New Table for the Front Hall

Here is the major problem with my front hall- I am lazy. When I get home all I want to do it get out of my boots/shoes and coat and get into some sweatpants. I have no place in the front hall to easily do that. There are usually boots and shoes all over the floor, which means that I can't open the closet door to put my coat away (I won't even get into how much stuff I move to get into the laundry closet). And even though I made this awesome chest for boot and shoe storage (and later painted yellow), it wasn't working out for a few reasons:
- The drawers are stiff and a pain to open
- I am too lazy to open drawers and put shoes away
- I don't want to put shoes in it when they are muddy/wet
- My feet are giant so shoes didn't actually fit well in it!

My front hall looks like this 95% of the time:

And that boot drawer?

Yaa....

So while I still think the little dresser is cute, it just simply isn't functional for the way I live my life. I decided I needed something open in this space- a small table that was open underneath for boots. Placing boots under a table is a step I can accomplish on my path to sweatpants! I considered a shelf, but I liked the look of a piece of furniture more.

The only problem with this plan is how small the nook is- I was looking for something roughly 13" deep (but could go up to 15"), under 26" wide, and has at least 20" clearance underneath. An impossible challenge! After lots of interneting, I was pretty sure I would have to build something and I am not a very handy person so that would mean work for my poor dad. And he doesn't have a garage so sawing is really more of a summer project.

However, earlier this week I was in North York for work and I stopped in at a Winners- and they had a table that was close to the right size, but wasn't in great shape. Plus I was all the way up in North York so too hard to get home. I didn't get it, but it gave me hope!

I should mention an awesome tip my mom gave me- to carry a mini measuring tape in your purse! She got hers in a Christmas cracker and I got mine as a promotional item so I don't know where you can buy them, but it is so handy when you need something in a specific size. I keep measurements of key areas in my phone in case I run across an item that may work for a space.

Anywho, my Winners trip gave me hope so over the course of a week I checked 2 more Winners and a HomeSense, but I didn't find anything until I went to Marshalls yesterday! Marshalls had a table that was- get this- 13.75" deep and 26" wide with enough height underneath! And it was wood, which is what I was aiming for. As an added bonus, the table only weighed a couple of pounds so I was able to carry it home vs shelling out for a cab or calling in a favour from a friend with a car.

I always find it funny when I take furniture on the subway (previously I brought home my yellow plastic muskoka chair  that is on the balcony!). And this time I was taking it during rush hour- not a good plan. The subway wasn't too bad because it was actually quieter that usual (and a nice lady complimented me on my table!), but the bus was a different story. I got on at the first stop, which is less busy so I got a single seat, but when it gets to Union Station the bus becomes a reenactment of a sardine can- can't exactly have a table taking up room! So I managed to fit it around me like this:

(That's me giving a thumbs up to my plan)

Worked like a charm! If you ever need tips on moving furniture around the city on TTC, I am totally becoming a pro.

And now I have a new table!

I don't know if I am totally crazy about the dark finish, but I like the details on it and wood is always paintable! Much nicer than anything I could ever make, that is for sure :). And I can fit three pairs of boots easily underneath it. I need to make some boot stuffers to keep them upright (I am eyeing something like this from Michelle at SweetSuite10).

I moved the rug over so it would be under my boots, but this doesn't work at ALL because it gets caught under both doors. I will just pick up a plastic boot tray thing from the dollar store and move the rug back to the right side of the space. Eventually I may have to replace the rug, but I am OK with that because it had a good, long life. It is hard to find a good thin rug, so we shall see.

I still have a lot more organization to do in this space in order to make it more functional for my lifestyle, but I think I am well on my way!

PS- Pewter the Cat is going to go home this weekend. I am gonna miss the little bugger, but I will be glad to sleep in past 6am and not be sneezing all the time! And even as I write this he is ALL OVER the computer, so I will also be thankful to get my computer time back. :)