In the house of my dreams, I would have three things that I don’t have in my current home: (1) a screened-in porch; (2) a transom window or two; and (3) a mudroom.  Dreamer Bre would pick numbers 1 or 2; realist Bre would pick number 3.

A mudroom would be so practical and fabulous; a perfect little spot for my family to stash all belongings as soon as they come in the door.  And of course it would be hidden from plain sight so that nobody would have to see the mounds of shoes, backpacks, purses, jackets, winter gear, etc. that accumulate all too quickly.

Since a mudroom like this just isn’t in the cards for my home, I’ve figured out a way to create a fake mudroom of sorts in my foyer and also at my back door.  

Neither spot is the perfect mudroom of my dreams, but they function well and help keep my family (and our stuff) relatively organized.  Because of that, I thought I’d share these “no mudroom ideas” to hopefully help you, too!

Because of several key components in each of these spaces, my home’s lack of a mudroom is a non-issue.  All of my family’s things have a place to go, which keeps clutter and disorganization at bay.  

No Mudroom Ideas: Elements of a Faux Mudroom

So what do you need to create a fake mudroom?  Here’s where to start! (P.S. this is an old photo! I updated the pictures in this post after I originally wrote it!)

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Faux Mudroom Idea No. 1  Wall Hooks

Wall hooks are so important in any fake mudroom!  You must have a place for your family and visitors to your home to hang their bags and jackets, especially if your coat closet is small.  

Hooks also give small children a place to hang their belongings instead of throwing them on the floor.

Check out these stylish and affordable wall hook options for your home.  Click any of the photos to shop or for more info.

Fake Mudroom Idea No. 2  Bench

A sitting place is essential in a fake mudroom.  It gives people a place to sit when they need to take their shoes off or put them on, and it serves as another drop zone, too.  

My bench is an old piano bench with storage inside the seat, which is a total bonus!  Benches with built in storage are a great way to get more functionality out of the piece.

Here are some of my favorite benches in stores now.  Click any of the photos to shop or for more info.

No Mudroom Idea No. 3 Drop Zone Area

Having a place to drop your keys, bag, sunglasses, or whatever else is in your hands when you walk in the door is so important to maintaining order at the entry!  A little console table in a fake mudroom is perfect for this job.  You can find them in just about any shape or size, so no matter how small your space, you can make something work!

Here are some affordable entryway tables that I love!  Click any of the photos to shop or for more info.

Create an Organized Entryway Idea No. 4  Baskets / Trays

I cannot stress the importance of baskets in a fake mudroom!  I use one under the bench as a shoe tray, and it’s great because my kids know exactly where to put their shoes when they come in the door.  

I also have one under my table to put umbrellas in, and in the winter I stick a small one next to the bench for a place to deposit scarves, hats, and gloves (which I then put into my super small but super Organized Coat Closet!).

You can never have too many baskets, so take a look at these pretty and reasonably priced options that I think are perfect for any entryway!  Click any of the photos to shop or for more info.

No Mudroom Idea No. 5 Hall Tree

If you have the space for it, a hall tree is an amazing all-in-one solution to the no mudroom problem.  It combines storage and seating into one piece, and there are so many ready made options available in stores these days!  I love the piece we have next to our back door!

Here are some other awesome hall trees that I found for you!  Click any of the photos to shop or for more info!

I bet you have a lot of these things in your home already!  If you struggle with containing clutter and maintaining organization at the entry points to your home, try and set up a fake mudroom.  These no mudroom ideas will have your entryway organized in no time!  

Wire baskets are EVERYWHERE! Step into any store that sells home decor or crafting items and you’re bound to find a million wire baskets that you love.

It makes sense because these fabulously utilitarian objects look just a little bit prettier with their interesting metal finishes and/or lovely liners. Plus, they work with just about any style of decor.

But you know what – left to their own devices, wire baskets will scratch the h-e-double-hockeysticks out of whatever surface you set them on. I’m talking mean, ugly scratches that will make you want to throw your once beloved wire baskets out the window. 

But luckily I figured out a SUPER SIMPLE SOLUTION to this problem, so I had to share my method of how to prevent wire baskets from scratching your surfaces.  

 So back when I did my son’s Vintage Aviation Room Makeover, I purchased some cute wire baskets from Homegoods to use in his newly-painted bookshelf.

They looked super cool, and then I realized that they were totally scratching the shelves that I’d JUST painted. To say I was annoyed is an understatement. I contemplated getting rid of them, but then I decided to see if I could fix it.  And I did!

Supplies Needed to Prevent Wire Baskets from Scratching Surfaces

To keep your wire baskets from scratching your furniture or floors, here’s what you need:

• Felt (the kind you buy at the craft store works great!)
• Yarn
• Large needle with a large eye to thread the yarn through

How to Keep Wire Baskets from Scratching Surfaces

First up, cut the felt to be slightly larger than the bottom of the wire basket.

Next, thread the needle with a long piece of yarn, and knot the end of the yarn.  Start at one end of the basket and weave your way through the felt and the bars in the bottom of the wire basket.  

Make your way around the entire basket. Once you’ve gotten back to your starting point, remove the needle and tie off the other end of the yarn. Trim any excess yarn.

Once you’ve finished, the bottom of the basket will look like this:

But once the basket’s actually in use and filled with all-the-things, you’ll never even notice the felt on the bottom (or any scratches on your furniture)!  This is especially true if the felt color matches or coordinates with the surface on which you’re placing the wire basket.

Trust me, if you don’t do anything to prevent wire baskets from scratching your surfaces, you will regret ever having purchased them for your home. This simple fix makes all the difference and will last SO much longer than stick-on furniture pads!
– Bre