Monday, June 27, 2011

mudroom.

Are you ready to see my birthday present?? The one that has been making me so crazy happy?? 

I love mudrooms. Really, really love them. 
Our "someday house" is going to have an awesome one. One that you walk in to, right off the backdoor. It is must for my farmhouse someday. 
So... we decided to try to turn our breakfast nook/toy room into our very own little mudroom...

These white benches are built into the corner of our breakfast nook. I love them. It's one of the many things that made me fall in love with our house. But... we never eat here. Once we had a little person in a highchair, (8 years ago) we just didn't fit well out here anymore. We always eat in the dining room. 


So the table just ended up being a catch all and looking like this most of the time. Isn't this lovely to look at when you first walk in the door? 

Miss Gretchen had also figured out that she could reach all the fun things on the table by climbing up on the benches. (The little white shoe shelf gave her just the extra step she needed to be able to climb up.) So that created a whole new mess. 

A few months ago, we took out the table. It gave us a little more room, gave us a spot to sit while tying shoes, etc. and helped (some) to eliminate the catch all pile. (Although a lot of it just moved to the benches.) We still had a coat rack for the kids' stuff and shoe boxes for Sophie and Lawson.

 I love this organizer shelf with cube boxes that I got at Target a few years ago. But the clutter and mess still spread to the other side of the toy room.

So... I drew some plans... Corey did a little building... Lawson and I did some painting... and I suddenly became crazy happy...


The kids and I each have our own cubby. (Corey gets the little coat rack right inside the backdoor. I told him I wouldn't share mine.)

I was trying really hard to not buy anything new, but reuse things we already had. Sophie and Lawson kept their shoe boxes, but I bought one for Gretchen and I. We had four purple boxes in Sophie's room, holding books and random things. I spray painted 3 of them and then stuck their Easter buckets in there, too. The initial tags were 99 cent cardboard disks at Michaels. I painted them, covered them with scrapbook paper and my neighbor, Amy D, cut out letters on her super cool Silhouette machine. (Thanks again, Amy!)

I'm thinking I need some fun, colorful pillows for the bench now!

I'm pretty sure this may be my favorite birthday present. Ever. I am LOVING them!

And... just to keep it real... in case you think it always looks this clean and organized... this is all the stuff that I had to remove from the toy room, benches and little red table before I took these pictures...

Don't go thinking we're completely clutter free...

But you can pretend it looks like this all the time. That would make me really happy.

p.s. Just pretend there is a strip of white crown molding near the ceiling. Someday... 
p.p.s If you look close, you'll see little shims wedged under the cubbies and toy shelves. Our floor out here is really sloped. 100 year old houses tend to do that. Corey is working on something a little nicer looking, but I didn't want to wait to post these. 

18 comments:

Holly said...

wow! totally impressed!!!
LOVE them!

sarajane said...

love it.

Anonymous said...

Wow, that looks awesome! I have always wanted cubbies for each of my boys. :) Love it!

Doug and Sarah said...

It looks AWESOME!! Love it!!

Aaron and Shannon said...

Looks amazing!!! I want you to come organize my house!! :)

Chad and Jody said...

such a good idea! It looks great!

Hanni said...

Wow! We are loving our new house but I have been so sad that I had to give up the two tops things on my list that I wanted in a new house.....a big laundry room and a mud room. Now I am inspired to find a way to make it work! I LOVE IT!

The Sieberts said...

LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!

Megan said...

Gorgeous!!! Oh and is green your favorite color? Because I can't tell at all! ;)

Amanda said...

so so so cute!!! I dreamed of a mudroom in the house we ALMOST got. It had a sun porch off the back door that I was going to turn into the perfect mud room/breakfast nook area. I had it all planned in my head :-( I'll just live my dreams through your house for now!

Melissa said...

Wow you have one talented hubby:) Love it! Isn't it crazy how organization can make someone so happy- yet my house is complete clutter??!!! I try- I really do- it's these 4 little people

amy said...

su-weet! that little organizery notebook where you can draw little plans must totally work. must. get. one. :o)

Toni :O) said...

Oh Amy!!! I just LOVE it!!! I'm SO jealous as we always, always wish and dream about a mud room too and I have now fallen in love with what you guys did. Just terrific! I LOVE all the colors too...you have great taste!

tonya said...

That looks GREAT!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I absolutely love it!!!!!
Mrs. B.

Jen Ekeland said...

Oh Amy! I LOVE everything about your house! You're so creative! Can you send some of that creativity my way?!

jenn said...

um. totally LOVE it!! everything looks great..i LOVE the lockers...and the red pendant light...and the chalkboard on the door...creating a mudroom is on my "to do" list - you just kicked it up a few notches on my priority list :) great job!
ps. i love your floors too! did you paint them? I can't tell...

Anonymous said...

L.O.V.E. it!!!!