

As I always say, the multitool is the tool that gets me out of trouble in small spaces like this, where I didn't want to remove the Sheetrock. 

FRAMING THE NEW CLOSET

The supports inside the wall were cut an inch and a half back to bring the stud flush with the framing already in place.

I also installed a half-inch-thick wooden board over the 2x4, not shown, to finish that area, making it level with the Sheetrock inside the closet.

A top plate was also installed.

On the right-hand side, I removed a 2x4. There was another stud right beside it, which, according to my measurements, had to stay in place. I glued and nailed a 1/2" trim piece on the outside edge of that stud.

Before re-framing the area, I brought in the base cabinet to see how it fit. :D

Most importantly, I needed to measure the baseboard against it. That would determine how high or low the cabinet should be installed.

A platform or base was built from 2x material to bring the baseboard below the lowest drawer.

INSTALLING THE BASE CABINET

The cabinet was installed on the base to ensure it was level. Wood shims were used wherever possible to make it fit properly.

The base cabinet was installed, making the face frame flush with the wall.

At this point, I brought in an old trim piece to see how the closet would look with trim alongside it. I didn't like it much. 

Something else I noticed was the front face of the drawers sticking out (Right picture below). I didn't like that setup. Those drawers had to be flush with the wall!

I had to loosen those screws and push the cabinet back a little more.

The area below the cabinet, or toe kick, had to be closed up because the baseboard would run straight through it.

Two boards were attached to form the 90-degree cover that fits in that space.

BUILDING AND INSTALLING THE COUNTERTOP

I built my own countertop using leftover plywood. Two boards, one of 3/4-inch and one of 1/2-inch, were glued and nailed together.

Remember that the counter needs to follow the contour of the closet's interior.

The countertop's front edge was finished with a 1 x 2 board, rounded with a router.

This is how the closet looked after covering those shelves, patching the Sheetrock, and laying the baseboard without securing it.

I had some visitors coming to stay for a few days, and I didn't want to have a huge mess. I cleaned up this area and arranged that closet as best I could while I had time to finish this project.

As you can see, I utilized the same shelves; they were covered. I will share all the details about those shelves in an upcoming post.

I still needed to build the doors, as I'm not a fan of open shelving, especially in the hallway. Oh, and I also needed to paint the base cabinet and add hardware, but I will share that in my next post when I reveal how this closet turned out.

Thanks for stopping by!

Take a look at the video. AI is helping me put a voice on those videos, as I struggle in that department. ;)

UPDATE:

This linen closet makeover is DONE! 

Visit the links below to see the process and the final reveal.

• The plan for the linen closet.
• Closet storage/cabinet selection.
• Closet final reveal.

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