Hooked Up
I’m not so much a clean freak as an organizational freak. I’m a firm believer that everything should have a designated place or you’re destined to end up with unorganized piles of clutter all over the house. So I’ve always been partial to storage systems with specific functions in mind- take our rolling laundry storage caddy for instance (see our home video for live action coverage of it).
Another equally hardworking organizational system would have to be this fantastic “portable mudroom” that you can put anywhere to instantly create a place to hang coats, backpacks, purses, scarves, dog leashes, and anything else you shed when you come inside. There’s even a handy place to sit down to remove your shoes (with hidden storage underneath the seat). What will the folks at Pottery Barn think of next?
But since we don’t have $1279 (!) to spare, we decided to see if we could get a similar effect for less. A lot less. So we headed to our favorite neighborhood Target, where we picked up a handsome brown leather ottoman with hidden storage under the seat ($79) and a nice dark wood wall mounting coat rack ($19) with six big double hooks for hanging everything we could possibly be wearing when we come in out of the cold. For under $100 we couldn’t be more pleased with the portable mudroom we created.
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Comments
Thanks! We love it- and we love that it’s something anyone can do. We had no idea what to do with that corner… and now instead of featuring a floundering house plant it’s a nice neat home for all of our outdoor stuff. Muchos gracias for reading!
Sherry
Awesome! I’ve coveted that potttery-barn mudroom thing for a long time. Do you have any ideas for mudroom type areas in split-level entries? I’m convinced there is no solution as the space is practically non-existent! Help!
Hey Reborn,
I can’t exactly picture the space you’re describing, but if there’s any room for some hooks (even individual hooks instead of a bar of hooks) that’s definitely a good start. You can also hang baskets from the wall (woven or metal depending on your sensibilities) and use them to store gloves, leashes, mail, etc. If there’s a coat closet nearby, you can also maximize the back of the door by getting an over-the-door shoe rack and stashing everyone’s shoes there instead of all over the floor. Hope it helps!
xo,
Sherry
Hi Sherry,
Thanks so much for the tips! I think I will try baskets. I actually meant to say “split foyer” not “level”. When you walk in the front door, you are immediately presented with stairs going up, stairs going down, and a teeny, tiny little foyer just big enough for the door to swing open. I can’t figure out whether upstairs or downstairs would be a good place to make a place for coats, etc.
I’m thinking of maybe hanging the hooks and baskets you suggest in the “down” stairwell…
I just wish wish wish there was a place to sit and/or stash shoes!
Thanks again! :)
I think the baskets on the wall of the “down” stairwell will be a great place to store stuff and add a bit of fun. So sorry there’s not room for a bench or a shoe locker. Perhaps there’s a place at the bottom of the stairs that you can put a large basket or tray for people to drop their shoes and get comfy! Good luck.
xo,
Sherry
My dughter has a similarly sized entry way- she put hooks up on the wall like those in the instant mudroom and then put a long basket shaped like a window box on the floor for her shoes. She has the shoes lined up standing on their toes in the basket and it loooks cute and neat.
The zebra pillow! We have two of them in our living room… how nice to see it here. HomeGoods? That’s where we got ours.
Great solution to your mudroom dilemma! That pottery barn one is to die for, but honestly who has a space that large to dedicate to JUST mud room like activities? :) Yours is great and fits perfectly in your space. :D Good job! :D