Hall Closet Turned Mini-Mudroom

Farmhouseblooms.com
by Farmhouseblooms.com
I am so excited to share our hall closet transformation with you! Before we were lacking a designated place for coats, hats, gloves, and bags. I had seen on Pinterest, people transforming there ordinary hall closets into extraordinary, and knew this would be the answer to my mudroom prayers! Now, we have a place for everything in a hall closet that wasn't meeting all its potential!
I started by going through everything that was in the closet. There wasn't much so it was fast and easy. Before, I put some cubbies I had used in college for baby items like burp cloths, swaddles, etc. We are far passed that stage, and quickly found there wasn't much in the closet we were even using! I set aside items that I for sure wanted to go back in the closet and then got to drawing up how to make this closet as efficient as possible.
There were three things we knew wanted in this new space:
1. A Durable Bench – A place for the boys to sit and put their shoes, coats, gloves on.
2. Designated Cubbies – So everything has a place. Especially, shoes. We need shoe access to be really easy. Not only for putting shoes on, but also putting them away. All of these inspirational mudrooms, have a designated spot for common items.
3. Hooks – Remove the old clothes pole and add hooks. Hooks are more practical because they can hold so much more than just clothes!
Once we had a clear idea of what we wanted from this closet, I removed the clothes pole and gave everything a really good cleaning. Once it was clean and cleared out we got to the fun part! We kept the existing shelf and simply added a matching one. I wanted the extra storage and thought it was the perfect area for small winter or summer items. Next, we added a strip of primed 1 x 2 to give the hooks extra support and match the existing 1 x 2.
Once we knew the height the hooks would hang at, we built and installed a really basic bench. The bench is the perfect place for our little ones to sit to put on their coats, mittens, hats, and shoes. I love that now they have a designated place to do this! We made sure the bench was really sturdy, because we are predicting two little boys standing on it at the same time!
After we were done installing everything, it was time to paint. I wanted to use paint we had leftover from other rooms in our house, and ended up going with Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray in eggshell. It lightens up this space but also contrasts the shelves and bench. Next, I gave the shelves, trim, and bench three coats of Benjamin Moore White Dove in satin. It is the same paint that we used on the staircase and has held up really well so hopefully the same goes for in the closet! Once everything was dry we added the hooks. We wrapped the hooks all the way around the closet, to use as much space as possible. The side hooks will be perfect for my diaper bag and reusable shopping bags.
Prior to installing the bench, I found the seagrass baskets (at Target) that I wanted to use and made sure they would fit under the bench. They are perfect for holding the boys' shoes, mittens, hats, and so much more. For the top shelf, I found coordinating baskets to keep the whole closet cohesive and practical. The round baskets have extra diapers and wipes for when we are downstairs, and the boys' snow pants. An old crate in the new shelving acts as a catch-all. Lastly, we added a simple motion censored light to this previously dark closet as well. It makes all the difference!
For a complete list of sources and more details and photos on this hall closet transformation visit me at http://www.raisingrustic.com/hall-closet-transformation/.
BEFORE
Closet in action
Seagrass baskets under bench
Seagrass baskets in upper shelving
Farmhouseblooms.com
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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3 of 8 comments
  • Jcourtney Jcourtney on Feb 22, 2017
    Great idea, I have always had a huge problem with jackets and coats sliding off the hangers and ending up as a pile on the floor, this is much better and gives more space.
  • Nicki Redekop Nicki Redekop on Aug 05, 2017

    Love this idea!

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