Hi there! I’m Ashley, the author behind the blog Cherished Bliss. I’m so excited be here with you today sharing a little about our mini mudroom that’s been all decked out for Christmas. When we first moved into our house about 2 years ago, I knew one of our top priorities would be to create a space for our winter gear. The one thing this house lacked was a mudroom, but there was quite a bit of space and storage so I was pretty confident we could make it work. And when Better Homes and Gardens wanted to come out and photograph our little space for the “I Did It” section in the magazine, well I was as excited as one can be and then some!
This bench is extremely easy to build and a great beginner project if you would like to dip your toes into the world of woodworking! It mainly consists of pocket holes (which are a lot easier than they sound) and finishing nails. You can get the building plan here.
After building the bench, I wanted to make sure it was still a stylish space because it does technically reside in our living room. I had already built a chalkboard that I was using in my dining room, but I’m known to move things around constantly so the chalkboard found its new home right above our new farmhouse bench. Get the plan for the chalkboard here. I get a lot of questions about the color of stain I used. I actually used a homemade wood stain so that I could complete this step in my basement without breathing in toxic fumes! So let’s talk about getting this little space ready for the holidays.
3 Ways to Update a Mini Mudroom for Christmas
Add Labels
The amazing stylist Char came out and helped stage the area for the photo shoot, and she was absolutely amazing! We added some little wooden tags to the metal bins to label what each one was to be used for. This is great for the kids so they can remember what goes where!
Bring Nature Inside
Next we added a live evergreen wreath to the chalkboard. This chalkboard is my absolute favorite place to hang wreaths. It provides the perfect background for our mini mudroom! I also adore how this space welcomes in guests and provides a place for them to drop their purses or diaper bags. It’s very convenient to have right inside the living room, and with the fresh wreath, guests are immediately greeted by the smells of Christmas!
Add Warmth
Last but not least, the accessories. We added some colorful Christmas pillows to provide a warm and cozy atmosphere at our entrance. Char then drew some beautiful chalkboard art, which unfortunately I was not able to duplicate (but you can see above) being that I have the art skills of a one-year-old! But it really adds a bit of holiday cheer!
If you are interested in seeing this space outside of the holidays, you can see that here.
It was seriously a once in a lifetime experience to have Better Homes and Gardens photograph our mini mudroom for the December 2015 issue! I had so much fun with both the stylist and the photographer. They were so down to earth and an absolute joy to work with!
I would love to have you follow along with the journey as we turn our house into a home, so please feel free to stop by my blog and say hi! For behind-the-scenes pictures and sneak peeks, you can follow us on Instagram!