So, as you can probably tell, I don't have an "entryway" in my small apartment. You open the front door and walk smack-dab into the middle of my living room. Still, with two messy toddlers and our wonderful East Coast winter weather, we really need the functionality of a mud room near our front door! This is what I came up with, and I have been really happy with it! So let me show you around: I'll start at the bottom and work my way up :)
When I first moved into my own place with the girls, I didn't have an income. I also didn't have any furniture (or, really, most any other personal belongings). So I scrounged Craigslist and yard sales for months looking for stuff to furnish my apartment. One thing I was able to pick up on Craigslist was this rug. Because it's made to be raggedy, it's perfect for our dirty shoes! Plus it has a lot of the colors I knew I wanted to use in the apartment. Easy to clean too- what more can I ask? Having a defined space for the girls to leave their shoes has been very helpful as they do more and more on their own- it's easy for me to remind them that the shoes stay on the rug to keep them from tracking mud all over the living room!
This storage bench was another Craigslist find, coming in at a whopping $10 (cue choir angels). The back piece is a little loose and some of the paint is chipped but what do I care? The back is up against the wall and I can always repaint if I feel so-inclined. But truthfully I kinda love the color, and it holds a lot of stuff! The top lifts up on hinges. Inside I have all of the girls' shoes, some of mine, and our outdoor stuff: sidewalk chalk, extra blankets, and an extra backpack. I'm a little embarrassed at how much stuff we keep on top of the bench- it has become the home for our gloves and slippers,and the drop spot for my purse- but the girls still use it to sit when they are taking their shoes on and off.
My father would like to make it very clear that he installed the last two items. He's very proud of his hanging/nailing skills, so please feel free to give him a virtual pat on the back ;)
I have one nail that hangs on the wall right next to the door where I keep my keys. I was almost suckered into buying or making one of those fancy key hangers with a bunch of nails or hooks on a cutely-painted piece of wood, and then I realized I really only have one key ring! :) It's perfect. I always know where my keys are, and they are always right there when I'm heading out.
The last part of my faux-entry is this set of wall hooks, which I found at a yard sale (tag sale? garage sale? I've moved so much I don't know what to call it anymore). Although it's not the same color as the bench, they're both solid wood so they coordinate well enough for me. We use these for coats, bags, hats, scarves, and anything else that comes through the door and isn't needed in the house. I purposefully put it up high enough that the girls can't reach it on their own- for now I like having a place to put things that I know they can't get on their own ;)
So there you have it: my entryway that isn't an entryway! You can click on the picture below to see last week's post on the other side of my door. Have a great week!
I have a similar setup, except with cubbies on the floor instead of a chest that open. The cubbies house the kids' backpacks, my purse, etc.
ReplyDeleteI wish I would've thought of that bench when we were in our last apartment. All I had was a cheap coat rack, which had to be balanced in weight or it would tip over 😊
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