Sometimes, you just don't have the space for a huge custom-designed mud room filled with organized lockers or cubbies like we see (and drool over...) on Pinterest for all of the kids' STUFF. But the reality is, they have a ton of stuff. The other reality is that we often have to make do with the space we have. But sometimes, we can think outside of the box and try to make that given space more functional and if we're lucky...maybe even a little bit cuter.

Left photo: Disorganized chaos of unaccessible backpacks and jackets.
Right photo: Organized and adequately spaced hooks. PLENTY of hooks. Like, "there's absolutely no excuse for a kid to plop their belongings on the floor when they walk in the door" amount of hooks. 

I went to my favorite gals' site over at Shanty 2 Chic for a tutorial on this little project. These girls are amazing and are a great resource for DIY projects. 

I measured (which is most of the work!) and designed my wall then headed to Home Depot. To the left is a photo of the wall with the battens secured. I used Liquid Nails panel adhesive and my Ryobi brad nailer to secure everything. Then I caulked, painted, screwed the hooks and then of course...painted my walls a new color. 

The wood cost me about $30 and the hooks cost me about $25 total at Hobby Lobby. 

Testing out the hooks...MUCH better! :)

The left photo below is my inspiration from Ballard Designs. I wanted to create a fun "Coat Check" sign that had an interesting shape. I used some reclaimed wood I had and my jig saw to create the sign. I then added the "Coat Check - not responsible for garments or articles over night" text to it. Note: the photo is taken faaaaaar back so you cannot see the horrific free-handed painting of the text! Ugh.

GO PLAY OUTSIDE sign with an arrow, pointing to the door, of course:)

This is the ONLY time that my mud/laundry room ever looks like this - completely bare. It is typically filled with shoes, boots, jackets, snow pants, back packs, & lunch bags. And the counters? They're usually covered with my crafting tools. Oh well. It's nice to see them bare for this brief moment...ha!

Small bench with shoe basket found at Homegoods. It was brown, and I painted it black.
Rug found at Ballard Designs.
Wall paint: Benjamin Moore - Galveston Gray AC-27 - LOVE this color + have it in 4 rooms in my home!

When I think about my little bathroom update, I think of the book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, by Laura Numeroff. The story is known for it's adorable "circular pattern." A boy gives a cookie to a mouse. The mouse asks for a glass of milk. He then requests a straw (to drink the milk), a mirror (to avoid a milk mustache), etc.  The circular tale is complete when he asks for a cookie (again) at the end of the story. 

My little project all started with a toilet paper holder that fell off the wall in my narrow, teeny-tiny kids' bathroom. Next, I noticed what awful shape the wall was in and was unsure exactly where to screw in a new one. I then thought to install bead board, which would be more stable for the toilet paper holder and would cover up the uneven wall surface. Next, I thought to make the bead board  a taller height, and add moulding for new hooks. Soon, the wall color reminded me of pea soup and looked gross to me, which led to me picking out a new paint color on the walls. Then came in new wall art to complement the new paint. And a fabric-covered window cornice. To top off my own crazy, little circular tale, I didn't even end up screwing in a new toilet paper holder! Instead, I went with a Homegoods find that is a holder for a current roll and future rolls. I guess I could've just started with that from the beginning, but that wouldn't have been any fun, now would it?

The bead board was purchased and cut at Lowe's. I had to purchase two 4x8 sheets and have them ripped down to size. I affixed them to the wall with Liquid Nails panel adhesive and then my Ryobi cordless brad nailer (don't know how I ever survived without that tool!). Next, I added a board at the top and moulding to the seams, caulked, then painted with leftover trim paint I had in the house. It was really pretty easy & adds a fun, updated look to the kids'  bathroom. I used a pop of bright green as my accent color with the new blue-gray slate wall color and added it in the new wall art.

I have to take advantage of the fact that my kids aren't to the point where they're too embarrassed to have naked baby photos hanging in in their bathroom. These are just too adorable to not display...those babes!

Can't complain about the sun shining in - that's for sure!