There's a great way for you to get a head start on all those new projects you've been meaning to try now that the new year is underway. Read on for a sneak peek of our "mudroom" and I'll introduce you to something great at the end of the post that I think you'll really LOVE hearing about.

January is typically a time for letting go of the old and bringing in the new. Like a new found resolve to exercise and eat better. Or the itch to start switching things up around the house and freshening up your décor after the holidays. I'm guilty on all counts.

My first project in the new year is to create a much-needed and longed-for "mudroom." Our house was built in the 1990's and it's never had an official mudroom. All we have is where you walk into the house from the garage straight into the family room. Boom. You're there. This has always driven me crazy. I will say that I was able to corral the kids' stuff when they were little into this L.L. Bean three-person locker of sorts.





It was originally for backpacks, coats, hats and gloves. And it worked beautifully for many years. But times change. Tastes change. Furniture changes. And kids get older. All of that can give you a new perspective on what a room's purpose should be. Well, at least part of a room, anyway.

Here's what our family room looked like when the house was up for sale last year.


It's exactly what you'd see when you entered from the garage. The kids' lockers would be on your right. It's the most-used entrance by far, and I've always had a hard time keeping it presentable. The couch and loveseat are Pottery Barn-slipcovered couches that are 15 years old. I loved the couches, but it was time they moved on to greener pastures. And once we decided to take the house off the market (yay!) Mr. CBD and I decided that it was time to update this room with a new sectional couch that would fit the whole family on movie night without a problem.

Here's the empty family room awaiting the new furniture delivery. You can see on the top left where the roof begins to slant. The room has very high vaulted ceilings.



And here's the new sectional couch, complete with chaise longue. We placed it up against the far wall you see in the starkly empty room above. Funny how a room can look completely different after you change the furniture!


I've been having fun trying to figure out which pillows work best, what kind of side tables would work for this sectional and what exactly to put on the walls. Also, what would work best on the ottoman to convert it into more of a table when necessary? Any ideas?

Along with the new couch I really felt the need to restructure the entrance way into something more mudroom-like, even though we don't have an official room delegated to the task. I thought I'd give you a sneak peek today, with the full reveal to come once it's officially done.







So as you can see, the transformation has begun. I can't wait till my vision for the family room and "mudroom" area start coming together. This seemed like the perfect project to start off the new year. Wish me luck with all the projects to come.