Modern life demands versatile linen closets

If there's one thing designers have become better at over the years, it's planning more storage space in the home. Nearly every area of today's modern home has either a closet or a row of cupboards for all the trappings of modern life.

Coat closets have evolved into mud rooms; broom closets are now integrated into walk-in pantries and the traditional linen closet has taken on a life of its own. Linen closets are a highly requested feature in new home construction; at last 89 per cent of respondents in the 2018 Canadian Home Builders' Association Homebuyer Preference Study conducted by Avid Ratings Canada said they were a must-have.

Once the exclusive domain of towels, tablecloths and precisely pressed sheets, today's linen closets are more versatile. They're more like secondary storage, says Breanne Schuh, an interior designer with Rockwood Custom Homes.

“It's supplementary storage space for passive items and items used on a daily basis, not necessarily just for linen. Things like vacuum hoses, garbage bags, toilet paper and cleaning supplies,” she says.

They can have pull outs, shelves for basket storage and a taller space for brooms or even golf clubs. The key to smart design is adjustability so shelves aren't fixed to a certain height. Schuh says closets can have power outlets to charge electric cleaning devices and interior lights that automatically come on when the door opens.

The linen closet doesn't even have to be a closet as long as there's space elsewhere. Between cabinets in second-floor laundry rooms and additional storage in bathrooms, the items we refer to as linen can be kept anywhere they're required.