It’s not long until the school bus turns up once more and we all settle back into the school routine. If you’re anything like me, you’ve just managed to clear your kitchen countertop and “junk drawer” from all of last year’s never-ending paper that came home in the weekly recorder, along with various clay creations and things your kiddos gave you saying, “I made it just for you!” Awww. It’s a horse with only 3 legs and a rather oddly shaped head, but I love it anyway!
Given we live in real life and not in the design magazine version of ourselves, the truth is that no matter how organized you are, there’s always a need for more – or better – storage solutions. One of the biggest home remodeling “must-haves” on most homeowner’s lists is a basement remodel or mudroom remodel to accommodate all the family “stuff”. But, there are also other smaller ways to simplify and organize your life without undertaking a major home remodel.
DIY Backpack Station
One of my biggest pet-peeves is the return from school routine. As soon as my kids come home, the backpacks are thrown in the hall, the shoes are off and coats are stuffed into the hall closet, which, let’s face it, is NEVER going to be big enough (plus seriously, why is using a coat hanger SO complicated?). This DIY Backpack station is a great solution for keeping it all together (your sanity, that is). I can’t promise if you build it, they will come, but it’s a good place to start!
Image Credit: Mom Trends
No Space? No problem!
If you don’t have room or you just don’t think you’re going to be able to keep a space tidy, a simple “I can do this” solution is an over-the-door shoe organizer repurposed as a “close-the-door-on-it-when-I-don’t-want-to-see-it” organizer. I feel like I often start out with good intentions, but my kids just don’t have the ability (or desire) to neatly put things away in beautifully labeled boxes or file folders, and, as a result, I end up where I began. This easy solution means even the littlest of hands can put things into the pockets and get them back out again without needing a professional organizer’s prowess! No professional remodeling help required!
Image Credit: I Can Teach My Child
Reclaim a Corner!
An easy fix? Reclaim an area in your garage and create a space that acts as a “mudroom”. This is super simple and easy to achieve but if you’re an active family, it’s amazing how frequently you’ll use it – and it’s budget-friendly, too! What I love about this space is the added bonus of a place to hang artwork so that it doesn’t become a permanent feature on your refrigerator door!
Image Credit: East Coast Creative
A Side Door Entrance
If you’re ready to undertake a bigger remodel, look into the possibility of adding a side door entrance leading to a mudroom or garage for everyday family use. In the home remodel below, a second entrance was added that leads to this beautiful mudroom, packed with storage. It gives me a moment of zen every time I look at it. Now, when the kids come home from school, there is ample space for everything to be stored – out of sight of the rest of the home. Love.
Image Credit: Synergy Design & Construction
Hidden Storage
If a full-scale mudroom or basement remodel is not an option, think about creative ways to maximize your existing space with storage. The basement remodel of this home was complete, but the family had a large unfinished storage room which wasn’t effectively utilized. A combined laundry/mudroom was created complete with a ton of storage space behind large sliding doors, as well as functional space for a laundry folding table which doubles as a craft table for the kiddos. No more glitter glue on the hardwoods? Count me in!
Image Credit: Synergy Design & Construction
Now the kids are (almost) back at school, it’s a great time to take a fresh look at what you’d like to change about your home to make it work for you. If you’ve been thinking of a home remodel for a while but just don’t know where to start, grab a coffee and check out our Ten Secrets to a Stress-free Home Remodel!
