Warning: The following pictures are far from magazine worthy. :( But they give a good portrayal of the current state of our mudroom.
So, about a year and a half ago I had my handyman, Max, rip out the coat closet in my mudroom. My plan was to make the space much more functional by building lockers for my kiddos to drop their stuff in a more organized way, as opposed to dropping everything at the door for everyone to then have to climb over. But then life happened and other projects took more priority. Thankfully, the One Room Challenge came into the picture and this room is now back on the drawing board. Which is a good thing because it was becoming quite the catch-all room….
ORC WEEK 1:
Every April and October the One Room Challenge comes along and entices bloggers across the nation to jump on board. It is an opportunity I have wanted to do for quite some time. But again life and just the overwhelmingness of completing a project in 6 weeks have kept me from jumping in. But here I am, taking the plunge. I’m excited to see what this room is going to become. One of the challenges of this area is how small it is…As you can see there is not a lot of room for all the stuff: coats, hats, gloves, backpacks, pool towels, pool bags, vacuums, and the list goes on….
In preparation of this full room makeover, mudrooms have been on my radar. I particularly love this one from Timberlin Homes, a local builder…
With 3 kiddos still in school, we definitely need 3 lockers. I’m hoping with plenty of cubby space and shelves above, we will have more than enough room to store all the stuff. It would be great to switch out winter and summer stuff and still keep it all within the mudroom. As opposed to our current scenario: taking all the off-season stuff upstairs to the large hall closet and cramming it all in there. Which, as you can see, is almost to capacity and not the most ideal situation…
Along with providing a place for all the stuff…organization is also a top priority. I have always wanted a command center to keep track of important papers and family schedules…
As insignificant as this may sound, it also makes the most sense to hang our car keys in this area. Currently, we have them in a basket on top of the refrigerator and, with three drivers, we have to go rummaging through to find the right one. (Funny story: my son searched high and low for his keys one day, knowing he had dropped them in the basket. He finally found them when he went to grab something out of the refrigerator–yep, they had fallen inside the fridge…not where you would normally think to look. :) ) So, a place to hang our keys is a big priority. I found a lot of cool ideas on Pinterest…
When we removed the closet, we also took away the space to store all of our vacuums and such. I’m tired of the vacuum not having a home. Therefore, a place to house these items is another must-have…
My vision is to make this a cozy spot too. I would love to have a bench to sit down and put on shoes, etc. But also, a little reading nook would be kind of cool. Maybe I’m dreaming here, but I have visions of my kiddos cozied up with a good book lounging on the comfy bench. And with plans to add a sliding barn door to the mudroom, it should add some barrier to noise also…
I am so excited to transform this room into a functional, yet beautiful, space. I hope you will join me over the next 6 weeks as we work hard through the process to the final reveal. I’m sure it will be a lot of work, maybe some tears, definitely stress, but in the end a great reward!! Look forward to seeing you back here next week, to show you my progress.
Designer Tip: When It Might Be Time to Bring in Help
If you’re working on your home and things still don’t feel quite right, you’re not alone. Many of our clients start exactly where you are now. They’ve gathered ideas, saved inspiration photos, and maybe even purchased a few pieces, but the space still doesn’t feel cohesive. That’s often the moment when having a designer can make all the difference. We help homeowners create a clear plan so every decision works together. From layout and furniture placement to finishes and lighting, the goal is a space that feels thoughtful, comfortable, and complete.
If you’d like a little guidance with your space, you can learn more about our interior design services below.
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Until next time,
Happy Building!!
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Mudroom Makeover Project: One Room Challenge Week 2
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