Hallway Coat Closet

In our new house we have a closet by the entrance door from the garage to the kitchen. Very normal "mud room" area without actually being a mud room. Someday I'd actually like a mud room. Anyhow, this is what it looks like.Yes, it looks empty because I haven't put everything in there yet. Well, the Container Store was having their annual 30% off on their Elfa closet systems, and I was really dying to do that. I got an estimate and it was still too steep for me. $450 including installation. I just can't spend that much on a closet. So, I wish it were like this:Gorgeous! Please excuse that it is a bedroom closet, but you get the idea. However, I decided to get creative and make it work without breaking the bank. Here's how it turned out: A small shoe rack from Wal-mart, hooks on the side wall for the kids coats and backpacks, and hooks at the top for my bags and umbrellas. And on the right side of the closet:These little drawer units I also found at Wal-mart for pretty cheap (can't remember now how much they were) and each is for a member of our family for hats, mittens, gloves, goggles, shin guards, baseball mitts, etc. And the 6th drawer on the bottom right is my "To Go" drawer. That's where I put anything I need to take with me somewhere. Anything I need to return to the store, anything I've borrowed from someone that needs to be returned, etc. etc. You get the idea. Oh, and for a splash of color, I added those floor mats to ensure nothing slides around my slippery wooden floor.

So there we have it! From a potential $450 for beauty and functionality, to about $50 for functionality and sub par beauty. By hey, those closet doors are always closed!