During rest time to today, while I was tidying up a few things, I was admiring our entryway. I used to dislike our entryway, and think there was no way it could be improved, so realizing just how much I liked it today seemed like a big deal.
Living in a raised ranch (like anything else) has advantages and disadvantages. One of the disadvantages, I think, is the weird, awkward entryway. Some raised ranches have closets in the entryway, and I think then it might not be so bad, but ours has no closet, so it just felt like it didn’t function very well and sat as unusable space.
When we started attending the hybrid last year (meaning going to school outside the house two days a week), there were always backpacks and coats everywhere, and I wished that there was somewhere we could stick things as soon as we came in. Working with limited space, it took me a long time to find something that would function well and that I didn’t feel would overcrowd the tiny area.
Here’s the before:
I went back and forth on hooks, or a coat rack, or a storage bench of some sort. It took me months to finally find what I thought I wanted which was a shoe cabinet and coat rack/bench from IKEA.
So back in December we took a trip to IKEA to go check them out. An IKEA trip with three kids is not the most fun thing I’ve ever done, but we made it through and even took a trip to the beach after since our IKEA is pretty close to the beach. A beach trip in December in New England- also not the most fun thing I’ve ever done, but I’d say it was more pleasant then IKEA.
Overall, the IKEA trip was a success and soon we were assembling away! IKEA furniture assembly is the true test of a marriage folks, and I am happy to report we made it through.
Here’s the shoe cabinet. It has no back legs, so it is able to squeeze in tight and is actually attached to the wall. I love how well it fits and love that the kids can easily use it to put their shoes away as soon as they come in.
Here is the coat rack/ bench. I was nervous this might be too large, but I actually think it fits really well. It’s narrow enough that it doesn’t interfere with the door or coming up the stairs, but it still stores plenty of coats and bags. It also has space below for baskets which I have our shopping bags stored in so they are easy to grab on the way out the door, and during the winter had hats and gloves there. I was able to find the baskets at Five Below in January, which was exciting because the ones I had been looking at getting from Target were almost identical but much more expensive.
Here’s the before and after shot:
It’s been about six months since we added the shoe cabinet and coat rack and they are both still working well. I love how functional it is without feeling crowded. I’ve been on the lookout for a more colorful doormat for when the current one needs to be replaced, but I haven’t been able to find anything the right size that I like. Other then that, I think it’s perfect!