Linen Storage – up-cycling your own linen storage cabinet

I have been on the look out for a linen storage solution for my small and growing number of pretty fabrics and linens for quite some time now. I’ve seen some wonderful one-off pieces, sadly though not in my price range. Currently my collection is stored in a beautiful old blanket box where no-one can admire it since it cannot be seen. Recently and not for the first time, I was inspired by folk on Pinterest who had adapted pieces of furniture to create their own individual linen storage cabinets and I felt sure I could achieve something similar myself. And it was as Mr M and I were enjoying a quiet brunch at home one Saturday morning that my epiphany occurred. “Do we have any wallpaper paste?” I asked as I happily refilled his coffee mug. “Why?” he replied looking uneasily in my direction. “Because I’ve just had an idea” I smiled, “drink your coffee up quickly, we should get on” I said…

Do you recall from this post and again here, my generous dear friend and her bounty of ‘firewood’? Well this little reproduction piece was not quite what she had dreamed of when she picked it up and if I am truthful, it is not entirely my cup of tea either. I was sure it could become something special given half a chance though, so I brought it back to our garage and Mr M sighed as he added it to the growing project pile with The Spotty One helping out too.

It sat gathering dust happily storing bits of this and that for several months waiting for a new and more appropriate use. And it would appear that on that Saturday morning, its new use was established. I was to create my very own linen storage cabinet. Firstly, I stacked the drawers away for another day since they were not needed for this up-cycle. Next I encouraged Mr M to join in and saw off the front drawer supports since they would not be needed for my plan either.

Then I suggested he might be able to cut me a couple of shelves out of his wood pile. Only he didn’t have anything suitable and he asked would MDF do. I tend to not do MDF although as he pointed out, no-one would know when the shelves were covered in the wallpaper he had just retrieved from the dusty loft. He had a point and off he went to cut the MDF to size whilst I made a start on removing the gloopy varnish from the top with the orbital sander.

Rather excitedly I hoped my new linen cabinet would retain the original parquet detail however it was only a thin laminate topping and all too quickly I was through to the chipboard.

Perhaps the previous challenges I faced in this post and again here ensured I wasn’t quite so despondent with my latest set back. I would just have to paint the top in my usual style. Mr M passed by just as I was a little huffy. “What’s wrong?” he enquired. I explained my predicament and he suggested I might like to step out of my comfort zone a little further this time and paint the top of the linen cabinet a darker grey than my usual chalky choice. It was a bold move on his part and I was about to dismiss the idea as quite unsuitable when he produced a large tin of dark grey paint from the back of the garage. And I rather liked the moodiness of his choice so I thanked him appropriately and turned my hand to some painting. I can’t tell you the official colour of this paint as it appears to be a pre-mixed copycat shade; Farrow and Balls Railings looks a lot like it though. You know the drill by now: Prime, two coats of paint, (I used the same colour as I used in this post) and a patient wait in between each coat. The darker colour infact needed three coats of paint so even more patience had to be sought for this project. Then finish off with a wax of choice, I used this one for ultimate wear and tear protection. For a more detailed tutorial of how I up-cycle my furniture, click here.

Whilst the first coat of paint was drying, I decided to turn my hand to the wallpaper task. I went off in search of paraphernalia one associates with wallpapering. I struggled to find paste, buckets, brushes and the like and I spent several minutes of valuable wall papering time searching to no avail. Eventually I gave up and stomped off in search of Mr M who I had decided, must know where these necessary items lived. I could hear a little happy (and somewhat tuneless) humming in the dining room which only served to make me a little more irritable and shortly I came across Mr M and the missing equipment. Together with the wallpaper and MDF shelves. And I quickly forgave the tuneless humming as I noticed excitedly my newly wall papered MDF shelves. I squealed with delight as I announced he simply had to be the most supportive husband that ever reigned. He had covered both shelves very neatly indeed, turning the wallpaper over the front edge of the top shelf so as to disguise its MDF appearance. Just as he had suggested he would infact. I was most pleased with his efforts.

As the painting continued and dried, so suitable shelf supports were fitted. And very soon we assembled all the pieces to create my new linen storage cabinet.

And here she is dressed appropriately with my linens, fabrics, throws and tablecloths.  And not for the first time, I am in love with this latest up-cycle. What do you think?

Now whilst the hopeless romantic in me loves having my pretties on display in my new linen storage cabinet (the entire point to the chest of drawers reinvention), I must be a realist on occasions too. We simply have no room left in the home currently for displaying even more pretties. I have used all the space up. That time will come again for sure when we finally build and renovate our home. For now though, both Mr M and I are in need of practical storage space in our bedroom. And I can do practical as long as there is a dose of pretty in there too.

So my new and beautiful linen storage cabinet is for now a new and beautiful clothes storage cabinet. It resides happily in our bedroom with jumpers, scarves and such like adorning its shelves together with a few wire baskets and an up-cycled drawer. And I see no good reason at all why practical can’t be styled just as well as pretty, don’t you agree?