Divide and Conquer in order to Organize

Divide and conquer.  That’s the motto I use pretty much daily when it comes to my two kids.  Attempting to get the two of them to share space on a regular basis without continuous arguing is futile.  And, my first oh-man-I-got-a-nail-gun project was built specifically to help conquer the morning/afternoon battle over whose backpack/jacket was hanging on the back of whatever chair first.  Why it matters I have no idea, but apparently my children’s outerwear and school gear were never meant to share space e.v.e.r.  So to help organize and smooth out our morning ritual I built this entry shelf from a modified plan found on Ana-White.com.  The only wall available was too  short to work with the shelf in the original plan, so my build is close to 10″ inches shorter in length and only has two cubbies versus three.

And, as expected, the hooks have been equally divided with each having one on either end with the middle one shared.   I love the simple functionality of it.  The narrow design allows it to sit on a wall very close to our small dining area without interfering in the least with anyone as they sit or rise from the table.  Although, the depth did pose somewhat of a problem when it came to finding baskets that fit this slim design.  A problem I was forewarned of by reading all the comments left on Ana’s site by other builders (HIGHLY recommend reading through comments on any of the plans, LOTS of helpful hints and possible issues are shared).

My solution came in the form of mesh CD storage baskets.  These guys were the perfect height and width, just not the right finish.    I liked the fact that they were see through to keep things in plain site for the kids and to help me make sure items actually returned to the baskets each day.  Here’s what they looked like before a little spray paint in oil-rubbed bronze…

I purchased the baskets at The Container Store for $6.99 each and the hooks were found at my local Wal-Mart for a steal.  Only $2.97 each and they were already finished in an oil-rubbed bronze.    Sweet.  The spray paint and paint for the shelf was already on hand.  Some of the wood was leftover from previous projects, but the would I had to purchase was less than $20.  So for around $50 this little shelf brought peace less chaos to our school morning routine.