Closet to Mudroom Makeover - Part 2

Here is the finished "mudroom":

The process:

1. We removed the doors and rail.  They come off really easily!  We saved them (and the original shelf) in case future homeowners want the closet back.

2. I cleaned and painted the walls with left over paint that matches some of our rooms.

3. Chris removed some of the baseboards to make the furniture fit better.

4. After searching for IKEA pieces would fit the best, I chose:
- BENNO TV stand for the bench
- BESTA shelf unit with a door and an add-on shelf extension for the vertical storage
- 2 LACK shelves for the overhead storage - they were a little too long, so we cut them down to size
*Note - now that we've been using this for awhile, I'd say the Benno only really fits a few pairs of adult shoes.  It makes a great bench but the storage capasity isn't huge so you'll need an extra area somewhere for shoe storage.

5. We replaced the light fixture with a nicer one we already had in another room.

8.  We had left over bead board from another project that was just barely the correct size.  I painted it and we installed it behind the bench area.  We attached some hooks for coats/jackets.

9.  We attached the Lacks/shelves (which Chris cut down to size).  He had to reinforce them with wood scraps since there is cardboard inside (that's IKEA for you!).  We added brackets for extra support.

10. Chris reattached the pieces of baseboardsafter he cut them.

11. Chris attached handles to the drawers and door.

12. I bought a foam pieces, batting, and fabric and made a cushion.  Ideally we would have upholstered a piece of wood (just like this tutorial) but we got cheap : )

13. I purchased some baskets from Hobby Lobby for storage that fit in the shelving units (I brought the shelf measurements to the store to buy the correct size and amount of baskets).  There is room for more baskets/storage, but I wanted to wait and see what our needs would be.

14. I replaced our mail/key holder from our other drop station.  I stil plan to add a nice looking cork/white board for notes to the other wall at some point.

The total cost for the project was about $425 (furniture/shelves = $270, baskets = $100 (sheesh!), hardware = $25, cushion supplies = $30) and about a full weekend's worth of work (unless you take your time...then it will take a month like us).  We actually now have technically less storage space but it is WAY more organized and useful. Everything we need to leave the house is ready for us and easily accessible.  No more shoes all over the floor!  Also, now we can sit on the bench rather than on the stairs (with the baby gate in the way) to put shoes on!

Before:

After: