Before and After: This “Awkward Corner” Laundry Closet Gets a $150 Organizational Overhaul

Elizabeth Munro’s laundry room makeover is the perfect example to show how a massive wall of shelves doesn’t automatically equate to organization. Her laundry nook had shelves (boy, did it ever!) with ample room for storage, but the shelves were arranged in a way that made it awkward to access and too high to reach, two factors which contributed to a disorganized mess. 

Over time, laundry got piled high on the shelves—simply because there was room to pile it on the shelves. Elizabeth says, “Everything was mixed up on different shelves and every time I folded a dry load of laundry I would put it in random places on the shelves. There were so many things that I couldn’t find and I kept re-buying.” 

Been there, Elizabeth! What she needed was a shelving system that worked for her, and what worked for her involved removing and rearranging the shelves. “I had a difficult time with the idea of moving a perfectly stable shelf but once I committed to the idea, it made it so visually appealing as well as everything was suddenly reachable.” With help from a friend, she removed the side shelves and the lowest back shelf to allow space for her new floor hampers and baskets. 

Five hours of work and $150 later (she purchased new bins from The Container Store, and hampers from HomeGoods), Elizabeth had a fresh new laundry space that was clean and organized, and most importantly, fit her needs. Her favorite part: “I love that everything that is reachable is on the lower shelves and everything that I rarely use but don’t want to give away is on the higher shelves.”

Elizabeth admits she had a difficult time letting go of all the extra towels she’d stashed. Her friend helped remind her that the ripped towels and rags didn’t actually have sentimental value and she was able to let go of what she no longer needed for her household. 

We know how difficult it can be to let go of things—especially items like rags and towels that you always seem to need! Kudos, Elizabeth, on taking the time to create a space that works for you and on getting rid of all the excess “stuff” you aren’t actually using! You’re an inspiration!