Come to Order Monday: The Mudroom Bathroom

The original plans for our house didn't include a kids' half bath on the main floor. Acting on some some good advice from friends, we asked the architect if he could add a half-bath for our kids to use in lieu of going into our very lovely guest powder room. Since our mudroom and laundry room form a "L," the solution was to place a small (emphasis on small) bathroom in the crook of the L. It is so small, in fact, that I had to search for a special sink for the space, and it required a pocket door. I immediately loved the idea. Our mudroom and laundry have a durable slate floor that is easy to clean. The floor change is supposed to symbolically mark a transition to a private, family area from the more public spaces. Private + easy to clean = the right spot for a wee bathroom just for our family to use. Though she be but little, she is fierce.

That little bathroom is by far the most used in our house. Since I spend so much time in the laundry room and nearby kitchen, it is my spot. This will probably change over time, but for now it is also where my kids do their hair and brush their teeth just before school, Ironically, it is also where a lot of guests go (making me regret the expensive Florida tile in the seldom-used-and-beautifully-decorated-powder-room). There is just one problem with the little room; the special small sink is too little for a cabinet (it barely holds a bar of soap). A few years back we addressed the issue by adding a basket to corral a few items, but our basket overfloweth :


Wishing to better use the space, I decided to go vertical! Since I think my girls will eventually use their own bathroom to get ready, I did not want to invest in shelving. Thus, the idea to use a peg board was born (I had a piece lying around from a previous project). Even though the room is totally utilitarian, I wanted a somewhat finished look so I bought a close-out piece of art from homegoods. At $8, it was less than the cost of a picture frame:
f

I ripped out the back.


I removed the glass and traced in on my pegboard to get the perfect measurements for the frame. Then I cut the pegboard with a plain old saw, all the while wishing I had a jigsaw. I popped the board in the frame and secured it with small nails. Then I hung it in the bathroom and let the girls go to town organizing their items. Here is the finished product. Its not pretty, but it is perfect temporary fix for the small but mighty bathroom.



Here is one more shot looking out of the room where you can see the reflection of this project and my newly reorganized laundry room:


The rest of my Monday will be spent working on summer schedules. Yikes! Here is wishing you accomplish all your goals this Monday morning!