Jess Lively

I originally wanted to call this post “My Souped Up Linen Closet” but Mr. Lively in a mix of sarcasm and reflection mentioned that it should be titled “Designing Behind Closed Doors” and the name stuck. Yes, I unabashedly went way far beyond the call of duty and created a beautiful linen closet for my toiletries next to my bathroom. You see, I live in a not-so-big one bedroom apartment and only have a meager medicine cabinet in the bathroom for storage. So this closet directly next to the bathroom is where I begin and end each day.

And the builder basic rod shelving was not a pretty to look at as I got ready, nor was it practical. It was virtually impossible to get the deodorant to stand upright on those bars and I am just simply too Type-A not to have my products standing correctly.

Given that I’m all about designing my home with intention, I decided that the frustration I felt each day using this rather important area of my home warranted a little makeover. Though I don’t have a before picture to share, just imagine all these products in the same places… with many things lying caddywhompus (never thought I’d use that word here on MML).

And here is what it looks like now.

Much, much, much better. I actually look forward to opening the closet door now.

To make this space seem less utilitarian I used a lot of unusual items for storage. To create a durable, solid surface on all four shelves I found glass cutting boards at Pier 1. They were on sale marked down to $7 each and had a cherry motif on the top. But by turning them upside down I instantly had durable, high quality shelves. In the future I may paint the top of the glass, but for now the white bottom is completely functional.

You can also note the super cute apothecary jar that holds aspirin on the main shelf (inspired by an off-hand comment made by Nate Berkus about his own organizing obsession). I love this so much, though it obviously may not be a good idea for those with children.

I’ll start the more detailed tour on the main, middle shelf. I used a green desk organizer from Target ($7) to hold my lotions and other daily toiletries. The front level is easy to grab from but keeps everything orderly when not in use. The back level is great for the large moisturizers which don’t need to come out of the closet to be used.

The cute white bird tray made to store soap, was found at World Market ($10). Here it’s a great little accent piece for a glass bowl of hair accessories (TJ Maxx $5) and a candy container…

… filled with my monthly pills. Much prettier than an obvious and disposable plastic container.

Nice candle boxes make excellent storage containers. I stored cotton pads in this one.

And nail polish and manicure items are stashed in the other two.

My extra recipe box became the cutest container for tampons I have ever seen.

For less frequently used items, my blow dryer, and duplicate toiletries I love these sturdy blue boxes. I used to have white plastic tubs where were nice but these ones provide a nice pop of color and make the whole place look a lot more unified since they hide the contents from view when not in use.

So there you have it! Though us small space dwellers can’t have souped up laundry rooms, we can still have the chance to splurge on our own little part of our homes.

I’ll be back in the weeks to come with more Designing Behind Closed Doors reveals.