Project Laundry Room Entry Way Organization

Back to school is just around the corner {12 days, but who's counting??  This mom is!}


We enter the house every day through our miniature laundry room.  It is long and narrow and has NO STORAGE...Ugh.  Last year, I thought I had found a way to organize the backpacks, lunch boxes, papers, shoes -- you know.  All. The. Stuff.

But within weeks, I realized it just wasn't working.  If the backpacks were hung on the hooks, then you couldn't open the door.  If they were left on the floor we tripped on them.  The area for lunch boxes was on a shelf above the washer...um, my kids were in elementary school and are short!  So, that wasn't working. Getting the picture??

Fast forward to this summer.  And until my annoying well behaved dogs did this...

That is the door to the garage {that we enter through} and to repair the wall I had to remove the cabinet.  In doing so, I not only realized that there was NOTHING stored in this cabinet that we used/needed, but that the space was pretty large and would be perfect for something like this beauty

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nRO2ljnpdD4oKShwy0ozmIi1zLXYhwfxnEOJaytJPBfrJgDJTd5l40BEpGcHHWeKsvceqpiK41Ve48-t5-q-336BImADAOviKSkFmFmrYz1v9HJ2p9hWo1eawtpZNp3heOAEe25fTmF5/s1600/PICT7669.jpg

Now, I still have the lovely builder grade wire shelving in the laundry room...So I decided not to add the top cubby {but I think I can add it later, when I remove that awesome wire shelving}

Here is what happened over the next three or four days while the kids were off with the grandparents.

Base area for storage of shoes and pet supplies {the kids care for our cat and dogs so I want the supplies down where they can reach them}

Starting to look like something!!  Yay!

It fits!  Just a few finishing touches {I ran out of the trim piece and some of the nail holes need to be filled along with touch-up paint}

 Look...It works!  All loaded up with backpacks and lunch boxes.

Now, for the rest of the laundry room.  Any ideas?

 You can see how NARROW this room is.  I have a cork board to put up important paper {and cover the UGLY circuit breaker box} and that is a magnetic dry erase board leaning against the wall.  Hopefully it will be up soon.

 This is the other end of the room, looking back toward the door.  The cabinet holds the kitty's litter box and I have a bookshelf with the kids art supplies and games right next to it.  The breakfast area isn't far, and since we do art projects and play games at the table this seemed like the most likely spot.

I would love to de-clutter some more, and paint.  And add cabinets.  And make this room much more functional.  And make it bigger.   But some projects will wait, for now.

Close up on the pretty bead board and hooks,

Just very proud that this project is FINISHED!!!!!

Linking up with:

 House of Hepworths
<a href="http://www.houseofhepworths.com"><img src="http://www.houseofhepworths.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/HoHnew1.png" alt="HouseofHepworths" /></a>

Savy Southern Style
http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/