This is the second post in a series I’m devoting to all things closets. {You can see the first here.} Since downsizing and adding another person to our family, the majority of questions I receive have to do with how we edit / where we keep our belongings. Today, I’m sharing one of two wardrobes in our mudroom / dining room.

Our mudroom doubles as a dining room and triples as a laundry room. It is directly accessed from the garage and backyard so it is a natural dumping zone for outerwear, shoes, backpacks, mail, deliveries, etc. Having a designated place for everything is essential.

We added a pair of freestanding wardrobes to the closet-less room. One acts as an everyday coat closet while the other holds less frequently used items. {To avoid a too lengthy post, I’m discussing them in separate posts.} Most mudrooms utilize open cubbies or shelves but I wanted ample closed storage so that when we we’re eating meals in here it doesn’t feel like we’re eating in a mudroom. Which, in reality, we are. The PAX wardrobes are from IKEA and the great thing about them is that they can be customized with a range of organizational add-ons. From the outside, a pair or trio look identical but open them up and the possibilities are endless.

We added hanging rods at adult and kid heights. Not only does the lower rod make it easier for the kids to hang up their coats, but it also utilizes what is normally wasted space under a single rod. The kids’ rod doesn’t extend the full width of the wardrobe to allow for tall cleaning tools. The higher rod holds mine and HH’s coats, reusable shopping bags and my apron.

We upgraded to matching wooding hangers. The hangers are sturdy enough for heavy coats and keep hanging items from becoming one huge tangled mess.

We utilize baskets for bulky and loose items. Hats, gloves, scarves and ear warmers are kept in baskets on the top shelf. A woven basket at the bottom of the wardrobe holds the broom, Bona mop, and umbrellas. This helps to keep the bottom of the wardrobe from becoming dirty. A plastic laundry basket corrals swim gear, athletic bags and the kids’ bulky cold weather vests.

We rotate seasonal items. In an effort to make the most of limited closet space in the bedrooms, we keep all seasonal wear in this wardrobe and out of the bedrooms. Winter wear, swimsuits and swim gear is all in here, all the time. {The exception is snow suits. They hang on a rod in the garage.} I bring whatever we’re using at the moment to the forefront and slip the out-of-season garb to the back.

We have a designated spot elsewhere in the room for items currently in use. There is a trio of double hooks and a floor basket next to the back door for backpacks, outerwear, shoes and bags that we use on a daily basis. These items may change day to day depending on what we have going on. In the summer, you will find our swim bag and flip flops here. During the school year, this space is loaded with backpacks, jackets and shoes. I have a rule that each person gets to keep one item from each genre out in the open. One bag, one coat, one pair of shoes, etc. This keeps clutter from getting out of control and taking over the dining table.

We keep shoes out of the wardrobes. Something that has really helped us make the most of our closet space is keeping shoes out of closets. The same goes for this wardrobe. We have a shoe rack in the garage, a shoe basket next to the back door and a shoe cabinet in the master bedroom. This frees up space in our closets and keeps the house cleaner, too.

Implementing all of these things helps us get the most out of this multipurpose space while keeping clutter at bay. You probably noticed a few ideas repeated from our master bedroom closet – customizable organization, matching hangers, keeping shoes elsewhere. Those are the things that really work for us so don’t be surprised if you see them popping up again throughout this series. Next time, I’ll share the other mudroom wardrobe. Currently, it’s in disarray so I have some work to do!

images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

I mentioned in my latest recent purchases post that we bought a few cabinets – freestanding and wall versions – to use in the mudroom for closed storage. Well, Handy Hubby was busy, busy, busy this weekend assembling and installing them…among other things.

The PAX wardrobes were a two-person job. HH tried assembling them alone but they’re just too big to lift upright during assembly without some help. Luckily, HH’s dad came out to lend a hand the following day so HH could get ’em done.

The wardrobes will act as much needed closet space for us. And let me tell you, these babies are deep! I have plans to fill them with everything from a steam mop to winter coats to shoe bins.

For now, they’re empty. Once we move in and I get a better feel for what organization we’ll require, I’m heading to IKEA for complementary inserts. I love that we can customize them to suit our needs.

The only problem I see so far is that the doors closest to the walls hit the baseboard and wainscoting trim. I think I can easily remedy this with a few strategically placed rubber bumper pads. You know, the kind you typically use on the inside of cabinet doors to keep them from banging against the frame.

I love how the paneled doors mix well with but don’t perfectly match the horizontal plank wainscoting.

We still need to add handles {in matte black?} to the doors. Down the road we may add some molding around the tops of the wardrobes for a built-in look. We’ll just have to wait and see how the room takes shape. Speaking of which, I finally found a pic of a dining space that better illustrates what kind of setup I’m wanting.

The casual dining area in this house tour features a petite settee, round table and dining chairs. The exact combo I had in mind for our dining room/mudroom!

But, wait a second, we’re talking storage. Oh. Right.

The wall cabinets in the laundry nook are up now, too. But not without a little snafu. HH first hung them about 5″ lower than what you see in the image above. I stopped by with a load of moving boxes afterwards and kindly hinted that I thought they’d look better hung at ceiling height. HH wasn’t happy about rehanging them {love you, HH!} but, once it was said and done, he agreed that they looked better hugging the ceiling. I would have loved open shelving here but, realistically, some closed storage is a necessity. I can still add a shelf or two between the cabinets later if I want.

The wardrobes and wall cabinets are our solution for a house lacking closet space, a separate mudroom and a real laundry room. Continuously editing our belongings will be key in avoiding clutter. But I’m pretty good at setting aside time about twice a year to purge items we no longer use, need or want.

What about you? How do you tackle storage shortcomings in your home?

images: 1-6 & 8) Dana Miller for House*Tweaking 7) Janis Nicolay via The Marion House Book