Getting organized: my mud room

Calling my side door entry a mud room is a bit generous.  We have an entry point through the garage and we have closet space there and a furniture piece, so it is not a huge space but it's a hot zone in my home and it might be in yours too.  It's a small but widely used area by everyone in my home.  Everything was getting dumped there - dry cleaning, diaper bags, shoes, boots, coats, paperwork and files, etc....it was a total dumping ground. With my eldest son starting school in the fall,  I knew I had to get this area of the house under control and user friendly for all of our needs. 

So I was looking for some ideas and came across, "Better Homes and Gardens special Edition of Secrets of Getting Organized" and found some great ideas. 

I've just started and I'm not done yet but wow, what a difference already!

I cleared out the closet and did a purge.  I was surprised to see how many coats etc...that did not fit.  So I had a number of items to donate.  I then used the vacuum to give the floor of the closet a good clean.  I purchased and assembles a shoe rack and added that vertical storage in the closet - so now all shoes have a space in the closet and they are not piling up at the door. 

I also added 3 colour coded baskets on the top shelf of the closet (1 colour for each of my kids) for mitts, hats etc...It's easy for my husband and I to put their things away.

I also added a basket in the mudroom as a dry cleaning drop off.  If this is where the dry cleaning is being dumped at least now it is contained. 

A small set of hooks for keys and a larger set for the kids jackets and back packs installed at their height.

I'm also painting a chalkboard section to jot down reminders for all of us.



Other ideas - I'm going to add a file folder on top of the furniture piece for school and work - again colour coded.

I think I'm also going to add a cork board for notices etc...