It’s time for this week’s installment of my strange little self-imposed “Dude Get On That Already” challenge (where I’m attempting to use or donate/craigslist all the random items that we’ve been hoarding in our full-of-stuff playroom). When I laid eyes on this old bar o’ coat hooks that used to hang in our first house’s den, I thought it might be just the thing for our laundry room. Clara’s coats & hats & gloves + Burger’s leash = lots of small things that might be easier to grab/find if we actually had somewhere to hang them. So first we made sure it would fit by holding it up where we thought we could hang it. It fit perfectly, but felt a little heavy due to the dark finish, so…
… you know I spray painted that sucker glossy white, right? A few thin and even coats later (I used the Rustoleum Universal stuff with built-in primer) I was left with this guy. I don’t know why I’m holding him up sideways in front of the other wall. I blame book craziness (how long can I blame normal weirdness on book craziness? Two weeks? A month? Three years?).
Then it was hanging time:
And then came Clara’s coats and hats and Burger’s leash:
Ta-dahhhhhhh.
Why didn’t we do this months ago? Now there’s no more running around to try to locate one of Clara’s coats (which used to end up in any number of odd places since it didn’t have a designated drop spot like this).
I can even picture her little lunch box and backpack hanging up here someday. Sniffle.
And there’s still plenty of space for tucking our laundry basket in there. This tiny 3.5′ wide room (not exaggerating, that’s literally the width) is definitely a lesson in figuring out how to get the most organizational bang for our buck. Between the baskets and bins on the shelves that we built next to the washer and dryer to our low-profile shoe caddies made from recycle bins from Ikea by the door, we definitely have squeezed lots of function into this sliver of space.
So that’s another little project that I can officially check off the list, and one more item out of the playroom! Holla. What are you guys spray painting, hanging, organizing lately? Anyone else have random “Dude Get On That Already” challenge coups to share? Isn’t it funny how sometimes it’s the littlest projects that make the biggest difference? We’ve been using these hooks so much for the past few days that we have already wondered aloud several times how we ever lived without them. It’s the little things.
Psst- Sometimes you just need your mom, right? More on that over here on Young House Life.
Rebecca @ the lil house that could says
I should probably rename my blog to “Dude, Get On That Already”…6 months pregnant and just started the nursery on Sunday. Whoops.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- you probably just work best under pressure!
xo,
s
Rebecca @ the lil house that could says
Oh I definitely do! Procrastination is my middle name :)
Bryanna S says
love it! we recently hung hooks too, although our kiddo’s coat just stays in the car since you can’t have winter coats under carseat straps anyway (it isn’t safe because the looser straps to fit over the coat means in an accident the coat might compress and the child might come out of her seat, or at least suffer serious injuries such as internal decapitation) so the 20 seconds from house to car isn’t worth putting on and taking off. Our hooks are for the dog leashes and babyhawk carrier and adult coats haha.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we just grab whichever coat matches her outfit and toss it in the car with her diaper bag (or put it on her if we’re going for a walk). Good safety reminder!
xo,
s
Alli says
Did you spray any kind of poly, etc. on the coat rack? Lately I’ve been having bad luck with my spray paint endeavors unless I use poly!
YoungHouseLove says
Nah, thankfully the Rustoleum Universal stuff is amazing. Built-in primer + shiny oil-based finish = super durable. Will let you know if we have any cracking and peeling though.
xo,
s
annie says
I totally “Dude, Get On That Already”-ed my tub this weekend. Now, granted, I was also procrastinating things that I was most definitely NOT getting on already, but that is just periphery. The sitch was this . . . I had bought some new caulk awhile back, realized we did not have a caulk gun, and tossed the tub into the Bin of Whatevs. But, this weekend, as I was avoiding other things by exclaiming “the tub totally needs to be cleaned today!”, I also realized that my aged caulk lines were going nowhere – and that cleaning it would never make it quite as so-fresh-and-so-clean-clean as new caulk. So off I trotted to to pick up a caulk gun (as well as some squeeze-tube caulk). Upon my return I proceeded to rip out all our bathroom’s old caulk, then carefully, carefully, carefully, pump in the new stuff. Too bad I had not showered prior to this project (thankful for my friends!). I was so excited and proud. I totally DGOTA’d a project. And it was so worth putting off the less-fun tasks I had to do. Yay! Thanks for the inspiration.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, so glad. Congrats Annie!
xo,
s
Janet says
I found that this type of hanging works better for older children to hang towels in the bathroom too. They won’t use a rod as easily as a hook.
YoungHouseLove says
Smart!
xo,
s
Erin says
Where’d you get those cute coats? Love them both!
YoungHouseLove says
The brown checkered one is a gift from our aunt (from Macy’s I think) and the pink one is from Old Navy.
xo,
s
Ilana says
How did you get the screws to be white too?
YoungHouseLove says
Just sprayed them while they were in the coat hook bar (laid the whole thing down on a piece of cardboard and coated it all with thin and even coats).
xo,
s
KatyB says
You should call it “Dude, lets spray everything in storage white”.
I am just jealous cause I live in the Northeast where we have a spraypaint season.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- what about aubergine? Remember my little rooster friend. Haha. We’re having the most mild winter here, so it’s definitely helping my cause!
xo
s
Jenny says
My entire house is currently a “Dude, get on that already” situation. Thanks for adding some much needed motivation to get on it!
Lindsay says
So cute and I think we definitely need a pic of Clara in that hat! Might have to get one for myself haha :)
Katy @ The Non-Consumer Advocate says
I did take down our rusty bathroom light fixture and then spray paint it. It doesn’t look perfect, but it sure as heck does look 98% better!
http://thenonconsumeradvocate.com/2012/02/before-and-after-rusted-out-bathroom-light-fixture/
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! Congrats!
xo,
s
Alison says
I spray painted for the first time ever last week!! I hosted a beer tasting pub party for my boyfriend’s 30th bday, and spray painted galvanized buckets with chalkboard paint. That way I could label the buckets and erase the name of the beer that was in the bucket if we ran out or switched the beer around. It also tied in to the pub feel with the chalkboards I had hung around the house with things like the specials of the day, etc written on them. Huge success! I used all of your spray painting tips like thin layers and keep your hands moving. That made it was so easy! Thanks for the inspiration!
YoungHouseLove says
So charming! I love that idea!
xo,
s
Amy @ A New Old House says
Great idea- I never would have thought about hanging them under the window (I kind of forget about that space!)
Last week I painted & organized the stairway going to the basement… it included painting some hooks black :) http://new1790house.blogspot.com/2012/01/basement-stairway-finally-painted.html
YoungHouseLove says
Looks great!
xo,
s
Jennifer B. says
I love the use of the shower caddy! So creative!
Amy @ The Button Casa says
I bought a framed mirror with hooks a couple of years ago at a garage sale for $5. It was the best 5 bucks I’ve ever spent. We hung it next to the back door for hats, coats and our dogs leash. Perfect!
I love that you spray painted yours…it looks fab!
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds so cute! Love hearing what you guys have been up to!
xo,
s
Alissa says
Excellent! I love finding places for stuff to go to help me stay organized. I’m curious, though, why you didn’t hang the rack a smidge higher for when she gets older and has bigger coats?
YoungHouseLove says
We just held it up and hung it where it looked good, but she still has about 6-8″ below her coats, so she’d have to grow a lot for her upper body to be 6-8″ longer! We can always rehang it higher down the line though!
xo,
s
Ginny @ Goofy Monkeys says
Hooks for little jackets are so great! I put a few command hooks inside our closet for the kid jackets, it helps keep them off the floor and the girl puts the coat away on her own.
No painting recently, but soon….I have a floor lamp project thought up.
elaine says
I love this! So cute. I think mini coat racks are so adorable. And it’s so cute watching your toddler hang up their own coat and/or pick the the one they want to wear. I made one for my little guy too.
http://visualmeringue.blogspot.com/2011/06/place-to-hang-his-sir-topenhat.html
Maybe it was an excuse to hang his ridiculously adorable penguin back pack – I’ll never confirm nor deny ;)
Love your little mini projects – getting me inspired to do some ‘spring’ cleaning on this end too!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- the penguin backpack = adorable!
xo,
s
Caitlin says
Speaking as someone who writes young adult novels for a living, you can blame craziness on book stuff *forever*. It’s very convenient!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, good to know!
xo,
s
karen says
You motivated me…I have wood blinds I want to paint white. Do you recommend the spray paint? Would it work on the strings that hold the blinds together? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, if anything would work I think it would be Rustoelum Universal since it has built in primer. Although I would be careful to do super thin and even coats. It should work on the strings as long as you do it really thin. Good luck!
xo,
s
Firesparx says
We’ve been in our new house for a year and we FINALLY hung all our art, mirrors, hooks etc. We’ve had everything sitting out ready to be hung for a few months now. In my defense, we couldn’t bear to put holes in our brand-spanking new walls for the first few months. After that, we have no excuse!
Maury @ Life on Mars says
So cute! I love that it’s at her height and you can teach her to hang it up herself! Now I’m going to be a Debbie Downer and say… how sad will it be when you have to move it up because it’s too short for her?
YoungHouseLove says
I know!!! I figure we have a while until her torso is 6-8″ longer! Haha. At least I hope we do!
xo,
s
Stefanie D. says
are you going to extend your new floors into the
laundry room..
YoungHouseLove says
Yup! Cork all the way!
xo,
s
Robin says
Re: I can even picture her little lunch box and backpack hanging up here someday. Sniffle.
Awww and *chuckles* TOO CUTE!
adriane Wacker says
I love the idea of the low coat hanger. We are always trying to get the girls to put their stuff away and this would be a great solution! I think I will buy a small coat hanger today!
Marypat says
Amazing what you’ve (neatly) crammed into that tiny space! I’m trying to find a shoe solution for my newly painted front hall. Do you think the Ikea shoe/recycling bins could be spray painted? White just wouldn’t work.
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I’m not sure. I bet they could be covered with decorative paper (decoupage style) and I bet you could try Rystoleum Universal spray paint since it says it works on plastic!
xo,
s
Nan says
What type of spraypaint would you reccomend using for baby furniture/while pregnant (don’t like the smells and probably not healthy). Have you had success with something low/no voc? I think spraypaint might cover this piece better than painting. Just seeing if you have an idea. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
I woudn’t use any since spray paint has yet to go no-VOC. You could try wearing a mask but it can still off-gas which can be bad for the baby, so I’d use a no-VOC primer and paint with a non-toxic sealer like SafeCoat on top. Maybe try using a small brush to get into small cracks or something? Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Holly says
Love this! I am trying to figure out something similar for our entry way or the area where we walk in from the garage. Unfortunately, there isn’t much transition space, so I’m afraid they might look awkward and stand out like a sore thumb. Love yours! It serves as great inspiration, and it’s getting my noggin’ going. My noggin’ is complete mush by the way (and my little buddy is 3…there goes the whole blaming pregnancy…shoot!), so great inspiration like this is vital! Ha!
Awesome sauce!
Holly
http://hallelujahsbyholly.blogspot.com
Holly says
Oops. Not sure why I put the ‘ after noggin…like this noggin’. That was not awesome sauce. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- no worries. I knew what you meant!
xo,
s
Beth says
I love kid height hooks!! We have the by the front and back door! Great for backpacks and coats!
My get’er done project was finally getting hooks for the pegboard in the basement! It’s now a great place for organizing all the kids sports stuff and beach bags, life jackets, etc! Should have done it years ago!
katie says
Ah, how great is it to check something off of a list?!
And I don’t know how you guys are checking anything off a list while simultaneously doing all the book stuff. You’re machines!
Jennifer B. says
Let’s see, the last time we checked in, I had told you I made an erasable menu board and restored an antique media cabinet. Since then, I’ve:
– Decorated my mantle in V-day garb (complete with a DIY’ed “BE MINE” bunting, a conversation heart specimen art piece, a heart garland made from red napkins, & Christmas clearance candles from Target). Total cost = $10.05
– DIY’ed a bulletin board out of an old frame & cardboard wrapped in burlap. Total cost = FREE
– Made a block monogram “B” to go on said bulletin board (made from cardboard & painted a pretty teal for a color pop). Total cost = FREE
– Made a mirror from an antique window using Looking Glass spray paint from Krylon! Total cost = $22 ($15 for the window & $7 for the paint). I did some searching & this mirror from Pottery Barn is very similar to mine, only mine is an authentic antique. By DIY’ing it, I saved $167!
http://www.potterybarn.com/m/products/paned-wood-foundry-mirror/?pkey=cmirrors
Thanks for being an inspiration!
YoungHouseLove says
Holy cow, woman. You’re busy!
xo,
s
Jennifer B. says
Whoops! I also turned a glass candle holder into mercury glass! Forgot about that one. :)
Rebecca M says
Simple little organizing things like this (and like my little rack/shelf mounted on the inside of the kitchen sink cabinet door that holds my most used items) make me giddy with excitement. Ease of use…YES! No additional money spent…PERFECT!
Momcat says
Ha! It was your teeny-tiny laundry room that led me to find your fantastic blog! So I LOVE to see any updates to this particular room of yours. I too have a teeny tiny laundry room, and when I saw your stackables, I knew I had my answer as to how to re-do my room!! Now I’m just saving pennies for new machines, though I have been to the Sears outlet already & drooled all over their “cosmetic issue” stackables. Sigh… someday!!
Also hung hooks right by the back door for my son’s coats. Clara’s school backpack will only hang there through elem school; middle & high school packs are WAAAAAY too heavy to hang! omg. It’s a wonder these kids don’t all look like Quasimoto…
Christa Mae says
Yeah…
I’m gonna need to echo some previous commenters and not only request, but demand a photo of Clara in that eskimo hat. Pronto.
Thanks! :)
<3
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- we’ll have to snap one as soon as possible!
xo,
s
Christa Mae says
Oh, PS – I love that you made that coat hanger “Clara-high”. We’ve got one of those Rubbermaid storage cube systems with the canvas bins, and every day we get home and I unzip my 18-month old’s coat and say “Ok, take off your coat and put it in the box” and she does it every time. Even pushes the box back into the unit. It’s absolutely amazing :)
I kinda love her. I’m sure you couldn’t relate…
<3
Jen says
Very random question. I’ve been looking for a coral vase just like that for quite a while ago. Where did you get it?! It was one of those things that just jumped out at me!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s actually from Target a while back! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Nicole says
The fact that those coats are so miniature and adorable makes this project at least 100x more awesome in my book. Tiny coats! I can’t stand how adorable! And I am also extremely jealous of your organizational skills in such a tiny space. Just. Wow.
Deb says
love the “little” details!! In fact, my favorite quote is…”Enjoy the little things, for one day you will look back and realize they were the big things” ~Robert Brault. Whether it’s covering the edge of some new kitchen open shelving ~go John! or greeting your child every morning with a smile to let them know you are glad to see them…
Keep up the great work!!!!
Annie Swift says
Considering you are so Eco elsewhere in your lives do you not ever feel guilty using spray paint all of the time? (Please note this is not intended to cause offense, merely just of interest)
Understandably all paint/aerosols/etc contain VOCs, but as an eco-friendly family do you try your hardest to find low-VOC or no-VOC products when shopping for your supplies?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we but whatever we can in low or no-VOC. We wish they would make no-VOC spray paint – we hear it’s on the cusp of existence, just not out quite yet. Using eco stuff in other ways (no-VOC paint, eco light bulbs, recycling, buying secondhand furnishings, composting, driving one car, cloth diapering, etc) makes us feel like it’s a delicate balance. We do what we can in other areas and anxiously await no-VOC spray paint!
xo,
s
Annie Swift says
Very inspiring :) It’s obviously very hard to be completely eco, it’s nice that you guys are trying very hard to do your bit. Thank you for answering my question.
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks Annie!
xo,
s
Melissa Evans says
So cute! I love that their at Clara’s height….and like you said…on day her back pack will be close to her jacket.. Great job…gotta love those ideas, where you end up thinking : Why didn’t I do this sooner! lol :)
Wendi says
We recently hung a coat rack at kid-level for our son in our laundry room, too. He LOVES being able to hang-up his coat all by himself (he’s a totally independent 3 going on 12 year old!) I’m sure Clara will love the independence it gives her too. :)
alex says
I had a dream about you guys too! (not my first) The first one was that I had come over to help paint cabinets and was apparently doing it wrong according to John, who was freaking out about a souffle that was cooking cause Sherry was about to be home and if it was ruined she would be mad. Haha…but the recent one was you guys bought a new home and wanted to convert a room into a “wow-factor” bathroom (your words, not mine) but for whatever reason, it was a two bedroom house so you guys put Clara in a large closet that only fit her crib…ha…apparently my subconscious thinks you guys will go to great lengths for a darn nice room…even shoving your baby in a closet.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- you had me at souffle. Hilarious.
xo,
s
Dina says
Our boys are 3 and 5. We found a board in the garage and some random drawer pulls too. We painted everything and made a similar coat rack and hung it low for the boys. Now they can get their coats and put them on by themselves.
Shirley says
So awesome! The white is perfect and it’s amazing what some organizational gadgets will do. Ever since putting a small wood shoe racks and hooks in our laundry\mud room it is amazing how much more organized our lives are! Now I have to get hubs to remove the dirty orange ceramic tile (ugly) and reconfigure the laundry space (stack those suckers) and the room will be much more functional and open. Oh and paint. Sigh.
Nicole says
Looks great! I just finished a chapter of our bathroom reno, and this chapter sucked. http://mythraftylife.blogspot.com/2012/02/bathroom-reno-update-2611.html
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, man!
xo,
s
Laurie says
I love kid-height installations! We put coat hooks inside the coat closet for our two year old – she can open the door by herself and hang up her coat. Also, at the back door, there’s quite a step up into the subporch. So, we took an old cabinet pull and screwed it (vertically) to the door frame – so she has something she can grab onto and pull herself up on to clear the step (or steady herself as she steps down). It’s fun to watch!
Grace says
The coat hooks look great and are a wonderful use of space. I was just wondering, though, why you didn’t hang them a smidge higher given that you had another few inches and then Clara’s coats will still fit when she is older/bigger.
YoungHouseLove says
We have about 6-8″ under them where it’s placed now, so we figure it’ll take a while for her torso to grow that much! We can always rehang it higher, just liked it there for now.
xo,
s
Sandy says
Although it’s very cute, and I don’t mean to rain on your parade, but I see that as a hazard to Clara being poked in the eye with one of the hooks while walking around that area or poked in the head. Raising a little higher for safety reason perhaps?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no worries! It’s against the wall so she won’t be standing that close to the wall to get one in the eye (her toes would literally have to be touching the baseboards, since the hooks only stick out a few inches from the wall). She stands at arm’s reach to hang them up so her eyes aren’t anywhere near the wall – and seems to love that she can do it herself!
xo,
s
Joelle says
You guys have motivated me!
we moved 2.5 years ago, and I’ve been going through those boxes that just sit there. I’m selling stuff on ebay, and re-purposing some things too. I found a key holder that we bought in greece that is a mahogany brown color. i’m going to spray paint it hot pink or lime green, hang ribbon from the hooks, and clip on my girls barrets from the ribbon. i have twin 11 month old girls and their bows are ALL OVER the house.
Meg says
Our “dude, get on that” moment was when we FINALLY moved my huge dresser from our soon-to-be-nursery into our bedroom. Sherry’s inspired me to do one thing weekly – which is totally way more manageable for this pregnant lady!! :-) Thanks for the motivation, guys! http://megactsout.blogspot.com/2012/01/dude-get-on-that-already.html
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! Congrats!
xo
s
emily @ the happy home says
i’ve never lived in a house with a designated laundry room. chalk that one up to mom and dad loving houses that were built prior to the advent of indoor plumbing– and my current house being built in a post-ware 1950’s LA neighborhood with laundromats every 10 feet. while we have laundry in the house, it’s in the center of the kitchen. sexy, i know.
“laundry room” is #2 on my list of things my next house absolutely 100% needs.