Tiny Mudroom in a Closet

**monkeywrangler71** · 02-12-2011, 09:18 PM

I have a subscription the Canadian House and Home, and this month's issue had the most adorable idea for a front closet (the closet by the door, not sure if that's what everyone calls them). I looked through their website but couldn't find any pictures online so will have to just describe it.

They had taken the door off the closet and removed the rod for hangers so it was an open nook. Then built a bench across the bottom, had some coat hooks above, and a shelf over the hooks. It reminded me of the office in a closet idea, except it was a mudroom in a closet.

Our front closet is absolutely useless, it's small and the entryway is narrow, so the door is constantly in the way. I think I'm going to do this. I'll have a bit more storage than the one in the magazine (they didn't utilize the space under the bench. It would have never occurred to me to take the door off of that closet, but I think it would be a huge improvement.

**madhen** · 02-12-2011, 09:24 PM

I did this with my bedroom closet. It was a weird little closet, in that it was literally right next to a smaller closet. I kept the smaller one, took the doors off the larger one, and it now holds my writing desk, and two shelves where I keep my jewelry and such, so I can see it as I'm getting ready for work.

Love the idea of a mud closet, but my front closet is too far in to be of use for that. Still, ideas abound for what I could do with that closet if I took the door off.....

**mauimagic** · 02-12-2011, 09:45 PM

Sounds like a great idea for that type of small space!! - and it does sound like a reasonably easy project to do!!

**MomToTwoBoys** · 02-12-2011, 11:29 PM

What about putting a hall tree in the closet? We have a front closet as well and our mudroom is basically tiled floor with a banister to the right, the closet to the left. I'd love to take the door off of ours, but we spent a ton of time without a real closet near the front door that I think I'll pass.

What we did in Calgary was we removed the shelf and the rod that was in the "closet" behind the front door. We then bought a shoe bench from Ikea and a hat rack and that worked just fine. We had a coat tree on the other side of the door because on an opposite wall from the front door, we had the alarm system and a mirror with tea lights on it.

**Trishagirl** · 02-13-2011, 06:28 PM

Sounds very neat!

**monkeywrangler71** · 02-13-2011, 06:35 PM

Found this, which is the same idea, but smaller and without the shelving up above: Make a Closet into a Mudroom | Apartment Therapy Ohdeedoh

**ravenmaniac** · 02-13-2011, 07:52 PM

That is adorable! What a fabulous idea.

**Pianolady** · 02-14-2011, 08:23 AM

This seems like a good idea but would never work for me. It would look good for a day, then everyone's coats would just get piled on the bench & I wouldn't have a door to close and hide the mess. We'd have to have somewhere else to store all our off-season coats, gloves, scarves, shoes, umbrellas, etc....and we don't.

**dcompton** · 02-14-2011, 08:39 AM

MW - scanning down the lists of posts, I read your title as "tiny mushroom in a closet"

I'm glad that's not the problem!

**madhen** · 02-14-2011, 10:51 AM

No, but a closet WOULD be a good place to farm mushrooms, if you were so inclined!

**krbshappy71** · 02-14-2011, 03:41 PM

Hmmmmm!!! Cute cute. I will be keeping the door on mine but you just pointed out a spot I can put a set of rolling drawers that have been in my way.

That mud room picture with the cushion made me immediately think, "oh my Lhasa would love to sit on that cushion if I did that!"

We do use the front closet but the door almost feels like it opens on the wrong side. The house door opens INTO the house, then the front closet, immediately to the right of you, opens INTO the house as well. So you have to come in, shut the front door, to get into the front closet to hang up your coat. 1 person, no problem, but a string of people and the first person trying to get into that closet, doesn't happen. Although the door opening into their face wouldn't work either.

Maybe the door does have to go, for efficiency. I'd likely have a curtain or something though. Beaded curtain anyone?

**monkeywrangler71** · 02-14-2011, 03:54 PM

We have a similar problem with the door - but it's that the door opens into the path of traffic. So if there is more than one person coming in at a time (and with a family of 5, there usually is) no one can get inside if someone stops to hang up their coat.

Which is why our coats usually end up on the floor