Look for salvage. Seek out white-painted but well-battered antique features — think old shutters, doors, windows (which could be turned into interesting mirrors), oars and even slabs of scrap wood, as they can add character to a white scheme. Search online or visit your local salvage yard and let what’s there inspire you. This is a clever idea. Rather than expensively, and perhaps incongruously, replacing a new door with an old one, you can simply lean the antique door against a wall for a fabulous feature.
Innenausbau Binder GmbH In this narrow hallway in Cologne, Germany, Houzzers were drawn to the gorro (Spanish for hat frame) and Schuhbank (German for shoe bench), among other things. Yes, folks, Houzz is very international. The bright red ropes on the coat rack and hat frame are original and playful, adding a nice dash of color to the white hallway. Detail worth noting: Having a full-length mirror is great for function (checking your look before you head out the door) and aesthetics (making a narrow space feel wider and lighter).
Combine an entry, mudroom and pantry. This mudroom off the kitchen is a hardworking multifunctional space. The designers extended the style of cabinetry used in the kitchen and included extra pantry space in here. The homeowners can come in from the car with grocery bags and place them on the counter right away for unloading. The sink can serve as a hand-washing station (think muddy kids), bar sink and flower-cutting area. The coat-hook wall provides all the space for outerwear and shoes the homeowners need, as well as a bench.
Recycling bin. You’ve gotten rid of the paper piles, but keeping up with new incoming paper is key if you want to keep your space clutter-free. Place a roomy recycling basket as near the front door as you can, and drop the junk mail, catalogs and envelopes right in. An attractive woven basket (like the one shown here) means you can proudly keep it front and center instead of trying to hide it away — and end up neglecting to use it.
Keep coats and backpacks off the floor with kid-height hooks. What’s the first thing kids do when they walk in the door? Shrug off heavy backpacks and pull off coats. Coming home after a long day is a relief — make it easy for kids to hang up backpacks and coats by installing a few child-height hooks. Be sure to choose nice, sturdy hooks that can handle bulky winter coats and book bags.
Earmark a spot to store library books. If your kids visit the school library each week with their class, you know how easy it can be to lose track of that library book. Hang a book basket (or label a shelf) for each child near the front door, and make a habit of putting the current library book in the same spot every time.
Keep school papers organized with clipboards. Piles can easily get out of hand, and files can prove difficult to maintain (especially for kids). So what’s a parent to do with all of those handouts, permission slips, and homework papers? Consider clipboards. Hung on the wall, they take up little space, are easy to use, and keep things simply organized. Use a pair for each kid: one for incoming paperwork, and one for items that are ready to be turned in to the teacher.
Assign a spot for small essentials. Kids aren’t the only ones who need help getting organized! Building a solid habit of keeping your personal essentials (phone, keys, wallet) in the same spot near the door every single time you enter the house will help cut down on morning chaos. And bonus: Seeing you do this consistently will help your kids begin to cultivate this habit with their own essentials.
Mudroom: In the large, spacious mudroom, the herringbone brick floors were a splurge, but “100 percent worth every penny,” Keskin says.
Cool gray and warm beige. Neutrals don’t have to mean boring, and one trick to getting them right is getting the balance of colors right. Here, introducing both cool and warm neutrals creates a tranquil scene with staying power. Given the mellow colors, texture becomes important: The baskets, burlap pillow, chair seat and lamp shade all add warmth.
Blue, white and sand. Watery blues, organic white and sandy browns are a natural combination for a relaxed look. Here, the rustic table, woven lampshade and hats along the wall (reflected in the mirror) add shades of sand, while the white plant container and blue-and-white baskets round out the beachy palette.
Gray and white, with a splash of yellow. Nothing beats fresh flowers or a plant to bring the outdoors in and add life to a space. Here, the flowers also accent the decor, picking up the white and yellow in the rug. The textural choices are also interesting: The reflective leather of the white benches mimics the reflective qualities of the wall’s wainscoting.
. Blue, fuchsia and yellow. This rich palette is vibrant like a spring garden, as evidenced here in the bright and cheerful artwork. The yellow pillow, fuchsia flower arrangement and blue lamp and bowl all tie in with the painting. Dark colors in the table, door and flooring ground the room, while the white walls and chair bring an airy feel to the space and pick up the lighter colors in the art. Overall, it’s a balanced, refreshing palett
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