How We Built a Custom Linen Closet From Wasted Hallway Space

For a long time, our hallway felt unfinished. Not bad — just unused. It was a half wall over the stairs that didn’t really serve a purpose, collected clutter, and made the hallway feel more open than functional.

Now, I know the open concept floorplan is kind of going out of style, but I actually like having our kitchen, dining, and living spaces connected. Otherwise, I end up cooking alone while everyone else hangs out in another room. I prefer a balance: enough openness to feel connected, but enough separation that each space still feels like its own. You know what I mean? A happy medium.

That said… we definitely didn’t need to see the entire house from the kitchen. And that’s basically what this half wall did. You could see straight into the bedrooms, the bathroom, and laundry closet.

This was the view from between the living room and kitchen.

So at first, the goal was just to add a little privacy to those spaces. But once I started thinking it through, I had that “well… while we’re at it” moment. The main bathroom in this hallway has zero storage, and there isn’t much space for extra towels, bedding, or blankets in the house.

This spot sits right between the bedrooms, bathroom, and laundry – the perfect place to add a little more usable space!

Closing In the Half Wall

The first step was closing in the half wall to create a full wall and frame out a shallow linen closet.

Because the staircase runs directly behind this wall, we slanted the floor inside the closet to match the stair angle. So when you walk down the stairs, it doesn’t encroach on the headspace.

We framed the back of the closet on top of that and closed it in with drywall.

Here’s the side-by-side from before and after framing and drywall.

Building a Custom Shelf System

Joseph’s number one request was that I make a designated spot for our vacuum 😂. I mean, he’s right. It’s been floating around wherever we could find space for it at any given time, and this closet was begging to be a vacuum home. So I started there and designed the rest of the shelving around it.

I ended up flip-flopping the design so the vacuum was on the other side. But same idea!

We went back and forth on doing two or three shelves above the vacuum – two seemed like a lot of wasted space, and three was aaaalmost too tight to still be practical. But we decided on three and there’s plenty of room on each shelf. There isn’t enough room for big, fluffy comforters. But its perfect for towels, sheets, baskets with first aid, medicine, etc. which is what we need to put in here.

Doors, Trim, and Finishing Details

I figured if we’re adding a new linen closet, we might as well make it cute!

I found the most beautiful wallpaper from the Chris Loves Julia x WallPops line at Lowe’s—Emerson in the Licorice colorway—and it’s even more stunning in person. I’ve been wanting to incorporate more wallpaper throughout our home, but since I’m still getting my feet wet with pattern, this small linen closet felt like the perfect low-risk place to experiment. I also added wallpaper inside one of the kids’ closets, and after tackling two small spaces, I’m officially convinced: pattern is a good idea. Now I just need to find the next spot to use it!

This is peel-and-stick wallpaper, which technically isn’t recommended for textured walls. That said, because the shelves are installed over it, I’m not concerned about peeling over time. But, if you’re planning to use peel-and-stick in a spot where it won’t be secured or “pinned” in any way, that’s definitely something to keep in mind.

I used 1×2 cleats to support the shelves, attaching them to studs where I could and using anchors when needed. For the two bottom shelves next to the vacuum, I ran the cleats as far across the wall as possible while still leaving enough room for the vacuum, then supported the open ends with wood corner brackets.

For the shelves, I ripped ¾-inch plywood to size and set them right on top of the cleats. I added a few brad nails to secure them. To give the shelves a more finished, built-in look, I added a 1×3 trim board across the front and attached them with brad nails.

I finished all of the wood ahead of time — stained with Minwax Early American and sealed with Polycrylic in a satin finish.

Once the shelving was in, I hung the door and trimmed it out. I love this EZ Hang Door Kit to hang doors. It’s so quick and simple and I can hang them by myself, no problem.

How cute is this door?! I love the design on it. I couldn’t find an exact match for the doors we already have in the hallway, so I went with this one that is totally different. It looks like it’s on purpose, instead of a mismatch. [Reliabilt Smooth Primed Slab Door].

I painted the trim and door the same color as our kitchen island, Sherwin-Williams Pewter Green, to keep things cohesive throughout the house. Even though it’s a small space, those repeated details help everything feel connected.

Organizing the Linen Closet

When it came time to organize, I kept things simple and functional.

• Top Shelf: Pillows
• 2nd Shelf: Extra Bedding. I have these fabric storage bins all over the house. They’re the perfect size for the tops of closets or shelves.
• 3rd Shelf: Medicine, First Aid, Rubbing Alcohol, Hydrogen Peroxide, etc. I used more sturdy hyacinth baskets for these items so they don’t fall over.
• 4th Shelf: Bath Towels, Hand Towels, Washcloths for the bathroom on the right
• Bottom Shelf: Beach Towels. I used a large basket here so they all fit.

The Before & After

This project took a space that wasn’t doing much and turned it into something we use every single day. It’s one of those updates that doesn’t scream for attention, but quietly makes the house work better — and those are often my favorite kinds.

From wasted hallway space → to functional, built-in storage.

Sources

• Paint Color: Sherwin Williams Pewter Green
• Wallpaper: ChrisLovesJulia WallPops Emerson
• Door: Reliabilt Smooth Primed Slab Door
• Handle: Antique Brass Door Knob
• EZ Hang Door Hardware
• Fabric Storage Bins
• Water Hyacinth Baskets
• Large Fabric Basket
• Pillows: Medium Down Alternative Pillow (I love these pillows)
• Towels: Spa Plush Towels (these are nice, thick, and full)
• Bissel Portable Deep Clean Vacuum

| Tylynn |

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase from one of the links, I may make a small commission at NO EXTRA COST to you. Thank you for your support so I can continue to share content and ideas with you. See my full disclosure here.