Retaking the Entry

Having six people in the house means twelve feet and a LOT of shoes.

Our entryway opens directly into our dining room. So, we have no separate mud room to hide all the shoes, boots, coats, mittens, hats and snow pants associated with endless Minnesota winters.

Recently, we ditched our cubby bench which was great for holding all sorts of things. However, it had puppy chew marks, was falling apart from years of overuse, and really didn't float my boat where aesthetics are concerned. Functional, yes. Eyesore, definitely.

Something different was needed, so I decided on a white IKEA Hemnes shoe cabinet and a Hemnes bench with shoe storage.


My inspiration from the IKEA catalog:

 

I seldom buy retail (it's a genetic thing learned from my grandmother), but IKEA's unassembled prices are pretty low. If you've never assembled IKEA furniture, there's a certain frustration level you may want to factor into your purchase equation. For some people, it's worth the time and effort. Others swear against it (some swear during it). I've assembled plenty of IKEA items in my day. I wouldn't hire myself out as an assembler, but I'm definitely glad when I'm finished.

The plastic inserts in this Hemnes cabinet allow for 12 pairs of shoes, or you can remove a divider to fit boots also. The pure joy of not having to look at shoes scattered everywhere was worth the assembly time for me personally. Added Bonus: My dining room gallery wall is finally finished, which has been a long time coming. Major checkmark on the to-do list.

For safety's sake, there are two boards on the back side of the cabinet which get screwed directly into your wall, so make sure you have it where it will make you happy for quite some time. Or patch accordingly.

You'll also find a drawer at the top of this cabinet, useful for keys, cell phones, or other items which quickly add to the accumulation of clutter. If you like to clean right before company comes over, you'll love this drawer. Open, sweep clutter in, close. Aaahhhhh.....


Here's how my space turned out:

Thanks for reading!

Jenn  シ