• Week One – Small Foyer Inspiration
• Week Two – “Tile” Vinyl Floor Mats
• Week Three – Foyer Bench / Shoe Cabinet
• Week Four – Building a Mini Mudroom

I am so excited to share this build! At our old house, we had a cloakroom-type space, with shoe racks and coat hooks. That space was not directly visible from the living areas, so I did not mind it being a bit more more casual and utilitarian. I was looking for the same functionality in our new home, but I was a bit stumped by how to accomplish this with a small hallway closet that is immediately visible from the entry and living room. I researched various closet conversion ideas, but many of them seemed more casual than what I was looking for. I knew I had finally found my solution when I stumbled on the “California Mudroom” created by Jessica D’Itri Marés of Renovate 108 featured on Real Simple (below right) Can you see ours (below left) coming together? Please say “yes!”

This project involved just the right level of DIY for me – I got to work on my skills but not get too stressed. In this post, I will share the construction steps to convert a standard hall closet into a mini mudroom. I’ve been chipping away on this project for a while (because job! and kids!), and now I am excited to bring you up to speed with where I am!

Here’s how to do it:

• Remove the door and door hardware
• Use a pry bar to remove the door stop trim, so the opening looks more like a framed entry than a doorway

• Remove the hanging rod
• Patch holes – in addition to spackle and caulk, I used some craft sticks and wood glue to fill in the areas where the door hardware was attached. I’m sure that’s just what the professionals do!

• Add shelves to the top. Mine already had one shelf, and I wanted to add a second. Both shelves are supported on wide trim, mounted into the studs.
• The wide trim will be perfect for installing hooks

• Patch and caulk
• Prime all the surfaces

Now that the structure is in place, the fun begins… Actually, the building was very fun! But anyway, next up is painting, wallpaper, and accessories!

Be sure to visit the One Room Challenge page to see more home transformations!

Julie AKA “Jewels”