After a rough winter, I think most of us are excited to welcome in spring and its warmer weather. As the higher temps and sunshine melt away any traces of Old Man Winter, they leave behind messy mud and puddles. Without a place to discard muddy boots and raincoats, you could end up with as much spring dirt inside your apartment as there is outside. While you probably do not have an entire mudroom within your rental, you can set up a temporary “mudroom” in your entryway that is both stylish and functional. Here are a few ways to create a pretty and practical drop zone for all your gear.
You can find boot trays at home good stores or big box stores relatively inexpensively. If you do not like the way the store-bought trays look in your entry, you can customize them easily with paint. I took a basic plastic boot tray and added a coat of spray paint and some hand painted boot prints so that it was both useful and attractive. Set your wet or muddy footwear on the tray as soon as you get home to prevent tracking the outdoors in. If the boot tray gets too wet or dirty, a quick wipe down with paper towels or bleach wipes will clean it up.
You can also let your soggy umbrella drip right onto the boot tray. If you have room, you can add a simple umbrella stand to your temporary mudroom. A tall, galvanized bucket or pretty trash can work well to corral your umbrellas.
Even if you don’t have room for a coat rack near your front door, you can add coat hooks without damaging the walls. Removable wall hooks, like those made by 3M, are a great option for renters. Stick a pair of hooks to the wall so you always have a place to hang your jacket. When it is time to move out, peel the adhesive strips off the wall and collect your security deposit in full!
Just because you do not have the space to dedicate an entire room to all your spring gear does not mean you can not have a pretty and practical place to store your boots, umbrellas, and more.
If your place has a bit more space in the entryway, there are some larger DIY options that will provide you with tons of storage. Check out this post from East Coast Creative that shows you how to build a smaller-scale mudroom.