The coveted linen closet folds in essential new storage functions

If there's one thing designers have gotten better at over the years, is 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 least 89 per cent of respondents in the 2018 Canadian Home Builders' Association Homebuyer Preference Study

(They are) supplementary storage space for passive items and items used on a daily basis.

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 golf clubs. The key 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.

PHOTOS: ZOON MEDIA Linen closets aren't just for towels anymore. They also can provide secondary storage space for items such as vacuum hoses, garbage bags, cleaning and bathroom supplies, brooms or golf clubs.