Weekend decorator: An old laundry room gets blown out to create a bold new cottage entryway  

A large door with side panels and a transom will brighten up this former pantry and laundry room turned entryway.  Photo by Supplied

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Dear Virginie, 

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We’re renovating our cottage and turning the former pantry and laundry room into a new entrance. It’s a small space that needs to feel welcoming and stylish but also needs to hide coats and shoes. Our cottage is four-season, and we often have a crowd visiting. Can you help me? 

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Shelley in Muskoka 

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Hi Shelley, 

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You’re asking a lot from a small space, but with smart planning we can make it all work. 

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Let’s start with the architecture and design of the room: If you’re adding a new door to the outside, make it as big as possible. If you have room for two sidelights and maybe even a transom on top, those will help the room feel bright and open, despite its small footprint. 

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I would then match that opening size as much as possible across the way, to what looks like the entrance to the main living area, creating a strong alignment between the two openings. That will give guests a sense of the space beyond the entryway and visually guide them into the larger rooms of the cottage. 

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Hint at the view beyond the cottage walls with this playful mural in subtle grey tones. Cradled in Clouds wall mural, $4.10/square foot, photowall.com Photo by Supplied 

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As for function, you’re going to need to design a lot of built-in storage to accommodate all of your needs. When planning the entrance, make sure to leave anywhere from 24 to 30 inches on at least one side of the room so you can build in storage and seating. It’s hard to tell the exact size of the room, but hopefully you have room to build two large armoires with seating in the middle on one side of the area. You can have these built by a closet or kitchen company, or you can modify Ikea wardrobe or kitchen components to make it work. You may even be able to find two off-the-shelf armoires that you can place on either side of a bench. My preference is to work with modular kitchen or closet systems, because you can make them look built-in and outfit the insides with drawers, shelves and rods to maximize storage, and configure it exactly how you want it. 

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One idea is to run a shelf from wall to wall that will serve as a seat, creating storage underneath it for shoes and boots, and install two storage pieces overtop of it, one on each end, that go from shelf to ceiling; you’ll need supportive legs underneath the seat to support the weight.  

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Set the shelf at 18 inches above the floor and place your cupboard boxes above it on either side.  

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You can make the seating nook more pronounced by adding a third cabinet that bridges the other two at ceiling height. Trim out the top, where the cabinetry meets the ceiling, with crown moulding or flat board to make it look built in. (This will also bridge the gap between cabinet and ceiling if your storage units aren’t quite tall enough.)  

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Create an entire wall of storage by installing these hooks in an interesting geometric pattern. Pillar hook, starting at $33, rh.com Photo by Supplied 

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Opposite, I suggest a wall of hooks, since most guests are uncomfortable opening up closets to hang their own coats. And hooks work well for kids, who tend to go for the easiest option; just make sure you install them at a height they can reach. If you have room, you could add a bench here if you choose not to create one on the storage wall and opt instead for a wall of cupboards.