Dreams Full of Mud...Rooms.

It is currently finals time here in the engineering department at Miami. So my head feels like it is about to burst... the only thing that is keeping me sane are the "doodle breaks" that I allow myself to do every few hours. Last night's design doodle dealt with the first DIY project I am throwing myself into once I am back home. Our back porch area has been dry-walled and sanded down and thats about it... my mom has stared at it for months and can't decide what to do with the space. We currently added a half bath and it will have a laundry area for the washer and dryer. Since those are already drawn in the plans... I wanted something a little extra to define the space more. I have always wanted a mud-room area for when you come through the backdoor. So here's the sketch:

We have a space in between two windows that I think would be perfect for a planked wall and a bench to remove shoes and boots. I was inspired by the following pictures. Of course I had to email them to my mom so she could grasp the vision.

I love black iron hooks. Our house is
old and country-style, so its a must have!

Love the planks.

The last two pictures are the "safe yet gorgeous" ideas if my mom doesn't fall in love with planked walls. Its simple but still have storage... which is key. With a family of 5, we ended up with a lot of coats, boots, shoes, & sport equipment that need a home.

I cannot wait to bring a little mud-room action to the back porch area. I'll keep the blog updated when I start to get my hands dirty!