Mini ingresso: funzionalità, ordine e armonia nei piccoli spazi
Se mi guardo attorno realizzo una volta di più che mio marito è un sant'uomo. Negli anni si è sentito fioccare addosso tante idee e proposte di cambi arredo che oramai come capisce che sta per arrivarne un'altra, per fortuna, si mette a ridere. Un cassetto dei sogni appena socchiuso pronto a esplodere tirando fuori l'ultima soluzione dal cilindro, questa è la realtà ciclica.
Bisogna anche dire che l'averlo arruolato in prima persona nella realizzazione di un certo mobilio ha fatto sì che scoprisse il piacere della lavorazione del legno e anche la soddisfazione della creazione ad hoc, e non è poca cosa, no? Due piccioni con una fava.😁😉
Quando si tratta di creare qualcosa insieme, come la nostra recente trasformazione dell’ingresso, siamo una squadra perfetta: io progetto, lui costruisce e poi io pitturo e rifinisco. La settimana scorsa accennavo al tavolo massiccio che abbiamo sotto il portico, un tavolone di due metri per uno, poi ne è seguito un armadio guardaroba nella zona giorno, ma anche diversi cassettini per chiudere dei vani di una libreria ed infine, fresco fresco, ha posato un perlinato nell'ingresso per fare lo sfondo di quella che, con grande fantasia, nella mia mente è diventata una mini mudroom con dislocazione più piacevole degli elementi.
Mudroom letteralmente significa "stanza del fango" ed è uno spazio tipico delle case nordamericane nato con lo scopo di evitare che fango, sporco o neve entrino nel resto dell’abitazione; quindi generalmente è un’area vicino all’ingresso della casa, progettata per lasciare scarpe, stivali, cappotti e altri oggetti prima di addentrarsi. Affonda le sue radici nella tradizione delle abitazioni rurali ed è nata come una necessità; infatti nelle case di campagna o nelle fattorie, dopo aver lavorato all’aperto, le persone avevano bisogno di un luogo dove potersi cambiare, togliere gli stivali sporchi e appendere gli abiti da lavoro. Con il tempo, quella che era prevalentemente una stanza a parte, ha trovato spazio anche nelle case urbane, evolvendosi da un'area di servizio a un elemento di design funzionale e accogliente anche all'entrata.
All'ingresso di casa mia, tra l'altro piccolino e molto vicino alle scale, avevo sistemato una semplice scarpiera ikea, la Hemnes, a cui avevo sostituito i pomelli per darle un po’ di personalizzazione, uno specchio con cornice in ferro per un'occhiata prima di uscire e nient'altro. Due passi più avanti l'appendiabiti che diventava in un battibaleno una montagna di giubbotti e giacche a vista.
Essendo un open space, con divano e tavolo da pranzo nelle vicinanze, questa soluzione inoltre non mi ha mai convinto più di tanto ma soprattutto non mi piaceva fosse evidente che là c'erano delle scarpe. Lo spazio di un metro soltanto e la ridotta profondità di passaggio d'altra parte limitavano qualunque creatività, ma bisognava cambiare, cercavo fondamentalmente anche un carattere che si intonasse maggiormente al resto della casa.
Una mudroom ben progettata deve essere sia funzionale che esteticamente gradevole, lo scopo principale è mantenere l’ordine e, nel mio caso, dare una sensazione di accoglienza data la sua posizione a vista. Bisognava che riflettesse lo stile complessivo della casa con i colori neutri, i toni naturali, materiali caldi come il legno e accessori come cuscini e tappeti a rendere questo spazio integrato con il resto, infine doveva poi essere leggero e non troppo pieno.
If I look around, I realize once again that my husband is a saint. Over the years, he's been showered with so many ideas and suggestions for furniture changes that by now, as soon as he senses another one coming, fortunately, he starts laughing. A drawer of dreams slightly ajar, ready to explode, pulling out the latest solution from the hat—that’s the cyclical reality.
I must also say that getting him personally involved in building some furniture has made him discover the pleasure of woodworking and the satisfaction of creating something custom-made, which is no small feat, right? Two birds with one stone. 😁😉
When it comes to creating something together, like our recent transformation of the entryway, we are the perfect team: I design, he builds, and then I paint. Last week I mentioned the massive table we have under the porch—a two-meter by one-meter table—followed by a wardrobe in the living area, several drawers to close off sections of a bookshelf, and finally, fresh off the press, he installed beadboard in the entryway as the backdrop to what, with a bit of imagination, in my mind, has become a mini mudroom.
The term “mudroom” literally means "room for mud" and is a space typical of North American homes, designed to prevent mud, dirt, or snow from entering the rest of the house. It’s usually located near the entrance and is meant for leaving shoes, boots, coats, and other items before going further inside. Its roots lie in the tradition of rural homes, where it was born out of necessity: in country houses or farms, after working outdoors, people needed a place to change, take off dirty boots, and hang up their work clothes. Over time, this room found its way into urban homes, evolving from a service area to a functional and welcoming design element.
At the entrance of my home, which is quite small and close to the stairs, I had placed a simple Ikea shoe cabinet, the Hemnes, a mirror for a last look before heading out, and nothing else. A few steps ahead was an open coat rack, which quickly turned into a mountain of jackets and coats.
Over time, my eye became more trained, thanks to beautiful images from interior design magazines and Pinterest, and soon I came to the conclusion that my entryway, while not terrible, was perhaps a bit dull and predictable.
Since it’s an open space, with the couch and dining table nearby, this setup never really convinced me, especially since I didn’t like how obvious it was that shoes were stored there. A space of just one meter with limited depth restricted any creative freedom, but something had to change.
A well-designed mudroom should be both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Its main purpose is to maintain order, and in my case, to create a welcoming atmosphere, given its visibility. It also had to reflect the overall style of the house, with neutral colors, natural tones, warm materials like wood, and accessories like cushions and rugs to integrate the space with the rest.
What emerged is a little corner, nothing more, but cozy enough for the four of us. A beautiful hand-painted bench where we can sit to change our shoes, with beadboard painted in a greige color as a backdrop, and a vintage mirror I bought from an elderly lady who had kept it safely stored after her mother passed away.
And the shoes? They’re stored in a versatile industrial-style chest next to it, made of steel, which in its simplicity hides just enough for daily use without revealing its contents.
Now, every time I glance toward the entrance, I see that even small changes can make a big difference. In the end, a space reduced to the essentials but well-organized has improved both the order and the warmth of the house with a mix of practicality and style. Now, there’s a perfect spot to handle the daily routine with a bit of extra functionality.
If I look around, I realize once again that my husband is a saint. Over the years, he's been showered with so many ideas and suggestions for furniture changes that by now, as soon as he senses another one coming, fortunately, he starts laughing. A drawer of dreams slightly ajar, ready to explode, pulling out the latest solution from the hat—that’s the cyclical reality.
I must also say that getting him personally involved in building some furniture has made him discover the pleasure of woodworking and the satisfaction of creating something custom-made, which is no small feat, right? Two birds with one stone. 😁😉
When it comes to creating something together, like our recent transformation of the entryway, we are the perfect team: I design, he builds, and then I paint. Last week I mentioned the massive table we have under the porch—a two-meter by one-meter table—followed by a wardrobe in the living area, several drawers to close off sections of a bookshelf, and finally, fresh off the press, he installed beadboard in the entryway as the backdrop to what, with a bit of imagination, in my mind, has become a mini mudroom.
The term “mudroom” literally means "room for mud" and is a space typical of North American homes, designed to prevent mud, dirt, or snow from entering the rest of the house. It’s usually located near the entrance and is meant for leaving shoes, boots, coats, and other items before going further inside. Its roots lie in the tradition of rural homes, where it was born out of necessity: in country houses or farms, after working outdoors, people needed a place to change, take off dirty boots, and hang up their work clothes. Over time, this room found its way into urban homes, evolving from a service area to a functional and welcoming design element.
At the entrance of my home, which is quite small and close to the stairs, I had placed a simple Ikea shoe cabinet, the Hemnes, a mirror for a last look before heading out, and nothing else. A few steps ahead was an open coat rack, which quickly turned into a mountain of jackets and coats.
Over time, my eye became more trained, thanks to beautiful images from interior design magazines and Pinterest, and soon I came to the conclusion that my entryway, while not terrible, was perhaps a bit dull and predictable.
Since it’s an open space, with the couch and dining table nearby, this setup never really convinced me, especially since I didn’t like how obvious it was that shoes were stored there. A space of just one meter with limited depth restricted any creative freedom, but something had to change.
A well-designed mudroom should be both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Its main purpose is to maintain order, and in my case, to create a welcoming atmosphere, given its visibility. It also had to reflect the overall style of the house, with neutral colors, natural tones, warm materials like wood, and accessories like cushions and rugs to integrate the space with the rest.
What emerged is a little corner, nothing more, but cozy enough for the four of us. A beautiful hand-painted bench where we can sit to change our shoes, with beadboard painted in a greige color as a backdrop, and a vintage mirror I bought from an elderly lady who had kept it safely stored after her mother passed away.
And the shoes? They’re stored in a versatile industrial-style chest next to it, made of steel, which in its simplicity hides just enough for daily use without revealing its contents.
Now, every time I glance toward the entrance, I see that even small changes can make a big difference. In the end, a space reduced to the essentials but well-organized has improved both the order and the warmth of the house with a mix of practicality and style. Now, there’s a perfect spot to handle the daily routine with a bit of extra functionality.
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