I'm not sure why every house built in New England doesn't have a mudroom... or every house everywhere for that matter, but apparently when we bought our house it wasn't too much of a concern for us. The past year, however, I have spent a total of maybe 10 hours picking up coats, shoes, and backpacks off of my kitchen floor. Not wanting to spend $10,000 on a 10x10 mudroom addition, I had to come up with a solution. In our dining room there was a perfect sized alcove to build a mudroom. I searched through google images for "mudroom ideas" to get inspired. Here are a few that I liked:
I really liked this one, but I felt like it was too open. I knew that once our stuff was in there it would look no neater than an open closet. YIKES!
DuraSupreme Cabinetry {Boot Bench and Lockers shown with "Monterey" door style in Quarter-Sawn Red Oak with Black painted finish. Beadboard back is Maple with Buttercream/Espresso Glaze finish.}
I absolutely fell in LOVE with this one! I really liked that the mess of coats would be hidden and the drawers were perfect for a couple pairs of shoes for each of us. The only bummer was that I really wanted a bench part for the kids to sit on while they put their shoes on.
I decided I would check out IKEA's "as-is" section to scope out some deals. I found a bookshelf and a T.V. stand that looked like they could do the job.
The finish wasn't what I was looking for, but I don't mind painting. Of course it took me an hour to finagle it all into my car, but for a total of $80- worth the hassle!
Upon getting them home I realized the pieces side by side were too big and hung beyond the wall of the alcove by a good 6 inches. (The one time I didn't bring my measurements with me on paper!) Lucky for me Hubs is so handy with a saw! We wound up removing the legs from the T.V. stand and cutting the bottom off of the bookcase and securing it to the top of the stand, creating a nice little nook in the alcove. A little paint and wainscotting from Home Depot and it was looking great! I went back to IKEA for a door. I found one in the "as-is" section for $5. It was a full length door that I cut down halfway so there were cubbies on top for baskets. Because the manufactured bores for the hinges no longer lined up, I had no choice but to pop regular old hinges on it. They're really holding up though!
Hubs put a closet pole on the inside, leaving just enough room for coats with a shelf on top for my purse and the diaper bag.
I'm definitely happy with the project. I have no illusions that it will solve the "coats on the kitchen floor" issue, but at least they have a home now.