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Category Archives: Mudroom

Mudroom Makeover Brings a Welcome Change

11 Monday Jun 2012

Posted by SOF in Before & After, Mudroom

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Mudroom Makeover, nautical decor, organization

I have a confession to make. This is what my mudroom has looked like for…well, let’s just say waaaay too long. Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a travesty if it wasn’t the main entrance people use to my house. I remember when we bought our house five years ago that I was so excited to have such a large mudroom, but then suddenly it became so small. It was small because it became cluttered with every item that entered our house. The jackets that didn’t get changed over properly from one season to the next, the hand-me-downs that were dropped off and the ones that I’d compiled to hand over to the next kid, the tote bags for the grocery store, and just about every other thing you can imagine would come into a house with two small children. It had gotten completely out of control! I finally reached my wit’s end and voila, we have a majorly re-worked mudroom that I now love to look at when I enter the house!

I started by going back to basics. We emptied the space completely and took down all of the shelving. Good news, it really is a decent size space! Then we painted the wood paneling Benjamin Moore Simply White (using the kitchen and bath paint because we live near the water and this room experiences the dampness that goes with that). This turned into a little bit more of a production than I intended, but once you start scraping a little bit of paint, it makes sense to go all the way so all the doors and windows got a makeover too.

I brought in the two chairs that I found at Brimfield last month, and actually their wood coloring and imperfections are what inspired me to go full speed ahead with a nautical mudroom (well, there’s probably a good chance I would have anyway with my track record, but they made the vision clear). I added a wire basket from Marshall’s to gather the kids’ shoes in. Then we hung a series of eight cleats that we picked up at the local ship supply store to hang our severely edited collection of coats (we actually do have two coat closets in the house!) and bags on.

They offer a perfect spot to display our favorite Sea Bags while also making them handy to grab as we’re heading out the door!

I had also picked up some used nautical rope when we were at the consignment ship supply store. You can easily find it new as well, but I like the vintage effect it adds, particularly since the chairs are vintage. I didn’t really have a plan for it and was actually envisioning using it in the garden, but it became obvious that the perfect spot to use it was going to be in this space. I thought about just winding it across the upper molding, but then I decided that spelling out a little welcome to our guests would be more fun and so I created this “ahoy” message for all to see when they walk in the door, and I added a little anchor stencil to ground it better in the space.

It only seemed logical that we post a farewell message on the opposite wall where people exit the house and while “fair winds” might have been slightly more appropriate, my husband and I both preferred the sound and the look of “bon voyage” to send our guests off with well wishes. And because I was able to scoop up so much rope at such a great price I even had enough to create a rope border along the molding around the entire space.

It so much nicer to walk into this bright and fresh space, and perhaps the most unexpected benefit of this makeover is the new view I have from the kitchen when I glance out the door. It’s so much more refreshing to see this space than the mess that once was.

There are of course still several more things we’d like to do in here. I hate the textured tile that is also in our kitchen and catches every bit of dirt (less than ideal for a mudroom). We’re also incredibly tempted to open that awful tiled ceiling up, but while we hope we’d find some nice beams, there’s a good chance that it’s just a mess that we’d have to fix and seeing as it took us this long just to tackle the mudroom at all, I think we’d better wait until we can tackle any problems that arise with that job.

But at least I’ve knocked one more think off my very long to-do list!

If you liked this post on my house, you might like these:
Sneak Peak: Nautical Stripe Staircase
Let There Be Light…at Last!
DIY Headboard and Duvet Cover

Chic Finds for All Ages from Land of Nod

15 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by SOF in Accessories, bedding, Bedroom, Furniture, Kids, lighting, Living Room, Mudroom, Outdoor, rugs, textiles

≈ 5 Comments

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Kid's beds, kid's storage solutions

Many of you who have children are probably familiar with the fun and stylish kids’ catalog Land of Nod. But as I was perusing the catalog at the palace of catalogs (a.k.a. Pamela’s house) so many things caught my eye for more than just the kid spaces in my home. To start these chevron baskets come in bright and bold colors to add a pop to any room and come in a set of three nesting baskets. I love baskets with tops so that you can really hide things away.

I also am loving these Canvas Mega Sorters. Last week at Brimfield I found a vintage canvas mail bin that I thought would be great for mudroom storage, but I didn’t buy it and ever since I’ve been obsessed with finding something else that would fit the bill. With three storage compartments this will allow me to separate my son’s, daughter’s, and husband’s hats, mittens, shoes, and whatever else they keep in the mudroom. And at $25 it’s even more irresistible. The big question is should I get it in navy or orange?

Also, in the basket category are these great looking Load Bearing Storage Baskets and Hampers.

turquoise bed

I love the Jenny Lind style beds and in this turquoise color they are just fabulous! It also comes in white and raspberry in both twin and full sizes. This bed is perfect for a beach house guest room!

yellow bedding

The Animales Grafico Bedding would make quite a statement on the turquoise bed, but it would also be great for just about any other bedroom in the house too.

colored poufs/stools

The Tuffet Seater is woven around a metal frame and can be used indoors or out. It would be great stacked on the patio for extra seating.

And for a little bit of glamor, these hanging mirrors are perfect for a powder room, entry, or bedroom.

The Squares to Spare Lamp adds a touch of modern chic to any room in the house…and comes with a rainbow of shade options to really customize your look.

And don’t forget to put something stylish underfoot like the 100% cotton Magic Carpet Rug.

So the next time you’re looking for some fun and colorful decor items (that also happen to be really affordable) consider turning to Land of Nod for big design even though it’s geared towards our littlest inhabitants.

If you like this post, then you might like these:
Mason Jar Art Nook
Hang in There!  Alessi’s Gianni A Little Man Holding on Tight
Our Picks for Pottery Barn’s Best of Summer 2012

Organize 2012: Sort, Stack, and Store

17 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by PEY in Bedroom, Before & After, Mudroom

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Ikea, Land of Nod, New Year's Resolution, organize, Pottery Barn Kids, Skubb boxes, The Container Store

New Year’s resolutions are made and then broken more often than not.  The trend seems to be to make less “I will do . . ” or “I will not do . . .” resolutions and more “I will be . . .” or “I will strive to . . . ” statements.  So not punitive, rather motivational resolutions.  To that end, 2012 will be the year I improve the organization in my house so that I am ready for anything.

There are so many good reasons to get organized:  ”don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today”; maybe you’re searching the world for a new job and need to be ready to move at a moments notice; or you’d like to move to a space more suited to your style.  (I fall into the last category.)  While I suspect professional organizers have a closed door to an unorganized space in their home, they do have an advantage over us amateurs;  they know how to prioritize and put useful daily systems in place.  They also know how to create space where there is none to be found!

It would be terrific if there was a way to get organized in a weekend, but for most, like me, it will be a step here and a step there.  You’ve seen how I reworked my recycling area and my solution for holiday cards, so now I’m onto the very courant issue of my scarves.  Amidst winter in the northeast there are piles of scarves, coats and gloves everywhere, and I need a solution.

There are many great shops that have organizational tools such as Ikea and The Container Store, but also consider children’s shops such as Land of Nod and Pottery Barn Kids because there are numerous, colorful, and inexpensive storage options.  The Skubb boxes above are marketed for shoes, but are also the perfect size for my scarves.  The boxes are small enough to stack in my closet and the transparent front flap allows me to see the contents.  Since my collection is quite extensive I organized it by color.

Hope this inspires you to tackle a pile…or two!

Laura Megroz Pillows and Rugs

11 Wednesday Aug 2010

Posted by SOF in Accessories, Flooring, Mudroom, pillows, rugs, textiles

≈ 2 Comments

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Laura Megroz, pillows, rugs

It seems that every store I walked into in Rhode Island this summer is loaded with pillows and rugs by artist Laura Megroz. And I suppose it’s for a good reason. Her designs are charming and fit in very well with the coastal lifestyle that people in this part of the country enjoy.

Megroz has many designs that don’t follow a coastal theme, but does tend to design for popular vacation destinations whether it be a camp in the Adirondacks or the shores of New England.

Her pieces would be great when used as an accent rug in a kitchen or entry or a pillow in a corner chair or on a bed. I couldn’t help but to include the black lab pillow below since I have a black lab mix and a boat about that size, the “Toy Boat” we call it. Now if only she weren’t afraid of the water.

Because these pillows and rugs are hooked, they tend to lend themselves to a little bit of a country feel so I wouldn’t go overboard with putting them in every room in the house, unless of course you really love the country look. I, of course, would generally recommend not going overboard with any sort of theme, but a piece of her work here and there is sure to put a smile on your face.

Rainy Day Boot Tray

26 Friday Mar 2010

Posted by SOF in Mudroom

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boot tray, Martha Stewart, Mudroom, Wellies

Another rainy day here in the Northeast, and we’re still a week away from April showers. I think a good boot tray is going to be important this year (and of course a good pair of wellies) like this one by Martha Stewart. Now if they would just make one in dog bed size so my pup could drip dry those paws before running through the house.

Everything In Its Place

04 Monday Jan 2010

Posted by SOF in Bedroom, Inspiration, Mudroom

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California Closets, closets, Martha Stewart, Mudroom, New Year's Resolution, organization

With the wonder of the holidays also comes the “stuff” that arrived under the tree and slowly begins to overtake the house. Maybe I should re-phrase that as the “new stuff” that you have to find a place for in addition to the “old stuff” that still isn’t where you want it. At least that is the story in my house with two little ones who love to sprinkle the living room with toys, plus my own inability to come to terms with the fact that we’ve lived in our house for 2 1/2 years now and those built ins and pantry I’ve been dreaming of since day 1 aren’t going to get built any time soon so it’s time to find a different home for all those books and platters that are still in boxes. Enter my 2010 New Year’s resolution: A place for everything and everything in its place! I feel like if I can follow this, everything else will fall into place because my mind won’t be so cluttered by all the clutter surrounding me. While I’ve made progress I thought I’d scour for some more inspiration, and here’s what I found. Hopefully this inspires you all too whether you’re looking for a new place for your paper clips or need to completely overhaul your closet.

Martha Stewart creates a mini-office in a faux armoire.
Not only do I covet the the idea of having so many shoes, but also that they would all be as organized as Mariah Carey’s in this fabulous closet (featured in In Style).

Wouldn’t it be nice to not have to dig through the linen closet to find just what you’re looking for? (California Closets)

I must say that our garage is very organized thanks to my husband, but this Martha Stewart peg system still gives us something to aspire too.Martha even has every little garden tool in its place. This is what I’m talking about when I say “get organized”.

Daring to dream. I don’t have the space for a playroom system quite this large from Pottery Barn Kids without it taking over my living room, however, it can still inspire. A basket for everything and flat art boxes for your budding artists work.Seriously, I love this idea…miniature drawers labeled with chalkboard fronts for even your smallest items. Thank you again Martha!

And wouldn’t it be nice if it started the moment we each walked in the door (Coastal Living). It is only Jan. 4th and I have only taken some small steps so far, but I’m thinking this is doable and will post my storage solutions once they are in place.

HAPPY 2010!

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