Mudroom Closet

With spring comes spring cleaning and organizing and for us that tends to mean more house projects. So get excited! There may actually be some home improvement posts in this little blog’s future!

Today it’s a small one but a valuable one- the addition of a mudroom closet.

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We got this mammoth beast from- where else? Good ol’ IKEA. I knew we wanted to get one PAX System closet for quite some time now but with so many options for drawers, shelves, and hooks on the inside, I wasn’t positive of the combination I wanted. So with Eli with Grammy, Gramps, Jared, and I popped over to IKEA to make our selections.

The woman in the closet section was super helpful. She hooked us up with a computer and I got to design away. With all the options on display, all I had to do was look around and see what kind of configuration we wanted.

And what did we end up with…

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One shelf above the hanger bar (that you can’t even see in this photo) and another half shelf with four wire drawers. These are perfect for scarves, gloves, and hats. There’s a drawer for Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby Bear.

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The hardware we chose was not IKEA. This is something we learned is key for not making your house seem like an IKEA showroom. We went with a really strong, heavy iron. It matches the anchor coat hangers we have.

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The cabinet really does look built in since it’s the same 8 foot height as the wall behind it and tucked into a corner. Our mudroom has really turned into a perfectly functional space for us.

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We even added this little message center that’s a chalkboard and a magnetic surface. It’s perfect for keeping info about Eli ready for Grammys or babysitters and walking in the door to those cute pics is almost as fun as seeing the little man himself!

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Back to the Closet

Since my hubby is away in Virginia still, I’ve been catching up on all my girly guilty pleasure TV shows like The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. That’s right- I’m not ashamed to admit it! I love Lisa Vanderpump!

Anyways, for anyone else who watches RHWBH, did you see Lisa’s closet in her new house?! It’s like her own boutique! Well, my new closet is no where near that size- nor will it be filled with designer names but you can’t blame a girl for dreaming! So here’s some inspirational pics for those of you with walk ins or at least dreaming of walk ins…

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closet 3

closet 4

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IKEA closet 2

IKEA closet

mens closet

shared closet

And finally an infamous closet… Ms. Carrie Bradshaw’s closet!

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Trapped in the Closet

That’s an R. Kelly reference just in case anyone was worried about my sexual orientation or if I was indeed physically trapped in a closet.

But moving on…

Ever since we went back to IKEA last weekend I’ve been a little obsessed with the master walk in closet. IKEA has fabulous closet organizational systems and products. Our closet measures about six feet deep and almost five feet across and like the rest of the house, has 9 foot ceilings. There is a window in the closet which is an obstacle but also makes for great light in a small space.

At our last apartment, Jared and I shared a walk in closet that was probably a little bigger than this one. Jared took up a small space of hanging shirts, suit jackets and pants as most of his clothes are folded stored in drawers. I of course took up a lot of hanging space for shirts, a small space for pants, and a decent size space for dresses and skirts. Shoes were stored in see through boxes that stacked five high and the length of the closet (don’t judge). Bags were perched a top the hanging clothes around the perimeter of the closet. There were two baskets of accessories- scarves, sunglasses, etc. and a pin board with hung necklaces.

I figure with IKEA’s system and my own personal organizational skills, we can fit all of that into our new closet. Here’s what I’m thinking…

This is the left side of the closet. This will house all my clothes & accessories.

Left Side

This is the back wall of the closet. The shelves flanking the center unit will be corner units. The one on the left will house my dresses. The right will have drawers for all Jared’s clothes and shelves for bulky sweaters. The center unit will house all Jared’s hanging clothes and shoes.

Back Side

This right side of the closet has the window. I can stack my see through shoe boxes below the window at least. Then the remaining small corner will house all my bags.

Right Side

Keep in mind, all measurements have not been figured out but in an ideal world, this will work! Here’s hoping.