Our Mudroom

when you come to our house, the mudroom is the first room to greet you.  we made a few small adjustments to this room when we moved in, but kept much of it the same.  the tile was already installed, but the grout was looking very dingy and dirty.  i ended up painting the grout using grout paint and it is still looking great.

the tile had originally continued up the stairs into the kitchen.  we had wood floors installed before moving in and included the stairs as the tile was in pretty bad condition.  the wood on the back of the stairs was installed vertically and always reminded me of paneling.  i decided to try painting them white.  it always amazes how such a simple change can make such a big impact.

we added some simple and functional decor-hooks for bags and leashes, baskets for all the hats and mittens, a boot tray for those muddy and snowy boots, and of course a mirror that collects all our keys.

our door was in desperate need of a paint job.  there is just something about a black door!  the rugs are the perfect mudroom rug-nonslip backing, machine washable, dark color, and inexpensive.  thank you target!

if you are lucky enough to have a 100 pound dog, you know how much space their beds can take up.  i usually ended up shoving it in the closet haphazardly when company would come over since it overtook our entryway.  i had this great idea to have a custom bench built under the shelf where his bed could sit undisturbed...then i came across a vintage chair that seemed like a much better idea.  but what would i do with the bed?  i decided to try putting it in our closet, unsure of how the dog would feel about this.  it turns out, he loves the coziness and i love being able to shut the door each morning and never have to see his bed.  i even made him a custom bed so it would fit perfectly.  i think it is safe to say he will be sleeping in a closet for the rest of his years.