Home organization streamlines day to day tasks to make life in general feel easier. Sometimes that means organizing the junk drawer, sometimes that means taking on a small renovation. We come and go from our mudroom multiple times every day. This space also doubles as our laundry room and connects to our pantry, so there is a lot of traffic through these spaces.
I work on The Ginger Home team, so I called in Amanda and her husband to help me with the function of this space. Saying they transformed it is an under statement. Now it’s completely functional and makes leaving the house a breeze each day. Not to mention, being welcomed by this view when we come home makes me feel like a real adult lol. While living through a renovation isn’t the easiest thing in the world, the change has been so positive. The organization has removed so much of the stress out of our coming and going routine.
The pantry went from chaos to order by adding in these functional drawers. Instead of stuffing things anywhere they would fit on the old wire shelves, we now have systems in place to help keep everything where it belongs. The top shelves hold things I use in day to day cooking and baking. I hesitated to have everything taken out of the box and put into jars, but it has made tasks like baking and grocery shopping so much easier! On top of that, it’s so much prettier to look at so it’s a definite home organization win! Sometimes there are a few extra things that overflow (like those Costco sized boxes of Goldfish) and don’t have a space right away. That’s what the beautiful baskets on the top shelf are for!
The drawers below hide the not-so-pretty real life snacks and boxes. Things like granola bars, fruit snacks, and mac and cheese. We also opted to put in recycling bins on the sides. One is for household recycling and the other is for cans and bottles. There are also smaller drawers built into the top that keep things like tea towels, coffee, and other little extras out of the way. Thank you IKEA for your amazing home organization solutions!
There’s no question that the biggest transformation is the washer/dryer area. This whole space was a disaster because of the layout. When we initially moved into the house, we tried to add drawers under the appliances to create more storage. Then we put a countertop on top to keep things from falling behind or between the washer/dryer. It was such a mistake and made the space lose what minimal function it had. Removing the drawers and bringing the washer and dryer down made the whole space a lot more practical, and made use of all that space above the appliances.
The other game changer was Amanda’s suggestion to remove the broom closet. At first I didn’t get it, because, uh hello… where would we put our broom?! But she quickly pointed out that the broom was the ONLY thing this closet was holding. We were missing out on the opportunity to use the vertical space in the room for extra storage. As soon as she said it, I knew we needed to take her advice. When we started this project it was supposed to be the pantry only, but once that idea had been planted in my mind, I couldn’t resist allowing it to spill over to the mudroom too… Oops! But I can’t express enough that I have NO regrets!
Since adding in cabinetry to the right of the laundry, we have so much more practical storage. All of the cleaning supplies came out of the old pantry space and into here, leaving the new pantry space to strictly food. This change feels much safer considering we do still have young children. We didn’t lose any of the space from the old broom closet. In fact, we easily doubled and more likely even tripled what we were able to fit in it before. To add a pretty touch, we put this simple peg rail behind the door to hang go to items for daily messes.
Even though we removed some shoe storage, we have gained so much practical coat and backpack space that it more than makes up for it. We have relocated the extra shoes to the front entry closet, and what’s used daily goes under the bench that is to the left of the washer/dryer. It’s been months that we’ve lived like this now, and I can say it’s really working!
The other nice thing about the hooks on the wall is having some at an appropriate height for the kids. At first I felt like the adult hooks were going to be too high, but seeing my longer jackets hanging there with the kids’ coats and backpacks unobstructed, it’s the perfect height for both. They actually hang up their own backpacks and jackets now, where as before they would have to climb something to reach our old hooks. It’s a major mom win because it’s become a part of their routine just like it is at school. Less nagging?! I’ll take it.
The space was expertly styled by Amanda for these photos to be used on her blog. However, I can say it doesn’t look too far off from these images when we are using them day to day! Here are a couple of shots of what the space looks like when it’s truly being lived in. Not bad, right?!
Coming and going from our home has never been simpler. This small renovation was completely worth the time (thanks for nothing COVID) and budget. It may surprise you to know that this project was entirely DIY! I never could have done it without the help of The Ginger Home. Amanda has the best organization ideas. She is my go to resource for home organization. If you’d like more inspiration, make sure to check out her blog, and see the full transformation plus a cost breakdown here.
Have you ever transformed a space in your own home to be more functional? What are your best hacks for staying organized each day?
