As a professional organizer that works 100% with families, you can imagine my systems and ideas are tested hard in my own home. I have 3 children and love putting my (crazy) ideas, projects and build-outs through the tough conditions that lie within my 4 walls. Of course, I love sharing it here with you as well! A couple months ago, I created this DIY Garage Mudroom and not only has it been tested hard by my people, but it works. I’m still loving the system, it works for the kids, they know exactly where to put things (and find it!) and…let’s just be totally honest, I love seeing that organized view when I open the garage door.

The system is working so well in fact that it’s quickly become a hit with my mom-boss clients. I installed a similar system for a mom last week and am so in love the end result!…

But in order to appreciate that gorgeous, organized after, you need to see where we started…

Can you believe the difference? Look at all that new space we created!

To back up a bit, I worked with her in the garage a couple weeks before installing this system. Her struggle, as with most mommies, is where to put the sport bags, backpacks, shoes, purses and more. And she is also tight on space. We re-organized her garage and cabinets, but quickly discovered this empty laundry room wall could be the answer to a few of her organization issues. Here’s the after from the left side of the garage…

You’ll notice the shoe rack to the far right of that image. I worked with what was on hand to add a bit more shoe space…

But since The Container Store decided to put Elfa on sale for a few weeks, we jumped at the opportunity to save money and create a system in her laundry room. In addition to the space needed for kid-related items, the laundry room itself is tight quarters so my hope was to give her more space for HER too! Here’s a before and after of the view looking into the laundry room from the garage. With just a little nudge of the washer / dryer, I was able to squeeze in a more functional laundry basket…

With those cabinets up so high and impossible to reach day-to-day, this new system would give her accessible space. I installed it the same way I did in my own garage – you guys, this system is so easy to install!…

My m.o. is to overbuy and then return what we don’t use. So the image you see above included more shelving. We tweaked as we went, I added the bench and then the baskets finished it off beautifully!…

I’m so in love with those rugby striped baskets. All of bins / baskets are from The Container Store…

Her plan is to fill the rugby baskets with overflow paper towels. Pet items will also be hidden away here. What a beautiful way to conceal!

Of course, shelf liner makes everything better…

I added 2 utility tracks toward the bottom of the system for bags and backpacks…

And this bench…steals the show every time!…

Her laundry room packs a serious organization punch with a side of pretty!…

We moved a few temporary wall hooks behind the door from the laundry room to the house for even more added hanging space…because, every little bit of space counts when it comes to small spaces…

I’m so in love with this version of my DIY mudroom. But even more excited to have helped her create it and see it in action. The kids are excited about it too!…

So pretty – sorry, can’t stop popping these images into the post – haha!

Guys, the Elfa sale ended a few weekends ago but it generally goes on sale again around Christmas and stays on sale for a solid couple months. 25% off really makes an impact on your wallet. If you’re tight on laundry room space, this is a great solution / system! The Elfa system you see above plus the bench was a total of $370 (baskets not included). Not bad when you consider how much that investment will pay you back over time.

Guess what? I’m installing another DIY garage mudroom next week and can’t wait to share this completed version! It’s a larger system that accommodates a garage freezer living under it. Looking forward to getting my drill out and making another mom dream come true!