Young House Love

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A Modern Mudroom Makeover

When Dana and her husband Steve sent us photos of their mudroom makeover we just couldn’t wait to share the amazing eye candy. This is definitely one of those spaces that has our mouths watering! And the budget is almost too good to believe. Here’s their letter:

First of all, I love YHL. I’m very inspired by your hardwork, DIYing, financial responsibility and overall aesthetic. My husband and I, along with our 2 young boys, recently moved into our ‘forever’ home. The problem: an under-utilized, short hallway between our garage and kitchen crowded with THREE doors (garage, bathroom & closet). The solution: remove closet door, widen closet doorway and set up digs for a functional mudroom to be known as “the MODroom.” Like anyone these days, we were on a budget. The shoebench and flowered pillows were stolen from other rooms in the house where they didn’t really belong.  I painted the shoebench white (previously black with a black leather cushion) and recovered the seat with linen fabric. Once the doorway was widened, we patched a vinyl floor square after googling for a how-to. Hubby used a bolt-cutter to shorten the wire shelving that used to hang lengthwise across the closet. We chose to hang it front-to-back style (for lack of better phrasing) in the corner for everyday jackets. Handy-hubby also wired 2 recessed lights into the ceiling. The best part is that this small room is functional for our family. We take off/put on shoes there, unload backpacks and lunchboxes, and even sit things to ‘go out’ on the bench as a reminder. Oh, and did I mention we are FRUGAL?! Check out our cost breakdown below. Much love! -Dana & Steve

Mudroom RR Before

Mudroom RR After1

Mudroom RR After2

The Budget:
Shoebench- FREE (stolen from front door where it wasn’t being used)
Pillows- $8 (white rosette pillow from Meijer on clearance…had other pillows already)
Artwork- FREE (my artsy sister-in-law crafted it as a Christmas gift for me… it’s our last name “MILLER” spelled out in photos)
Hooks- $25
Shoebench fabric- $13
Baskets- $20 (on sale at Kmart)
Vinyl floor tile repair- $16
Electrical supplies- $30
Paint supplies- $40 (yes, it’s Glidden’s Gentle Tide…thanks for the inspiration!)
TOTAL: $152

Is that not an amazing mudroom- er, modroom makeover? We love how functional it is without sacrificing an inch of style. What do you guys think? Does this transformation have you drooling too? Thanks so much for sending your breathtaking photos our way Dana and Steve! Long live cheap yet oh so chic makeovers.

Update: Dana now has a blog! Stop in and see her for more info on her mudroom and other areas of her ever-changing home.

Comments

  1. Rhonda Knotts says

    I love it! It is very modern and colorful in a space that wasn’t anything but a closet. The ‘ Miller’ photo is an outstanding idea. We really need a close-up to do it the justice that it deserves. (wink)
    Love, Mom

    Reply

  2. Aliya says

    Hi Dana! I’m positively SWOONING over your makeover and am now plotting to do the same thing in our entry closet. One question: how large, approximately, was your closet before you started? Just curious. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply

  3. Jennifer says

    I am totally inspired! I have a large double door closet in my family room (yes, in the family room)and I’ve been trying to figure out how to cheaply ‘get rid’ of it since my hubby is scared to knock out the walls completely (he’s not so handy). Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  4. The Gardener's Eden says

    This is a really nice clean make-over. I think the success is the niche-design. So many mud rooms turn into cluttered entry rooms, (guilty as charged). I like this concept. It would be fantastic for yours truly, a pro-gardener in a New England “mud” state, with a ton of muck boots, sloggers, jackets and the occasional hoe to conceal. No more tripping !

    Very pretty and very inspirational. Thanx guys !

    Reply

  5. Monica says

    I am in love with this :) What a great way to transform a crammed entryway — we’re working on our first floor remodeling ideas now and i think this is an awesome idea!

    Reply

  6. Kristi says

    Any idea where the rug came from in the hall? The tan one with white “coral”?

    It’s in the bottom portion of the 2nd photo.

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Kristi,

      Dana provided some rug info above, but to save you the scroll time we’ve cut and pasted it right here:

      The rug is from naturalarearugs.com and was on clearance at $16!!! It is an indoor/outdoor rug so cleaning is easy, I just hose it off. It has always been there, so that’s why I didn’t include it in the budget/item list. Hope this helps!

      xo,
      s

  9. Meg says

    I love Gentle Tide! How do you think it would look in a bathroom?? The hubs and I are in need of a bathroom transformation!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Meg,

      Gentle Tide would even look great in a garage. Seriously, it’s amazing anywhere ya put it. Some Home Depots don’t carry the paint swatch on the wall anymore but they should be able to look up the formula on the computer so they can whip up a can on demand. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  10. Dana Miller says

    Hey there! Thought I could address a few more questions that have popped up.

    The flowered pillow covers were purchased from Etsy (love that site!). I think they were $25 for both. They were previously sitting in our sunroom but it’s kinda got a greener color scheme going on in there so we pulled them to use in the mudroom.

    The wall color used outside the mudroom is Valspar (Lowe’s) Bonsai. We have it throughout the house and absolutely LOVE it. It is a warm gray with green undertones and changes throughout the day as different lights pass over it. Looks great with white, black, browns, camels, greens and aquas.

    Yes, my husband widened the doorway himself using a drywall handsaw and reciprocating saw. He also tied in the recessed lighting to the hall light so they all turn on together providing more light in a dark space. No, he’s not an electrician but can pretty much do anything! We did make sure to shut off all power to that area of the house while the electrical work was being done.

    The closet/mudroom measures 67 inches wide and 23 inches deep. The original doorway was widened about 6 inches and now measures 39 inches wide.

    Steve’s sister made the “MILLER” wall art. She’s a museum curator so her gifts are always handcrafted. The photos were taken in Cincinnati where she works. I believe she even cut the mat by hand to save on framing costs. Due to some PC problems, I’m not able to provide a closeup at this time. Maybe later…sorry.

    Thanks for all the feedback!
    Dana & Steve

    Reply

  12. Kristi says

    Sherry, Thanks for the head’s up on the rug!

    I didn’t see her info on it! That looks like a great site. Can’t wait to explore it!

    -Kristi

    Reply

  17. Lissett says

    You guys rock!!!
    Can’t get enough of your site, man! Just wish I could afford to hire you to do my WHOLE house, love your style!!
    Thanks so much for the great closet/mud room reno, been looking for something JUST like this for a while now. Trying to convince hubby to do the work, CROSS your fingers for me…lol
    Lissett ;-)

    Reply

  18. Davida says

    I like it! I stumbled across this idea completely by accident but I’m seriously considering doing it now. Our family room “coat closet” is ridiculously small with an inefficient configuration. Push in the vacuum and hang a few coats and it’s full. Then I have kids’ shoes, jackets, scarves, hats, swim goggles, etc. scattered all over the first floor. I think if I house the vacuum somewhere else then this idea might work perfectly for corralling the rest of it.

    Reply

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