Mud Hall Makeover

If you’ve been following me for a while you know we move a lot. Right now we are in our sixth house in eight years of marriage. We plan to put this house on the market next Spring. That means it’s time to start getting the house pulled together and ready to show. As you know I need to keep it simple and with two little boys, I need spaces where I can dump the mess and still have things look nice at a moments notice.

In our house we have a little mud hall off the laundry room. It’s a great space for housing all the junk and keeping it out of the rest of the house but the problem is, it looks junky! I needed a way to glam it up while still keeping it functional.

The space has six square cubbies. I wanted to find some pretty baskets to fill them but it’s pretty difficult to find perfectly square baskets. West Elm to the rescue! I found these Braided Storage Bins which fit perfectly in the space. I love the color and they are strong enough to hold shoes, boots and other gear.

I grabbed six. We have three at the bottom and three at the top. Each boy has a basket at the bottom that holds their shoes, hats and anything else they regularly use.I use the third basket on the bottom for myself. Each boy has a basket up top too. These hold shoes and accessories that fit but are out of season. Right now it has their boots, next size up of tennis shoe, winter hats and gloves. When the time is right I just swap the baskets. Easy Peasy. My husband has the other basket up top and I don’t even ask what all he puts in there. I can tell you it’s completely full!

Once I had the baskets I wanted to make it a little prettier. The boys sit there to put on their shoes so I thought a cushion on the bench would be nice. Problem: I don’t have the time, inclination or ability to sew. That means I have to find something and make it work for my space. I figured I try the usual stores and made World Market my first stop. Jackpot! I found these lumbar pillows and they are PERFECT! Two of them side by side is just the right length. They are the perfect depth. They are mostly flat which is perfect for sitting. And best of all, the detailing on the edges is awesome! Honestly I don’t know why they are called lumbar pillows. These were made to be bench cushions!

I grabbed the throw pillow from World Market too to give the bench some dimension and a little more color. I think it looks great but honestly I’m wondering how functional it will be to have a pillow right there. What do you think? Keep it or toss it?

Love this makeover? Be sure to Follow Me on Pinterest because I’ll be sharing lots more in the coming months as we prep our house to sell. You can also check out my Room by Room board for more inspiration throughout the house.