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When my husband Bryan and I first stumbled across the idea of a family closet—one dedicated space where laundry is washed, dried, folded, ironed if needed, and hung right back up—we looked at each other and said, almost in unison, “That’s brilliant.”
The mental picture was irresistible: no more baskets of clean clothes migrating from room to room, no more toddlers gleefully dumping out drawer after drawer of painstakingly folded clothing, no more small mountains of unfolded laundry claiming the dining room table for hours on end. Everything would have a proper home, right where the work actually happens. We could practically hear the collective sigh of relief from every busy parent who’s ever lived.
There was just one problem: our house at the time didn’t have the layout to make it possible. We sketched ideas, measured walls, and brainstormed workarounds, but the math simply never added up. So the dream stayed tucked away on our wish list.
Then came our move to Missionary Acres.
When we settled into Lot 1 on the property, the family-closet idea resurfaced with fresh hope. We walked the utility room, measuring again… but once more, space was the limiting factor since the laundry room was also a hallway. We adapted, made do with the systems we had, and leaned hard into gratitude for what had been provided.
A couple of years later, everything changed when we moved into Lot #70—a larger, two-story home. One unexpected feature stopped us in our tracks: an entire room with washer and dryer hookups that the previous resident had used for fixing clocks and watches.
We stood in the doorway, looked at each other again, and this time the words were different: “We can finally do this.”
And we did.
What used to feel like a never-ending loop of laundry chaos has become one of the smoothest, most sanity-saving parts of our day. The room now houses our washer and dryer, a big central folding table that actually gets used (what a concept!), dedicated hampers, hanging rods at different heights for the little kids and the bigger ones, a laundry sink ready for those inevitable potty-training surprises, an ironing board that stays set up and accessible, our sewing machine for quick mends, and even a donation basket that keeps outgrown or torn clothes moving on instead of piling up.
It’s been nothing short of a game-changer for our large-family laundry management.
In the rest of this post, I’ll take you on a little picture tour of our family closet so you can see exactly how each piece works for our big, busy household and why we’re so thankful for this space!
A Quick Overview of Our Family Closet
If you stand in the doorway and look in, this is what our family closet looks like right now—and honestly, it’s not magazine-perfect, and that’s exactly why it works so well for us.
This space started as an unfinished basement room: bare concrete floor, exposed pipes overhead, no finished ceiling, the whole utilitarian vibe. The previous owner used it for fixing clocks and watches, so it came with zero built-ins or pretty finishes. We didn’t change that. We didn’t add drywall, fancy flooring, or recessed lighting. Instead, we rolled up our sleeves and made it work with what was already there—because for a busy household of fourteen, function beats polish every single time.
A few things to note about this space:
- It’s fully unfinished (concrete floors, visible pipes, open ceiling joists)—and we love it that way. No worries about spills, tracked-in dirt, or little hands making “improvements.”
- It’s a real working space, which means it’s rarely picture-perfect clean. There’s usually a load in the dryer, a few items waiting to be folded, or a stray sock on the floor—and that’s okay. It gets the job done.
- It has a door that shuts completely, which has been a lifesaver for keeping curious toddlers out when we’re not supervising.
The beauty of this setup is that it proves you don’t need a Pinterest-worthy, fully renovated room to create an effective family closet. You just need a dedicated spot near the laundry flow, some basic organization, and the willingness to embrace “good enough.” We took an overlooked, rough-around-the-edges basement room and turned it into the heart of our laundry routine—and it’s been one of the best decisions we’ve made since moving to Lot #70.
My Number 1 Laundry Management Tip
Before we zoom in on the details of our family closet, I have to share my single most important tip for keeping laundry manageable—especially with a family of 14.
This one has held true in every home we’ve lived in, from tiny setups to this unfinished basement room. It doesn’t require special tools, perfect organization, or even a dedicated family closet.
Ready? Here it is:
Do the laundry.
Seriously—that’s it!
Put a load in the washer. Move it to the dryer before it sits too long and starts to mildew. Fold (or hang) it, put it away, and repeat as often as needed. With a family our size, we repeat a lot, doing anywhere from 4-7 loads a day.
No beautiful hanging rods, no hamper system, no dedicated space will ever eliminate this basic step. Laundry only stays under control when you actually do it consistently.
Our family closet doesn’t do the work for us—it just makes doing the work so much easier and less chaotic. Everything’s right there in one spot: no trekking baskets upstairs, no losing items in bedroom drawers, quicker folding sessions because it’s all centralized. But the habit still has to happen.
Think of it like having a well-stocked kitchen: it makes cooking faster and more enjoyable, but you still have to chop the veggies and turn on the stove.
With that tip out of the way, let’s move into the picture tour! I’ll walk you through each part of this space and show how it supports that daily “do the laundry” rhythm for our big crew.
Our Washer and Dryer
Without this powerful duo, our laundry would just pile up. We have a large-capacity set that can handle decent-sized loads.
We picked a washer without an agitator, so we can wash larger blankets and sleeping bags. This one also has a delay feature, which is handy for nighttime. I often put laundry in the machine on delay before I go to bed, and wake up in the morning to clean clothes that haven’t started to stink because they sat in the machine for too long.
In front of the machines, I have the cutest laundry room rug. It says, “Laundry Room Wash ~ Dry ~ Fold ~ Repeat,” which is my mantra for tackling laundry!
Our Laundry Folding Station
This former workbench has become a great place to fold laundry. In the drawer, we keep a few clothes folding boards (we prefer the BoxLegend brand!) These allow younger kids to successfully fold clothes.
The bottom shelf holds our laundry detergent, stain remover, bleach, and laundry sanitizer. It’s nice to have a home for everything!
The Triple Hamper
When we moved to Missouri, we bought this triple hamper to help keep the laundry room organized. My teen daughter added a label for each bag. We have one for towels and sheets, one for boys, and one for girls. Though it’s not always adhered to perfectly, this system makes it easier to put things away after they’ve been washed.
It’s also nice to be able to tell a few of the boys (or girls), go get your laundry out of the dryer, fold it, and put it away. Then they don’t have to sort everyone’s clothes.
Clothes Hanging Racks
Since our laundry room doesn’t have much dresser drawer space, we hang a lot of clothes. We purchased a double garment-hanging rack from Walmart (similar to this one on Amazon). It’s held up well.
This rack has our preteens’ clothes on the taller rack in the back, and the younger kids’ clothes in the front.
My husband also hung a metal pipe from the floor joists to hang the older kids’ clothes. Each of them has a section for their clothes, so they always know where to look. Having them this high means the younger kids can’t play dress up with their siblings’ clothes, which my teens appreciate!
Dresser Space
Around the room, we have several dressers (and a bookcase) for folded clothes. Each kid gets two drawers, and one is for mismatched socks.
One of our teens used our label maker to label everything, so everyone who folds laundry can put it away correctly. This has helped tremendously!
We also have a rack for hats, a box for suspenders and bowties, and hooks on the wall for larger items. You can also see the ironing board tucked behind the door. If anyone wants to iron something, they simply pull out the iron and get to work.
Laundry Sink and “Dirty” Basket
When you have a child with special needs and potty-training toddlers, you know that some clothes are going to end up extra smelly. Unfortunately, a few of these items have ended up in the regular clothes hamper.
That was a mistake! The whole load had to be washed and rewashed several times to get the smell out.
Now, we use the sink for a quick rinse and put all of these extra “dirty” clothes in the basket by the door. This one took some training, but it works well now.
Tip: For these types of clothes, I always add a capful of Lysol Laundry Sanitizer to the load. It helps cut the smell quite a bit. We also wash these clothes in warmer water and do extra rinses. Then, before we transfer the clothes to the dryer, they have to pass the sniff test…
You may notice the wall behind the basket has a strip of unpainted blocks. This was where the water tank was when we moved in. However, since we wanted two water tanks, my husband replumbed them into the storage room next door.
Garbage Can for Lint and Clothes Beyond Repair
This one is pretty self-explanatory. We empty it once a week.
Drying Rack
Our family has many graphic t-shirts. While they’re cute and comfy, they don’t hold up well when run through the dryer.
Thus, since we had space in this room, we bought a simple drying rack. When we switch laundry into the dryer, we pull out any graphic tees and hang them here to dry. Since we have a concrete floor, it works perfectly.
Sewing Machine
Our fifteen-year-old daughter enjoys sewing and often repairs torn clothes for the family. She keeps her machine on a built-in table that runs along the back wall.
She also has a bag with her supplies in it that she keeps on top of the dresser next to it.
Not Pictured Elements of Our Large Family Closet
I didn’t get pictures of everything, so here are a few more things we keep in this room.
A Donation Box
We get a lot of hand-me-downs (which are a huge blessing!) But not everything is a great fit. If we have clothes we won’t be using, we put them in the donation box, and when it’s full, we take it to donate.
Winter Clothes Storage
Underneath the built-in table where the sewing machine is, we have boxes for winter clothes. These keep our gloves/hats/scarves/etc. out of the way when they’re not being used. We keep snowpants and coats on a hanging rack in our garage.
Off-Size Storage
Right off of this room is another unfinished room in the basement, which we use for storage. There, we keep clothes that we want to keep that are either too big or too small for the kids. This allows us to minimize what is actually in their drawers and hanging, which has helped keep the mess (and the frustration) to a minimum.
Family Closet FAQs
Here are a few questions we’ve had about our family closet.
Do you keep everyone’s clothes in the family closet?
Nope! Though we could. For us, it works better for Bryan and me to keep our clothes in our room. We also keep many of our oldest son’s clothes in his room, as he goes through several outfits a day due to incontinence.
What about older kids or teens—do they actually use it?
Yes, and it works surprisingly well! Our bigger kids (especially the middles and older ones) know exactly where everything is, so they can grab what they need quickly in the mornings or after activities. We have the higher hanging rod dedicated to their sizes, and they help with their own put-aways. It teaches responsibility without the frustration of scattered dressers.
Does everything really stay organized, or does it get chaotic?
Our family closet stays functional—not always showroom tidy! With fourteen people, there’s usually a basket waiting to be folded or a few items out of place, but because everything has a clear spot (hampers for dirties, rods for hang-ups, the donation basket for outgrown stuff), chaos doesn’t build up like it used to. The unfinished-basement vibe helps, too—no pressure to keep it pristine. We just do the laundry consistently (remember my #1 tip?), and the space supports that habit.
I wanted to write this blog post for a while, but since the room was so messy, I put it off. Then, our kids surprised us recently by cleaning it and organizing everything, so I grabbed some pictures while it looked great.
Would this work if we don’t have a basement or extra room?
Absolutely—adapt it to what you have! We’ve heared of families use a laundry nook, spare bedroom closet, or even part of a hallway. The magic isn’t the square footage; it’s centralizing laundry flow and committing to the routine. Start small: combine kids’ clothes in one area first, then expand if it clicks.
Since we have such a large family, we needed a little more space for our shared clothing area, but most families don’t have quite as many children.
If you have more questions about our setup (or want tips for your own family size/situation), drop them in the comments! We’re still new to the family closet setup, but this system has made things so much easier.
Final Thoughts: From Laundry Chaos to Calm
If you’re still reading, thank you—laundry stories aren’t exactly glamorous, but if you’ve ever felt buried under baskets of clean (or dirty) clothes, I hope this glimpse into our family closet provides some practical suggestions.
We didn’t renovate our laundry room into something glossy or Instagram-ready—we just claimed the unfinished space, added (or repurposed) practical pieces such as the hanging rods at kid-friendly heights, that big folding table, and the donation basket, and committed to using it daily.
And yes, the real magic isn’t the room itself—it’s still the simple habit of doing the laundry consistently. But having everything centralized has made that habit feel almost effortless: mornings are calmer because clothes are right there and easy to grab, put-aways happen in minutes instead of hours, potty-training mishaps get handled without drama, and outgrown items actually make it to donation instead of lingering in piles.
For our crew of fourteen, this family closet has been a true game changer—less chaos, more peace, and one small win that ripples through the whole day.
Thanks for joining me on this little tour! If you’ve tried a family closet (or something similar), or if this sparks an idea for your own home, I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
And please feel free to “Pin” this post for later!
