The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to tackle what can be the nemesis of even the most organised among us: the linen cupboard! Tara’s upcycling an old and musty pine cabinet into a fresh and airy rattan closet, which is perfect for linen. Not only is this cabinet bang on trend, its full of great organisational ideas and easy projects to keep your linen fresh, beautifully organised and safe from moths and mould.
Gather your supplies
- Timber cabinet
- Rattan cane webbing
- Chalk paint
- Hanging rod and plates
- Hinges
- Door knobs
- Screwdriver
- painter’s tape
- Hammer
- Work gloves
- Bucket or tub
- Rock weight
- Random orbital sander
- Sanding block
- Cloth
- Painting equipment
- Clamps
- Staple gun
- Nails
- Utility knife
Here’s how
STEP 1 Remove cabinet doors and take off hinges and hardware. Extract shelves. Apply painter’s tape to glass door panels in an X shape. Use scrap timber and a hammer to tap out beading holding glass in place. Reserve beading. Wearing work gloves, carefully lift out glass and dispose of safely.
STEP 2 Put rattan in a bucket of water, weighted by a rock. Soak for an hour. Dry with a towel. (Soaking makes rattan flexible, but don’t over-soak or it will discolour.)
STEP 3 Sand cabinet, doors, beading and shelves. Wipe off dust. Apply 2 coats of paint to cabinet, including interior and shelves, doors and beading. Leave to dry after each coat.
STEP 4 Position and clamp rattan over doors, and use a staple gun to secure to frame. Secure beading to inside of doors over frame pieces with nails. Trim rattan using a utility knife.
STEP 5 Install hanging rod and shelves, bar the old top shelf. Add new knobs, then rehang doors.
Take your linen storage to the next level with a hanging rod. Trouser hangers are ideal for napery and cushion covers. Woven door panels are decorative, but also offer ventilation to keep your linen fresh – mustiness be gone! Use woven storage baskets for the same reason.
This cabinet is designed for good ventilation, but guarding against insects is still a good idea. Forget smelly mothballs, though. Fill quilted jars with dried lavender or a clove/bay leaf combo, and replace the lid with rattan instead. So simple!
You might also like:
The easy trick to keeping your linen cupboard tidy
How to care for cotton and linen bedding correctly
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