Mudroom Envy

When we were looking to buy our current house, I wanted a mudroom. I really struggled with the   small entry in our former Victorian house.  We were always tripping over everything on the floor and  shoes constantly spilled out into our kitchen. There wasn't any room for a place to sit and put on shoes or a mirror to check things out on your way out the door. I desperately wanted a spacious room for coats, shoes, hockey bags, a dog bed, pet supplies etc. A place where people could pass and dress at the same time. My imaginary room looked something like these examples ...

Without further ado, here is my reality!

Angle looking in from our kitchen.

From the outside entry.

Birthday tulips!

 Initially I tried to justify putting on a little addition, to give us some space. Having three hockey players, a horse enthusiast and a large dog using the same mudroom can be challenging. In the end I had to make the best out of the limited space given. There is a separate coat closet, under a staircase, and a basement with plenty of storage for sports equipment. This house fit our needs in so many other ways that the small mudroom would have to do.

While it is always overstuffed with coats, hockey sticks and snowboards, I have done my best to make it an appealing and functional space. I am still working on a few things but I am pleased with the progress I have made. When I started the entry updates about five years ago, I didn't take any "before" pictures. This is unfortunate because, while it may not measure up to my imaginary mudroom, it has come a long way! I can only describe it to you as it being a very rough, dark, small and not so user friendly. There were basically some rough walls and everything was painted burgundy and a deep mustard yellow, including the stairs.

Bead board, built-ins, trim work, crown, paint and simple accessories really transformed this space. Its bright and is usually somewhat clean when people take the time to put their things away!  There is a basket for each of us, including our dog, Fergus, who really enjoys napping here. While white can be a challenging color to maintain in such a hard working part of our home, I am no stranger to a paint brush and don't mind doing touch ups, maybe once a year.

In the future I hope to add a creative handrail of rope going up this back staircase. It leads to my husband's office and is used quite frequently for his many trips to the kitchen for coffee!

Sources:

Wall color - Delicate White, Pittsburg Paint
Beadboard - Alexandria Mouldings
Bench baskets - Target
Runner - Target
Mirror - HomeSense
Deer - HomeSense
Boxwood wreath -Target
Jute ribbon on wreath - Michaels
Large jute bag - HomeSense
Boot tray - Amazon, sprayed black
Wall Light - Kent
Numbers on staircase - Kent
Ticking pillow - Pottery Barn
Polka dot pillow - made by me with fabric from Fabricville
Leash hook - Ikea
Key box - HomeSense
Art - Prints by Scott Lee of Newfoundland
Frames - Michaels
Coat hooks - Home Hardware
Lantern (on stairs) - Atlantic Superstore
Letters - Backyard Veranda
Tulips - Birthday gift from my sweeties