Drop Zone Makeover {Back to School Organization} Before & After

It’s back to school season! It’s the perfect time to re-think the “drop zone” to organize back packs, shoes, coats…all the things that get unloaded when walking in the door. 

before and after back door drop zone area makeover

As a part of the Lowe’s Creative Ideas team, one of this month’s challenge options included a back to school organization theme. Since my sister is still recovering and her little one will be  starting pre-school in a couple of weeks (AND her birthday is right around the corner),  I surprised her with a 6-hour back door entryway makeover. 

Here are the before pictures: this little space just wasn’t functioning well as an organized drop zone with storage options. 

back entryway makeover beforeback entryway makeover beforeback entryway makeover beforecoat rack before

First up, we emptied the area then I freshened up the walls with paint to give the space more light and a bigger neutral vibe. I used Valspar Signature (Paint + Primer). Color is silver leaf. Isn’t it pretty? Just a touch of a gray-blue tint. Best part? It covered up the raspberry-painted paneling in just two coats. 

back entryway makeover beforeback entryway makeover beforeback entryway makeover before

While the paint was drying, I assembled the furniture consisting of a storage bench and cubby shelves. I even had a helper…

back entryway makeover before

Once the paint was dry (use a fan to speed along the drying process), I added some coat hooks for back packs, coats and hats. Using a level (and screwing into the walls studs/using wall anchors) to secure the coat racks.

Since the previous window treatment on the door wasn’t a good fit, I replaced the curtain on the door with a new roman shade.

Once more, the before when opening the door…

back entryway makeover before

After… 

entryway after at diyshowoff.comentryway makeover "after" at diyshowoff.comentryway makeover "after" at diyshowoff.comentryway makeover "after" at diyshowoff.com

 

Then added in some pretty accessories and wall art.

entryway makeover "after" at diyshowoff.com

 

And now…the room feels bigger, fresher, prettier.

entryway makeover "after" at diyshowoff.comentryway makeover "after" at diyshowoff.com

My nephew started adding his shoes to bins and hanging his backpacks the minute we finished up. No more hunting for lost shoes and his backpack is ready to go. He also grabbed his ‘camera’ to take a few shots of his own. 

entryway makeover "after" at diyshowoff.com

My DIY and photography assistant for the day…entryway makeover "after" at diyshowoff.com

I’m considering incorporating a cork board for displaying his papers and drawings to the basement door. A project for another day. 

Get the look!

Fresh & Fun Drop Zone Design Board @diyshowoff

DIY drop zone makeover at diyshowoff.com

I received a Lowe’s gift card to put towards this challenge. Opinion and above idea is 100% my own. More DIY ideas at Lowe’s Creative Ideas or follow Lowe’s on InstagramPinterest and sign up for the Creative Ideas magazine and app.  

LCI Summer Badge

11 Room Makeovers – That DIY Party Highlights

Each and every week I am so excited to see the DIY projects linked up. I’ve fallen behind on That DIY Party Highlights so here’s are some favorites in an effort to catch up. Take a look at these awesome DIY room makeovers and stay tuned for more DIY highlights!

11 room makeovers - That DIY Party Highlights - diyshowoff.com

Room and Space Makeovers

Stunning before and after bathroom makeover at Nest of Bliss

amazing bathroom makeover at Nest of Bliss

Beautiful bathroom before and after makeover at Creating Style from the Soul

bathroom makeover at Creating Style from the Soul

and an awesome modern bathroom makeover at HomeComing

awesome bathroom makeover at HomeComing

 Gorgeous entryway before and after reveal at Creatively Living Blog

GORGEOUS entrywall reveal at Creatively Living Blog

Fabulous DIY mud room unit and reveal at Maison de Pax

organized mud room at Maison de Pax

A pretty and relaxing back porch at Our Home Away from Home

pretty back porch at Our Home Away from Home

 Gorgeous tile (and great tiling tutorial) in the stunning kitchen at Primitive & Proper

kitchen tile at Primitive & Proper

Drooling over the beautiful materials in this pretty kitchen makeover at Home + Style Report

beautiful kitchen reveal at homestylereport

 Adorable woodland nursery at Living and Learning with Luisa

sweet woodland nursery at Living and Learning with Luisa

Sweetest little girl room makeover at Mommy is CooCoo

cutest girls room makeover at Mommy is CooCoo

Lovely craft room tour at Daisy Mae Belle

craft-room-tour at Daisy Mae Belle 

Show Off YOUR DIY at That DIY Party!

That DIY Party link party at diyshowoff.com

See and pin from original sources at That DIY Party Pinterest board

Craft Room Tour

Have you been following along the Craft Rooms and Spaces series hosted by Angie at Country Chic Cottage? It’s so fun seeing where bloggers create, getting ideas and motivation to maybe initiate some spring cleaning and organization in your own space?

DIY Show Off craft room tour

Thanks to Angie for the invitation to participate! I had no choice but to finally put things away. Here’s my chaotic craft room when I agreed to join the series…

craft room mess before

Yikes!

I’ve made some changes and cleaned things up for your arrival today. Ready for oodles of pics? There’s lots to see!

Craft Room at diyshowoff.com

Looking into the room from the hall (the resin button plaques on the wall are several years old, so no source to list).

Craft Room Tour at diyshowoff.com

One first thing you’ll notice is this room is PACKED full. But when everything is organized and tidy and in it’s place, its a great space for getting creative. The old farmhouse dining room table serves as a great workspace.

diyshowoff craft space

The skirt is sewn into simple custom sized rod pocket panels and attached using tension rods on 3 sides. I’m ready for an updated fabric/pattern but what I really love about the skirt is that it hides even more storage (things not so pretty to display, boxes of supplies and such) under the table. 

DIYShowOff Craft Room

The walls are lined with inexpensive shelving units, some tucked for a perfect fit against the back wall, providing TONS of storage and organization. A string of lights adds a fun festive feel.

DIYShowOff craft room tourdiyshowoff home officecraft room

A small DIY desk area holds our desktop computer, although I’m more inclined to work from my laptop in the living room most days. 

work space at diyshowoff.com

I love the mix of old crates, baskets and vintage finds for storing craft supplies, mason jars for scrap ribbon by color…

diyshowoff craft room storagecraft room organization at diyshowoff.comcraft paint storage at diyshowoff.comcraft room tourstorage for craft roomvintage craft room storage at diyshowoff.comcraft supply storage at diyshowoff.com

I recently added some shelves to the window for plants to bring some “life” to the space. 

diyshowoff craft room

 I love that this window sits low, close to the floor. The shelves add a little privacy (second floor) but still allow for lots of natural light to flood the room.

window plant shelves at diyshowoff.comwindow shelves at diyshowoff.comwindow succulents

I don’t remember where I got the light fixture (maybe Urban Outfitters years ago) but I really like the cage and sometimes clip cards or paint swatches there. 

craft room light fixture at diyshowoff.com

The walls are filled with a mix of fun frames collected over time, some with family photos, others just random art or thrift store finds and continues to grow here and there. 

gallery wall at diyshowoff.comCraft Room photo wall at diyshowoff.comCraft Room gallery wall

Pet Silhouette Art Tutorial

Framed Pet Silhouettes on Burlap

A DIY chalkboard + cork board + burlap message center helps keep ideas and schedules more organized. 

DIY burlap message centerCraft Room message center

A lot going on, right? A LOT of junk which I’ve unsuccessfully tried to downsize but perhaps one day I’ll grasp the truth that if I haven’t used it in 10 years, I probably never will but I’m still waiting for that day to arrive.

Craft Room at diyshowoff.com

Ready to see more craft spaces? Start the tour at here to see Angie’s super organized space. Or if you’re visiting from the creative room at Major Hoff Takes a Wife, welcome friends! I’m so glad you stopped by! Or following along and ready for the next awesome craft room tour on the list? Head over to Homemadeville!

craftroomtourbutton

Bathroom Makeover

The other day I shared the before and after bathroom transformation. I’ve gone from sitting and staring all day long at our recently finished open pantry (makeover here) to wanting to sleep in my new peaceful bathroom. Since the bathroom had was a nightmare before, ANYTHING would look good after. This is what we got with this old farmhouse…

Before – yikes!bathroom makeover before

And this is the potential I saw. I’m in love with the soft peaceful ‘after’ results! Bathroom Makeover

Bathroom Makeover Details at DIYShowOff

Paint: Those walls! Believe me, I did a good scrubbing but is there any better way to really clean up walls than applying a fresh coat of paint? Love this color! Valspar Pale Linen: Depending on light, sometimes it has a soothing blue tint, sometimes more of a gray/white tone but definitely a tranquil light blue color.

Vanity: The gorgeous Huntshire vanity with marble countertop and Talia faucet set from Virtu USA is the luxurious center of attention! Check out the beautiful detail and gorgeous espresso color.

Virtu USA Huntshire vanity

Metallics: Mixing the silver finishes like the brushed nickel faucets, polished nickel sconces, polished nickel vanity knobs, satin nickel curtain rod add just the right amount of bling!

Virtu USA Talia faucet - DIYShowOff bathroom makeover

The vanity comes with beautiful antique gold hardware which I’ll re-use on another piece of furniture since I swapped them out for these beautiful polished nickel knobs.

polished nickel knobs

Pottery Barn Bevel Mirror: Go big or go home! {Heavy! Molly bolts included.} The mirror’s beveled mirror frame is the perfect glamorous accessory reflecting light and the illusion of more space into this small bathroom. 

bevel mirror

Lighting: Drool-worthy. ::sigh:: Thanks to LampsPlus for the stunning lighting! {Hudson Valley Monroe polished nickel adjustable wall lights} These are just the icing on the cake, aren’t they? Definitely my most favorite fixture in my home!

Lamps Plus Monroe Adjustable Arm Sconce

Floor: I did this all by myself! Would you believe they’re vinyl tiles? Easy to install and grout (use grout for vinyl) gives it a look so similar to real marble but without the maintenance or cost and installed in just a few hours! Check back for the tutorial.

grouted vinyl floor tiles - diyshowoff bathroom makeover

 The tub and shower will get a makeover later this year. In the meantime, I “framed” the bathtub nook/shower curtain with curtains (difficult to photograph that side of the room!)…

bathroom curtains

bathroom makeover diyshowoff

Storage to the left of the bathtub/shower:

bathroom storage

Built in storage cabinet to the right…

bathroom storage cupboard

 Floating shelves and baskets provide more storage options. 

DIYShowOff bathroom shelves

Because there is no such thing as too many photos:DIYShowOff Bathroom MakeoverLampsPlus Monroe Adjustable Wall Sconce

Bathroom makeover - towel nookFarmhouse Wares soap gift set - diyshowoff bathroom makeoverDIYShowOff bathroom accessoriesDIYShowOff bathroom lighting from LampsPlusBathroom storageDIY bathroom makeovertowel hooks - diyshowoff bathroom makeover

For those of you asking about the button wall art, they’re about 10 years old and I can’t remember where I got them so I’m pretty sure they’re out of stock (it was probably somewhere like JoAnn’s) but here’s button wall art I spied on Amazon, if you love buttons: 

bathroom makeover - diyshowoff

I’ve received a lot of questions about some of the accessories and fixtures shown above. Here’s a source list. Click the images for to be redirected. 

DIYShowOff bathroom makeoverDIYShowOff bathroom makeoverDIYShowOff bathroom makeoverDIYShowOff bathroom makeoverDIYShowOff bathroom makeoverDIYShowOff bathroom makeoverDIYShowOff bathroom makeoverDIYShowOff bathroom makeoverDIYShowOff bathroom makeoverDIYShowOff bathroom makeoverDIYShowOff bathroom makeoverbathroom makeover at diyshowoff.comDIYShowOff bathroom makeoverDIYShowOff bathroom makeover - Valspar Pale LinenDIYShowOff bathroom makeoverDIYShowOff bathroom makeoverDIYShowOff bathroom makeoverDIYShowOff bathroom makeoverDIYShowOff bathroom makeoverDIYShowOff bathroom makeoverDIYShowOff bathroom makeoverDIYShowOff bathroom makeoverDIYShowOff bathroom makeoverDIYShowOff bathroom makeover

Still have a question? Let me know in the comment section and I’ll get right back to you. Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Don’t forget to swing by to enter to win the Virtu USA Dream Bathroom giveaway to get started on creating your dream bathroom makeover. Easy to enter, lots of prizes! 

Ready for some more bathroom makeover inspiration? Check out these awesome blog friends for more:

Linking up to: 

Pantry Organization Ideas: DIY Shelving, Storage & Styling Tips

Organizing a pantry doesn’t have to mean a full renovation. With a few DIY projects and thoughtful storage solutions, you can create a space that’s both functional and beautiful. Here’s how we transformed ours step-by-step.DIYShowOff Open Pantry before and after makeover

Did that space actually grow larger and taller with the addition of shelves or is it just me?

Planning & Inspiration

When we removed a pantry closet in our kitchen to move the refrigerator (more on that here), it decreased valuable storage space. What were we thinking?! What to do? Well, after much thought, the solution was to utilize an odd room/hallway to create more storage space. Lucky for us, that space exists in our home right behind the kitchen. Jackpot! Kismet. Fate. Whatever – it was finally time to make it happen!

The space is bigger than a hallway but six (6!) doorways make it too awkward to be a room. There are doorways opening to the kitchen, dining room, living room, old cellar stairwell, enclosed porch (original front door) and half bathroom. We walk through that room a gazillion times a day.

It’s approximately 6 ft. wide and 9 ft. long with 9 ft. ceilings. Ever since previous owners enclosed the front porch and re-routed the front door, this poor former entryway has been feeling forgotten. Perfect for some custom DIY industrial pipe shelving and a new job description as ‘open pantry’. 

Where is all started: The idea to one day call this area a pantry formed three years ago after drooling over this awesome pantry by Emerson Made on Design Sponge.Emerson Made open pantry

And then falling in love with this cool pipe shelving I spied at the Brick House…pipe shelving at the Brick House

inspired the transformation of this space…

Before: Pantry Space

before – boring, useless, a lamp for lightopen pantry before

Pantry Organization Projects

DIY Shelving

We built custom industrial pipe shelving to maximize storage and fit the space perfectly.

DIY industrial pipe shelving unit in pantry with wood shelves and black pipe frame for storage and decor

Storage Solutions

  • baskets

  • jars

  • containers

Labeling + Organization

  • chalk labels

  • grouping items

Styling + Finishing Touches

Pantry Organization Tips

  • keep frequently used items accessible

  • use vertical space

  • mix storage + style

  • don’t overfill

Shop Pantry Organization Essentials

(affiliate links included)

Final Result

Now: a functional beautiful open pantry area…DIYShowOff Open Pantry

with new paint, new lighting and DIY industrial pipe shelving. It’s a small space…no room to get a photo straight on of the monstrous pipe shelves but plenty of walking room even with 20 inch deep shelving. I love storing dried goods in glass jars too. 

Before from another angle…pantry area before

After…isn’t the industrial pipe shelving unit awesome?!DIYShowOff Industrial Pipe Shelving

It’s super convenient with it’s location right off the kitchen.industrial farmhouse pantry makeover

The shelves were designed to fit the wall to ceiling and floor space perfectly and to accommodate our microwave as well as dried goods and baskets. I’m still messing with getting it all organized but I loooove how this once awkward unused space is now functional and pretty! Hurray!

More photos: Notice all of the doorways?DIYShowOff Pantryfarmhouse pantryfarmhouse pantry decor

Custom design was also handy when working around the heat vent…Kitchen Pantry

Why yes, that’s still a little Christmas hanging around for another week or so. Thanks for noticing!Industrial Pipe Shelving

farmhouse industrial pantry lighting

  • Paint – inexpensive way to brighten up a room lacking natural lighting. (accent wall tutorial) Base wall color: Valspar Cool Grey. 
  • Lighting – The Allen + Roth fixtures from Lowe’s were super affordable at around $57/ea. but electrical wound up costing more than I anticipated due to labor charges because there was no lighting whatsoever in the space from the get go and an outdated electrical outlet. (We did attempt DIY but it was over our heads and I’m not referring to just literally!) The exterior track/wiring adds to the industrial charm.
  • Pipe shelving – DIY means custom to fit our space and needs. Not a cheap DIY but still more affordable than purchasing two manufactured floor to ceiling shelving units. I’ll share how we did in in a couple of days! Check back!
  • West Elm Fiesta Tile Printed Jute Rug
  • Flea Market Distressed Galvanized Metal Clock
  • IKEA Burken jars with lids
  • Large Seagrass Basket 
  • Petite Cow & Bull Cameo Plaques, set of 2
  • Grocery Sign 
  • Galvanized letter B – Hobby Lobby

DIY Pantry Makeover before and after

Related Posts

industrial farmhouse pantry makeover before and after

DIY INDUSTRIAL PIPE SHELVING TIPS & TUTORIAL

ACCENT WALL

easy painted accent wall

LIGHTING DETAILS

Industrial Pantry Light Details