IKEA Billy Bookcase Hack: Linen Closet Organization

This Ikea Billy Bookcase Hack shows how you can use this affordable piece of furniture to create a functional linen closet organization system! This post contains affiliate links.

One of the biggest drawbacks of living in an older home is the lack of storage. Old homes (especially those built back in 1865) don’t come with a whole lot of closet space. In fact, some of the rooms didn’t have any, which is normal because over 100 years ago furniture was used in place of built-in storage. When we remodeled our downstairs bathroom we knew we would be short on storage. We didn’t get a chance to renovate the hallway outside of our bedroom until recently when we did a complete renovation on our Master Bedroom for the One Room Challenge. With the changes we made in our bedroom we were able to create a bigger hallway space. This allowed us to add an Ikea Billy Bookcase to create some Linen Closet Organization.

I didn’t get a good before photo of this space, but if you head to my Instagram you can look on my highlight labeled “MB #1” for a walkthrough of the space we reworked.

IKEA Billy Bookcase Hack

Once we reworked this whole hallway right in between our bedroom and bathroom doors I started searching for something that could be a good linen closet. I played with the idea of doing a built-in closet since we were starting from scratch. However, it would’ve made the whole space feel much smaller. The Ikea Billy Bookcase with has doors was what I decided on. I definitely wanted some hidden storage, but the glass top gives me a place to display some more “pretty” storage. It also allowed the space to feel light and open.

Linen Closet Organization Ideas

I wanted to make sure everything was in its own bin. Since we don’t have any storage inside our bathroom this allows us to pull out the bin we need, take it in the bathroom if necessary, and keep everything together. The bins I used in the lower section were a tight fit and wouldn’t fit next to each other on the shelves that had hinges. Just keep that in mind if you purchase the same things! For the two next to each other I just put things in those we don’t use on a daily basis. They do fit, it’s just snug.

Storage Bins Used:

• Bins with Bamboo Lids (small)
• Bins with Bamboo Lids (medium)
• Lidded Storage Bin with Leather Handles
• White Bins | (The Container Store sells a similar version)
• Glass Jar with Wood Lid (similar product here)

We use the little white bins for the things we use every morning and evening. It’s been so great to have it easily accessible and keep it organized.

I also store my makeup mirror in here where it’s easily accessible.

IKEA Billy Bookcase Hack: Linen Closet Organization

The Billy Bookcase has been used for many things, and I’m definitely not the first one to use it for storage ;). But I hope if you are limited on storage this provides some inspiration on how to solve some problems!

Shop this Bathroom and Linen Closet

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