I’ve been wanting to make my mudroom a little more exciting, and I was inspired by a photo I saw in HGTV magazine. In the photo, the entry was painted in black and white horizontal stripes. I decided to do the same! Here’s an Instagram photo I recently shared. (BTW – I’d love for you to follow along with me on Instagram.)
Here’s my (very white) mudroom area before the stripes:
I went with horizontal stripes like in my inspiration photo. I always use Frog Tape for these types of painting projects. It really is the best painter’s tape out there and helps with seepage.
Want to know more about painting stripes? Click HERE.
After all the taping was done, I used black paint and added the stripes:
And here’s a photo of the after!
I added artwork and a mirror from Hobby Lobby, a pretty wooden “vent” I pulled from a family barn, and a family canvas photo. The shoe cubby in the middle of the room was an old mail sorter I found at a local antique shop. (UPDATE 12/21/15 – FREE plans are now available for this mail sorter turned shoe cubby. If you want to make your own, visit Remodelaholic.)
I was told it was in our town’s original post office, and I have a tutorial for the DIY chalkboard calendar you can see HERE.
I have to admit this was NOT the afternoon project I had envisioned. After I was done adding the black stripes, I had some touching up to do and (after trial and much error) realized I didn’t have the white color the previous owner had painted the mudroom. Stupid me tried three different whites that were left behind, and none of them matched the current white. I had white blotches everywhere, and it was driving me mad (although it doesn’t take much)! So, I repainted the white stripes AND the entire mudroom. My afternoon project turned into an afternoon, evening, and late into the night/early morning project.
I replaced the white with a color I’ve used throughout my home: Valspar’s Cincinnatian Hotel Briggs Beige. (Want to see more about this color and other colors in my home? Click HERE.) I loved the previous white, but it was already getting pretty dirty and wasn’t practical for a mudroom and three kids.
Phew. That was WAY more work than I thought I signed up for. BUT, it was worth it!
Go create something!

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*Special thanks to Melody Carpenter of Carpenter Photo for the beautiful photos after photo and shoe cubby photo.