Coat Closet (of sorts)

None of the 3 urban homes we tried to buy had coat closets!! Believe it or not! Talk about a modern home feature you take for granted.  I remember as a kid going to people's houses that lived near where we do now and the master bed always being the make-shift coat closet.  While we'd love to add one when we expand or have a space for a large wardrobe near the door, what we have now works remarkably well.  

There are 2 coat racks behind the door which still has full clearance to open.  The leather bench beneath the window opens to house our purses, helmets, diaper bag and hats, gloves, and scarves.  It also doubles as great seating.

Here you can see the lower rack for little people gear that is also a great learning tool.

Thanks to a basket divider, the bench stays pretty-well organized.

Skoghall

Gesundheit!!  No, it's not a sneeze, just another oddly named Ikea product.  It has been mind-boggling how many Ikea products we have purchased recently as most people try to move away from it rather than back to it in their 30's and 40's.  The sad but honest truth is that no one gives more options for small-space organized living than Ikea, and at great prices too.
Today I wanted to share a quick post about a space-saving great that would work for even the non space-challenged.  

Ben's jammie pants are drying after he tried to hop in the shower with me:)

The Skoghall over-the-door laundry bag has been amazing for us.  We no longer need bulky laundry baskets taking up space in both our closets and the dual compartments make sorting a breeze.  Additionally, there are no more clothes left just outside the basket leaving me to wonder whether they are clean or dirty.  We are talking full-fledged commitment here people! And my boys pre-sort the laundry for me too!  Sadly, you can't get it online but if you venture to a store it is about $10 and available in black, red and white.

(afterthought-eeeeee! talk about airing your dirty laundry for all the world to see!)