Organization area in Laundry room.

[Deleted]

Older son is working on his Family Life merit badge for scouts and one of the requirements is he has to carry out a home improvement project that benefits the entire family. I'm so getting into this one because it will include the help of Dad and maybe Grandpa(s). 

I need ideas, but this is what I want.  I have a laundry room off of my entryway and I want to have a spot in there where the kids can each park their backpacks and winter gear when they come in.  Right now backpacks just get thrown wherever and I'm hunting in the mornings for mittens and hats when they just get thrown in the communal entry way closet tote. 

I'm thinking some kind of separate cubby area for each with a place to hang stuff.  It would be nice if younger son could just have a hook to hang up his own coat.  Right now I put it on a hanger in the closet for him...after I pick it up off the floor in the entryway.

Anyhow, anyone done something like this and have any cool ideas?  Pictures are helpful for me. 

[Deleted]

Like maybe like something like this...

[ArchietheDragon]

Sept 22, 2014 14:27:52 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Like maybe like something like this...

That is nice!  That is some serious woodworking skills, though.   This is more my style and ability.    Hooks on a board.    I made something similar, though, and it works great.

[imawino]

Love that one, MPL.

I don't know how to post pictures, does this link work? Lots of options! But I think you can shoot for more ambitious than hooks on a board!

www.google.com/search?q=entryway+organizer&rlz=1T4GUEA_enUS589US589&tbm=isch&imgil=t7130LLlXCAvqM%253A%253B2eMyEr2hWpwNzM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.jossandmain.com%25252FChic-Chinoiserie-Bedford-Entryway-Organizer~HO3029~E3694.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=t7130LLlXCAvqM%253A%252C2eMyEr2hWpwNzM%252C_&usg=__2sHp9_UG_tJchy6EHUi94IQPELo%3D&biw=1280&bih=841&ved=0CGEQyjc&ei=83cgVJqyMY73yQSlrYCACQ#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=t7130LLlXCAvqM%253A%3B2eMyEr2hWpwNzM%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fsecure.img.josscdn.com%252Flf%252F53%252Fhash%252F18598%252F7793935%252F1%252FBedford%25252BEntryway%25252BOrganizer.jpg%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.jossandmain.com%252FChic-Chinoiserie-Bedford-Entryway-Organizer~HO3029~E3694.html%3B450%3B450

How big is your available space?

[imawino]

Oooops, that's a big ass link.

[Deleted]

Sept 22, 2014 14:34:18 GMT -5 imawino said:

How big is your available space?

I'll have to check when I get home.  Right now there's a chest freezer in there, but that could be moved to the basement or garage.  If you figure leaving 3 feet in front of the wall with the washer/dryer and all the cabinets for walking there's probably an area 5'X8' left. 

I think I'm going to end up going with something between the one I posted and hooks on a board.  I would think I could find a kit for him somewhere that it wouldn't all have to be handmade mahogany or anything.  Two of my brothers could make something that would sell for thousands of dollars but they live in FL and AK. 

I also only need two spots, not 4. 

[Jaguar]

Sept 22, 2014 14:34:18 GMT -5 imawino said:

Love that one, MPL.

I don't know how to post pictures, does this link work? Lots of options! But I think you can shoot for more ambitious than hooks on a board!

www.google.com/search?q=entryway+organizer&rlz=1T4GUEA_enUS589US589&tbm=isch&imgil=t7130LLlXCAvqM%253A%253B2eMyEr2hWpwNzM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.jossandmain.com%25252FChic-Chinoiserie-Bedford-Entryway-Organizer~HO3029~E3694.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=t7130LLlXCAvqM%253A%252C2eMyEr2hWpwNzM%252C_&usg=__2sHp9_UG_tJchy6EHUi94IQPELo%3D&biw=1280&bih=841&ved=0CGEQyjc&ei=83cgVJqyMY73yQSlrYCACQ#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=t7130LLlXCAvqM%253A%3B2eMyEr2hWpwNzM%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fsecure.img.josscdn.com%252Flf%252F53%252Fhash%252F18598%252F7793935%252F1%252FBedford%25252BEntryway%25252BOrganizer.jpg%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.jossandmain.com%252FChic-Chinoiserie-Bedford-Entryway-Organizer~HO3029~E3694.html%3B450%3B450

How big is your available space?

Like this ?

[imawino]

This is kind of in between hooks on a board and the big piece of furniture:

ext.homedepot.com/community/blog/diy-wall-organizer/

and there are building instructions for the top part of it.  I'd want the bench part too. 

[swasat]

www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/hallway/tools/coha/roomset/20143_coha01a/

This one seems to be simple enough to achieve. You could just buy shelves and shoe racks.

[Deleted]

Sept 22, 2014 15:08:16 GMT -5 @sroo4 said:

This one has plans!

There are 11 of them on the site total.. .maybe some inspiration (http://diy.allwomenstalk.com/genius-diy-mud-room-or-entryway-projects) 

ana-white.com/2011/09/smiling-mudroom

</div>I've been forwarding all these ideas to DS's Dad to see what he feels is reasonable to expect a 12 year old to pull off with assistance. 

I might get hooks on a board...

[ArchietheDragon]

Hooks on a board!

[HoneyBBQ]

Do you Pinterest? Tons and tons of stuff on there.

[Deleted]

Sept 22, 2014 15:25:34 GMT -5 HoneyBBQ said:

Do you Pinterest? Tons and tons of stuff on there.

God no.  I am seriously the least crafty person you will ever meet. 

[HoneyBBQ]

Sept 22, 2014 15:28:27 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Sept 22, 2014 15:25:34 GMT -5 HoneyBBQ said:

Do you Pinterest? Tons and tons of stuff on there.

God no.  I am seriously the least crafty person you will ever meet. 

It's not just crafty stuff, though. Anyways, i have a whole board pinned for laundry/mud room inspiration if you wanted to join.

[Deleted]

Sept 22, 2014 15:55:20 GMT -5 HoneyBBQ said:

Sept 22, 2014 15:28:27 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

God no.  I am seriously the least crafty person you will ever meet. 

It's not just crafty stuff, though. Anyways, i have a whole board pinned for laundry/mud room inspiration if you wanted to join.

Yes!  But, you'll have to tell me how.  LOL

I'm out of here for the day, swim lessons, soccer and scouts, so won't be back on until later tonight after I'm collapsed on my couch with some ice cream.

[Angel!]

I have hooks on a board.  Actually hooks on two boards, one for my height & one for the kids height.  It has helped a lot.  And I have a shoe holder whatever thing - it has two small shelfs.  I was hesitant on the shoe thing, but it actually has worked out great.

I would go with something simple.  If you are going to do benches or storage area, buy a kit that he can build.  Then let him install some hooks.

[tskeeter]

Sept 22, 2014 14:27:52 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Like maybe like something like this...

MPL, a version of this would acually be pretty easy to build.  Someone with basic woodworking experience could probably do the construction in a day, and then add another day or so for painting and paint dry time.  (Obviously, it would take a merit badge candidate and his advisors a few days to do the construction.)  (I'd do a built in place installation as much as possible.  Attaching the unit to the wall will make the unit more rigid as it is being assembled.)  You could start with cut to fit shelf material from Home Depot.  This would be cut to make all of the verticle pieces and the top and bottom of the lower cubby section.  (The material comes in two widths.  One is pre-drilled for shelf pegs, and could be used for the wider, base unit pieces.  The narrower shelf material could be used for verticles and shelves for the "locker" sections.)  The back in the picture is just a couple of sheets of bead board plywood.  Nothing complex there.  Plain 1 X 4 is used to provide additional support for the hooks.  (I'd also use 1 X 4 cleats to support the shelves in the "lockers".  Kids being kids, sooner or later one of them is going to hang from the shelf.  So you want those shelves really well supported.  Maybe even add a front apron to support the front edge of the shelves, in addition to cleats on the back and sides.)  A Kreg pocket hole tool and screws can be used to assemble everything (Rockler will have several version of the Kreg tools).  The most complicated things about the storage system in the picture would be cutting the crown molding.  A shop made hardboard cutting jig with a T cleat would allow all of the cuts to be made with a basic circular saw, and if the T cleat is carefully positioned, all of the cuts will be square.  Some screw out feet would allow leveling the unit on an uneven floor.  And some quarter round at the floor will hide any small gaps that result from leveling the unit.  In my opinion, this unit would be much easier to build than the free standing unit that another poster provided a picture of.  The same materials and construction techniques as I describe above could be used to build the separate base and cubby units that Sroo pictured. 

[toomuchreality]

Sept 22, 2014 14:22:10 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Older son is working on his Family Life merit badge for scouts and one of the requirements is he has to carry out a home improvement project that benefits the entire family. I'm so getting into this one because it will include the help of Dad and maybe Grandpa(s). 

I need ideas, but this is what I want.  I have a laundry room off of my entryway and I want to have a spot in there where the kids can each park their backpacks and winter gear when they come in.  Right now backpacks just get thrown wherever and I'm hunting in the mornings for mittens and hats when they just get thrown in the communal entry way closet tote. 

I'm thinking some kind of separate cubby area for each with a place to hang stuff.  It would be nice if younger son could just have a hook to hang up his own coat.  Right now I put it on a hanger in the closet for him...after I pick it up off the floor in the entryway.

Anyhow, anyone done something like this and have any cool ideas?  Pictures are helpful for me. 

For how long? (How long do you think they'll do it, before they go back to tossing it, when they come in the door?  -heh )  But hey, it's good to have goals!  LOL

So really, I 99.9% am just kidding. I don't know you, or your kids. My kids would have used something like this. Yours will too.

I like this idea. Your DS will earn his merit badge, he'll learn some skills and gain some confidence, spend time with his dad (or whomever works on the project with him), plus he'll have something that for a long time afterwards he can show people and talk about, thus improving his social skills and gaining even more confidence.

Good idea! 

[Deleted]

Sept 23, 2014 5:28:49 GMT -5 toomuchreality said:

For how long? (How long do you think they'll do it, before they go back to tossing it, when they come in the door?  -heh )  But hey, it's good to have goals!  LOL

So really, I 99.9% am just kidding. I don't know you, or your kids. My kids would have used something like this. Yours will too.

I like this idea. Your DS will earn his merit badge, he'll learn some skills and gain some confidence, spend time with his dad (or whomever works on the project with him), plus he'll have something that for a long time afterwards he can show people and talk about, thus improving his social skills and gaining even more confidence.

Good idea! 

Well, the beauty is, it would be easier to toss into a cubby area off the laundry when the come in than what they're doing now.  Which is take it up into the livingroom/kitchen and then tossing it.   Well...maybe.  They'd have to go from the entry into the laundry room, but if it's also where they store their coats they'd be in there anyhow.  Older son does hang his coat in the entry, but he hates to do it.  The kid has some kind of problems with using hangers properly.    He would much prefer a hook. 

[Deleted]

Sept 22, 2014 18:52:07 GMT -5 tskeeter said:

Sept 22, 2014 14:27:52 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Like maybe like something like this...

MPL, a version of this would acually be pretty easy to build.  Someone with basic woodworking experience could probably do the construction in a day, and then add another day or so for painting and paint dry time.  (Obviously, it would take a merit badge candidate and his advisors a few days to do the construction.)  (I'd do a built in place installation as much as possible.  Attaching the unit to the wall will make the unit more rigid as it is being assembled.)  You could start with cut to fit shelf material from Home Depot.  This would be cut to make all of the verticle pieces and the top and bottom of the lower cubby section.  (The material comes in two widths.  One is pre-drilled for shelf pegs, and could be used for the wider, base unit pieces.  The narrower shelf material could be used for verticles and shelves for the "locker" sections.)  The back in the picture is just a couple of sheets of bead board plywood.  Nothing complex there.  Plain 1 X 4 is used to provide additional support for the hooks.  (I'd also use 1 X 4 cleats to support the shelves in the "lockers".  Kids being kids, sooner or later one of them is going to hang from the shelf.  So you want those shelves really well supported.  Maybe even add a front apron to support the front edge of the shelves, in addition to cleats on the back and sides.)  A Kreg pocket hole tool and screws can be used to assemble everything (Rockler will have several version of the Kreg tools).  The most complicated things about the storage system in the picture would be cutting the crown molding.  A shop made hardboard cutting jig with a T cleat would allow all of the cuts to be made with a basic circular saw, and if the T cleat is carefully positioned, all of the cuts will be square.  Some screw out feet would allow leveling the unit on an uneven floor.  And some quarter round at the floor will hide any small gaps that result from leveling the unit.  In my opinion, this unit would be much easier to build than the free standing unit that another poster provided a picture of.  The same materials and construction techniques as I describe above could be used to build the separate base and cubby units that Sroo pictured. 

My ex emailed me back yesterday saying he thought this looked like one of the easier ones and he also said he had some oak crown molding from some project that he couldn't return that was just going to go to waste that he could use. 

Now lets see what comes of it.  He is so ungodly busy.

[Deleted]

I can't believe I'm going to show my clutter mess, but this is what I'm dealing with.  Laundry room looks pretty decent from the entry.



Step inside the door, still not too bad....



Then turn the corner....AHHHHHHH  Piles of winter clothes and crap. 

[Angel!]

  At least it is all hidden out of sight. 

I think that would work great for this space.

[CCL]

Could you move the freezer somewhere else? Or get an upright? They are great.
Edit: I just saw where you said you could move the freezer. I'd take that out and run the cubbies along the whole wall.

[Deleted]

Sept 23, 2014 12:35:20 GMT -5 CCL said:

Could you move the freezer somewhere else? Or get an upright? They are great.

Plenty of room in the lower level or the garage for the freezer.  It's most convenient where it is, but really it's not like I go in there a lot.  I would like to have an upright.  Should have got one 14 years ago when I got this, but I was lured by everyone telling me how much more energy efficient the chests were. 

[Tiny]

I'd keep the freezer... You could work around the freezer. There's plenty of space where the pile o' stuff is. Maybe do something floor to ceiling - with the highest area for stuff you use once/twice a year. A simple step stool would probably get you there (if you are short like me ) There's alot of space above the Freezer too... probably good for stuff you use once/twice a year.


If you do 'customize' around the freezer - it might be a good time to check on the current sizes of freezers for when you replace it... you know the width/height/depth and build with that in mind. My brother, who I dearly love, customized cabinets around his garage fridge with NO leaway for a future fridge. Now, 8 years later he needs the 'fridge space' to be 2 inches higher and about an inch wider. He now has to redo the cabinets/shelves he installed... if he wants to get a new fridge in the garage.

Yeah, you can't account for all future variances - but maybe you shouldn't build your storage stuff to within 1/2 an inch of your existing fridge/freezer.

[Angel!]

Sept 23, 2014 12:51:44 GMT -5 Tiny said:

I'd keep the freezer... You could work around the freezer. There's plenty of space where the pile o' stuff is. Maybe do something floor to ceiling - with the highest area for stuff you use once/twice a year. A simple step stool would probably get you there (if you are short like me ) There's alot of space above the Freezer too... probably good for stuff you use once/twice a year.


If you do 'customize' around the freezer - it might be a good time to check on the current sizes of freezers for when you replace it... you know the width/height/depth and build with that in mind. My brother, who I dearly love, customized cabinets around his garage fridge with NO leaway for a future fridge. Now, 8 years later he needs the 'fridge space' to be 2 inches higher and about an inch wider. He now has to redo the cabinets/shelves he installed... if he wants to get a new fridge in the garage.

Yeah, you can't account for all future variances - but maybe you shouldn't build your storage stuff to within 1/2 an inch of your existing fridge/freezer.

You could do this & then put a bunch of hooks where the chairs are for backpacks & such.  You could put shelves or hooks above the freezer as well for more storage.

[Deleted]

Sept 23, 2014 12:51:44 GMT -5 Tiny said:

I'd keep the freezer... You could work around the freezer. There's plenty of space where the pile o' stuff is. Maybe do something floor to ceiling - with the highest area for stuff you use once/twice a year. A simple step stool would probably get you there (if you are short like me ) There's alot of space above the Freezer too... probably good for stuff you use once/twice a year.


If you do 'customize' around the freezer - it might be a good time to check on the current sizes of freezers for when you replace it... you know the width/height/depth and build with that in mind. My brother, who I dearly love, customized cabinets around his garage fridge with NO leaway for a future fridge. Now, 8 years later he needs the 'fridge space' to be 2 inches higher and about an inch wider. He now has to redo the cabinets/shelves he installed... if he wants to get a new fridge in the garage.

Yeah, you can't account for all future variances - but maybe you shouldn't build your storage stuff to within 1/2 an inch of your existing fridge/freezer.

The freezer can be turned the other way and fits fine facing going East/West instead of North/South on that wall with the junk.  That's where it used to be when our dog's crate and bed were in there. 

[Deleted]

I do have massive storage area in the lower level, so I don't really need to keep lots of stuff up there.  The real reason that pile is there is because of the flood last year.  That room was packed to the gills including all my ex husbands stuff.  I have since got his out, but haven't gone through this last bit.  A lot of that is winter stuff that doesn't fit the kids anymore.  I have a very serious clothing issue in my house right now.  Every room has a pile like that somewhere. 

[cronewitch]

Make sure you get at least 3 cubbies you deserve one too. If you get 4 you can give two to the messiest person or have a contest of neatest one wins second for a month or guest stuff, but get yourself one too.

[Lizard Queen]

I have this


It was a kit at Menard's.