#4- Tackling the Mud Room

After a bunch of small projects lately, I'm glad to finally check another project off The List. When we last left the Mudroom, I was getting into trouble with the Hubs. My simple "install more convenient hooks" project took on a life of its own when I couldn't help but patch the holes and scratches in the walls. 

Seriously though- look how nasty this wall was.  I can't be the only one that thinks that painting this wall was a good idea.

I raided our paint cupboard and found about a half gallon of extra Behr "Ashes" gray paint from the Guest Bedroom paint job. 

Oh yeah, and did I mention that I installed the hooks that I bought for 4 for $3 at Ikea?

Unfortunately, my half gallon didn't go as far as I thought it would, and I had to pause for the night to return to the Home Depot and buy another quart to finish up the project.  The Hubs was thrilled.

Here's how it looked 24 hours later, with the paint still a little wet in spots. 

I also painted this storage bench, which was the first furniture project I built entirely on my own.  It's also filled with shoes. (I put winter shoes in here in the summer, and summer in the winter.)  I have a problem.

And I could have only filled this closet half way and staged it beautifully for you, but you know I'd rather keep it real with you all.  Here's how the finished project looks today.

Before

After

Before

After

It's nearly impossible to photograph this tiny room, but I assure you that it looks 100% bigger, and 1000% cleaner.  And as a bonus, I took the small set of hooks that used to be in this room, and hung them out in the garage so we have a place to store our totes and grocery bags.

Ignore the unpainted wall patch left over from Bath Crashers.  They had to tear this wall open in order to wire electrical up to the new bathroom, and this is the closest it got to being completed.  Someday I'll paint this whole garage into my ultimate workshop, but for now, I'm happy to have a place to store my grocery bags. 

So was it worth it... well, maybe.  I mean, we've all got our own brand of crazy, but there's something pretty gross about living with someone else's dirt.  It was #4 on The List after all, and I had to tackle it eventually, so why not right now, at the beginning of what is bound to be a long and messy winter here in Minnesota.

I hope you all have a great Holiday weekend.  I'm going to take some days off to spend with my family and just relax.  (Hopefully I can figure out how.  I'm guessing some wine will help.)  Enjoy the turkey and we'll see you on Monday!