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When we moved into our new construction home, I knew there was still a lot of work to be done! I know that sounds crazy, but we wanted to take the time after move-in to make our home truly custom to our family’s needs and aesthetic. We also wanted to live in the home for a bit to see what was needed to increase functionality. Our builder was wonderful and did offer semi-custom options during the build, but didn’t quite provide as many cozy, warm, Nancy Meyers-esque touches as I hoped to have in our home! One of the first things I noticed truly leaving a gaping hole in my family’s ease of life was entry storage. As a mom of two littles, this needed to be addressed ASAP!
Storage Needed
We are an “enter through the garage 99% of the time” family and my kids were just throwing their shoes and belongings on the floor of the mudroom because there was nowhere to put them. Digging through a pile on the floor every time we wanted to leave the house was not ideal. Since this is the first space in our home we see majority of the time, both form & function were part of my goal.
Sure, we had a coat closet, but have you ever actually seen a 3-year-old open a closet door and put a coat on a hanger? I have not. I was not. I had, however, seen my 3-year-old hang her coat and backpack in her school cubby daily. Ding ding ding! Her organization success story was her school cubby, so I set out to design the perfect at-home situation for us that would yield similar results.
Our Must-Haves:
The Thought Process (The “Function” Phase)
Now that I had a general plan for what we needed, I got to work planning how to best utilize this small space to meet these needs. It is just 51″ wide! We have 10ft. ceilings so I knew there was vertical space to be used for non-daily items. I also knew that having doors to hide away the clutter was an absolute must for me. I have two daughters: one in preschool and the other in kindergarten. They currently do have backpacks, school papers, library books, etc., but I also wanted to plan ahead for when they are older and have more activities. Again, it’s a tight space, so the first major decision to be made was if I should just do TWO larger lockers to be able to fit potential sports/musical equipment in the future, or do THREE lockers so they could each have one + one for my and my husband’s belongings. I did a quick question box on Instagram and moms with older kids resoundingly weighed in: Skip the sports storage! Does this surprise you? The reason, once you hear it, will not: The equipment is smelly and dirty–keep it in the garage! This was a relief to me because I felt confident with my gut decision to do three lockers and I was going to get ample personal storage as well.
For the kids’ lockers, I needed them to have a coat hook, a backpack hook, shelves for their endless bags of random “treasures” (IYKYK), and a designated space for important school paperwork and library books. I just love the custom pullout tray for this! I haven’t added them yet, but I’m also going to add these acrylic hanging folders to the inside of their doors. This isn’t all that necessary for us yet, but I know it will be as they need papers signed, schedules shared, etc.
The most important needs for the adult locker were mail storage and package return storage. Yes, I place my purse in here as well and my husband stores his work bag, but I needed somewhere to stow away the visual clutter that inevitably wound up on the kitchen island and dining room table. I had our carpenter create these custom mailbox slots and this system now works like a dream!
The Aesthetic (The “Form” Phase)
From the initial design phase, I knew I was going to do a “locker style” cabinet storage system (as opposed to cubby style) because visual clutter overwhelms me. I wanted to be able to close the doors and hide it all away. I also strategically placed my daughters’ cabinets farthest away from one another so they could open them at the same time to get ready to head out the door! Our mudroom space is a bit interesting because we also have a coat closet directly next to the lockers. I even contemplated ripping out the closet and making one long wall of cabinets, but ultimately decided we actually need the coat storage for guests and larger items. In order to avoid our cabinets looking too similar to the plain closet doors, I asked our carpenter to create this pretty cut out design! He hand cut them. I think the extra detail elevates them and really gives that custom feel.
Choosing the hardware for the built-ins was so much fun and truly felt like I was adding the jewelry as the finishing touch! I knew exactly what I wanted and was so excited to partner with Tradition Hardware (Code: MOLLY10) to complete this project. I chose to use unlacquered polished brass for the hardware because I love how this finish ages and patinas over time. I chose the 4″ Cygnet cup pulls for a timeless, New England vibe on the drawers. I chose the ball knob, standard size for its simplicity for our small top cabinets. Note: They also have custom backplates that can be added and look fantastic with the ball knob! Lastly, I chose the 12″ Deseret pull for the full size cabinets. These are real showstoppers! I generally try to stick with the visual “rule of thirds” when it comes to design, so the cutout design in the cabinets actually helped me in the pull placement scenario, too! Rather than measuring from the top of the locker (and dividing that into thirds), I measured from the bottom of the cutout to the bottom of the locker. This meant that there was technically a design principle applied that made sense AND my kids could actually reach their handles! Form and function. Disclosure: Tradition Hardware has graciously given me a discount code for you to use: MOLLY10. #paidlink
Finishing Touches
In addition to choosing pretty hardware for the built-ins, I upgraded our builder-grade doorknobs on our coat closet. I choose the Merrimack Lever in French Antique with a Rectangular Rosette, by Emtek. These are actually a different finish than the built-ins because they are consistent with the doorknobs in the rest of our downstairs.
The final “big impact” project in the mudroom was wallpaper! I chose this lovely, classic style by Sandberg. From a distance, you can barely see the subtle pattern. I really wanted something simple, cozy and inviting for this space. Further, I didn’t want anything that was going to compete with the plaid wallpaper on the ceiling in an adjacent room. To me, this is the perfect wallpaper that just feels like home.
In Conclusion
This mudroom project is proof that even small spaces in your home can have a big impact! We increased both form & function in this space and now our family thrives with organization as a result.
