How to Create a Mini Mudroom
Moving into a “new to you” home always comes with some give and take. For instance, you may have left a home that had a large mudroom for a house without one, but one that has a large powder room in it’s place.
Or in a previous house, you may have had a dining room… the new one does not, but the new home makes up for the lack of a dining room in so many other ways… like a wrap around deck with lots of tables and seating with a lake view. :-)
I lived in a house with a large mudroom for 22 years and now that I live in a house where there isn’t one, I realize just how much I took the space for granted. It was such a great place to hold, organize and store things that you need as you come and go from the house.
Until last week, Ed and I were bringing our jackets, bags and other little bits and bobs inside and placing them on the kitchen counter. The counter became a clutter magnet and the in/out stuff was taking up precious room for kitchen items that belong on the counter.
I used to have a place for all this kind of stuff… remember this piece of trash to treasure piece of furniture? I needed something like it or to find a place that we could use like a coat closet, but more of a depository for items like umbrellas, gloves, sunglasses, mail to go out, merchandise returns that come and go out of the house every time we exit and enter.
I had to figure out how to create a mudroom, but not a large one, but a mini-mudroom in the empty space right by the entryway in the garage. The space called out to me… and I figured out a way to turn the un-used corner into a mini-mudroom.
I shared how I first painted the space in my last post.
Here is what I added to create a mini-mudroom in our garage.
To make it happen, I bought a ClosetMaid 6-Cube Cubeical Stackable Storage Organizer. Do you have one of these in your home? They come in many different sizes and configurations. I bought the 6-Cube Cubical since it was the only one that would fit in the space.
I assembled it and Ed helped me attach it to the newly painted wall. ClosetMaid sells colorful fabric storage cubes that fit perfectly into each square in the Cubeical, but I decided to use 6 storage baskets that I love and already had.
Two shelf and rod brackets and a dowel and I now have a mudroom. Although it is a mini-mudroom, it does it’s job to help organize stuff in an attractive and functional way.
How to Build a Mini Mudroom in a Garage
supplies needed:
To assemble a Cubical:
- ClosetMaid 6-Cube Cubeicals Storage Organizer
- Phillips-head screwdriver
- Mallet
To hang Cubical on a wall:
- 4- 3″ angle irons and 3/4″ wood screws
- 2 Closet Rod and Shelf Brackets and 4 – 3/4″ wood screws
- 1 – 1-1/4″ diameter wood dowel and 4 – 1/2″ wood screws
- White spray primer/paint to paint dowel
- Phillips head screwdriver
- Drill and drill bit to match the size of wood screws
- Bubble level
- Pencil
- 12″ – 1 x 2 piece of wood
- Optional: E-Z Wall Anchors if your screws won’t be going into wall studs
To assemble the Cubical, follow directions that are included in the box.
They are illustrated and easy to follow. It took me about 30 minutes to assemble the unit from start to finish.
How to Hang a Closetmaid Cubeical
Use a stud finder to find where the studs are in your wall. If studs are not where you need them to be to, you will need to use E-Z Wall Anchors and the screws they come with to attach the Cubeical to the wall securely.
Cut dowel to 23″ long, spray paint white.
- With a pencil, mark on the wall where you want the Cubeical to hang. Figure out the center point and where the bottom edge will be and use a level to make a level line on the wall.
2. Center the 1″ x 2″ on wall. Using long wood screws attach the top edge of the 1″ x 2″ along the level line you drew.
3. Use wood screws to attach the shelf and rod brackets 22-1/2″ apart so that the top edge of each is level with the top of the 1″ x 2″ piece of wood.
4. Have someone hold up the assembled Cubeical so the bottom edge is resting on the 1″ x 2″ and mark placement for angle irons. I used one for each corner of the Cubeical.
5. Remove the Cubeical and attach the angle irons to the wall, using EZ Wall Anchors if needed.
6. Place Cubical back up on wall and use wood screws to attach the Cubeical to the angle irons.
7. Place dowel in rod holder and use wood screws through the screw holes in the brackets to secure it
Place hangers on rod and baskets in each cube. At first, I left the dowel unpainted, but then…
…I painted it white to coordinate with the rest of the organizer.
Now all the stuff that was cluttering the kitchen counter has a place to come and go in organized style.
It looks so much better than passing by trash cans every time we enter or leave the house.
If you would like to see another organizing idea using a 6-Cube Cubeical, check out how I made this cart. You can find the post and tutorial here – Zoom Zoom Zoom…My Crafts Cart on Wheels
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