Positively Splendid {Crafts, Sewing, Recipes and Home Decor}

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Hallway Command Center

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Back in January, I posted about my 12 DIY Goals for 2012, with one project assigned to each month of the year. I am happy to say I am keeping up with my goals so far, and my February project, a board and batten hallway, is officially in the books! My mom came in for a visit last week, and with her assistance, I was able to turn the hallway leading in from our garage (a space that has, until now, been completely wasted) from this…
…into this!

I can’t even begin to tell you how in love I am with this transformation!

Before I go on, a little disclaimer: You’ll have to bear with the photos of this space. Anyone who has ever tried to photograph a tight hallway with little to no natural light can attest that it isn’t an easy task!
Reality check: My family – all six of us – occupies a house that is only just over 1800 square feet, with no utility room to speak of. This hallway update is my way of making the most of the space at my disposal by creating a faux mudroom of sorts. This will be the place where we first deposit all of our bags, coats, keys and such when we first walk in the door, instead of dropping them like we have until now square in front of our front door. I am not going to miss that mess!
I think I might be the very last DIYer in the blogosphere to give faux board and batten a whirl. After accomplishing this project, I am wondering why it took me so long to hop on the bandwagon! It was so, so easy to do, and the way it transformed the feel of this space is absolutely incredible. I’ll be sharing some tips and tricks I learned from my board and batten experience along with lots of helpful resources later this week, so stay tuned!
The six hooks hung in the space are perfect for hanging coats, backpacks and purses.

A chalkboard made with custom-mixed chalk paint is just right for jotting down appointments, shopping lists and other can’t-forget bits of information. 
A framed magnetic board will prevent me from losing important papers my kids bring home from school. Calendars, lunch menus and such now all have their very own home, and I can finally reclaim my refrigerator from all the clutter! (Be sure to stop by later this week, when I’ll share the full details for how I put both of the boards together.)
A letter organizer purchased at half off from Hobby Lobby is the perfect place to stash unopened mail and bills than need to be paid, as well as both sets of our keys. No more frantic searches for my keys as we’re walking out the door to ballet, soccer or doctor’s appointments!
I just love that everything has its own place, and that I now have a system in place to keep my life more organized!
Throughout the week, I’ll be sharing the specifics for how this space came together. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how truly easy this project was to complete!
If you liked this post, I would absolutely love for you to share it on Pinterest! Do so easily by clicking on the button below.

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Don’t forget to also check out the DIY Custom Chalkboard and Magnetic Board tutorials and the detailed Board and Batten How-To for this space!

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Linking this to…
Skip to My Lou
Home Stories A to Z
Tidy Mom

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Comments

  1. Jill says

    OMG! This is AH-MAZ-ING! I love how you made this such a homey space! We don’t have a utility room either and our garage door opens off our entryway. Therefore EVERYTHING ends up by the front door. Thanks for the inspiration to do something with that space!!

    Jill @ Create.Craft.Love.

  5. Kelli @ RTSM says

    Amy that looks awesome! I love the chalkboard! We have something similar in our back hall, but it is a narrow bench with storage for the kiddos shoe underneath too:) When the kids put their things in the correct place it sure does make the house less cluttered!

  6. Amanda @ Serenity Now says

    Two thumbs up! I love the chalkboard…this is a great mix of fun and function. It was also very encouraging to me that you mentioned living in a small house. I had no idea! I live in a small 1970s Colonial, and I sometimes feel like everyone that I know (in “real life” and blogland) lives in a giant, beautiful spacious house. Thanks for the reminder today that you don’t have to have a big house to have a stylish home. 🙂

  7. Michelle says

    Nice work Amy (& Mom)! You have included all the keys to a very functional dropping ground. Once my kids are school aged, I know I need to make this happen. Great post!

  11. Shelly @A Creative Space says

    {Sigh……} As some would say, “I totally {puffy heart} LOVE this! I think that I would just sit on the floor and stare at it all day. So lucky to have a nice long, tall, wall to create with! Excuse me, I have to sigh again….

  13. Amy {All In A Day} says

    Oh Amy it looks amazing!!! I just love this transformation!! I have total hallway envy now! We don’t have an entryway of any kind in our home so I’m living vicariously through you! 😉 I can’t wait to read how this all came together for you! xoxo

  16. Vicky says

    I have just pinned this. What a transformation! I really love the board and batten and the red chalkboard. It just pops. I am a new follower visiting from Look What I Made. Vicky from Mess For Less

  18. Netties Expressions says

    This is such a wonderful idea and you did a beautiful job of it! I LOVE LOVE the board and batten and you are NOT the last one to try it! 🙂 I still have yet to tackle this for myself! I’m dropping by from the Look What I Made Linky Party! Thanks for sharing! 🙂

  23. Lolly Jane says

    Amy we love this!! The chalkboard, the hooks, that B! So cute- it’s all so perfectly organized 🙂 Nice job, sista!

    xoxo

    PS: Featuring ya tomorrow!

  25. Sharon says

    Truly beautiful. I love beautiful organization. Nothing better. I have not tackled board and batten yet. I plan to do it in my sons bathroom. I will check out your tips.