It’s hard to believe that we are already here, our final reveal of a modern farmhouse entryway. I think that is something I love so much about the One Room Challenge…it takes the whole renovation process and turns it into one big whirlwind fast, quick and then the next thing you know it’s over. With that being said we are beyond excited to show you all the fun things we’ve jam packed into this space.
But first, if you are finding us for the first time from the One Room Challenge, welcome! We are Danielle and Michael Gutelli, a husband and wife team and the faces, creators and business owners of Clark + Aldine. We are based in a small town in Michigan nestled between Detroit and Ann Arbor! On our site you’ll find all kinds of DIY project tips and tricks, our client projects, and bits and pieces of our everyday lifestyle including travel, food and family things! We hope you hang out with us and find some inspiration!

Now let’s get into it. If you missed out and need to catch up on the weeks leading up to todays post, make sure to check them out.
Week 1 – Project Concept + Mood Board
Week 2 – Demo + Project Planning
Week 3 – Custom Mudroom Build
Week 4 – Laundry Room Storage
Week 5 – Command Center
Now let’s take a nice walk down memory lane, shall we…here’s what this space looked like before we got a hold of it.
BEFORE





Aaaand here we are today!!!!
AFTER





Just a tiny difference…right! It’s hard to believe that is even the same space. We are proud to present to you our Otter + Howell One Room Challenge Modern Farmhouse Entryway. This space is jam packed with function, purpose and all the things you need to make your life that much better. Today we get to walk you though each element of the room and why we did all the things. And don’t you worry I’ve got you hooked up with all the sources linked at the very bottom of the post!
Let’s talk about this mudroom!!!! First I think everyone needs a mudroom in their life, period. It makes your life just that much more functional. We both love finding nooks and spaces inside everyones home to create just that. In this project we were fortunate enough to have an entire room to build out the perfect mudroom. It’s full of options for storage, thanks to Michael’s double shelving design for additional baskets! I found both baskets at Target!

You know, Target has become my favorite passing time. Just me and my thoughts strolling the aisles. The wire ones are going to be perfect for things you need to actually see, while the coiled rope baskets are exactly what’s need for basically anything you don’t want to look at all the time! I love how the two different textures play off each other in design and everyday function. It’s a win win for sure.
Speaking of textured we went with a textured backing for the entire mudroom area. The shiplap with these black hooks and this amazing stay a while word wood cut wall art sign from Feather and Birch create the perfect balance on this side of the room between modern and farmhouse in the mudroom area.

For the bottom of the mudroom we left the cubbies open. Each cubby perfectly fits these dog beds, allowing for the beds to be moved to any part of the mudroom area. I also love that multiple shoes can fit into the space and taller boots fit perfectly under the bench as well. You know, since we live in Michigan where the weather swings in any direction it pleases day by day. So if you aren’t gushing over the mudroom yet, you now can create it on your own as well! Here is the link to How to build your own mudroom! And as always Michael is available for any questions you have.

Since we made custom dog bed nooks inside the mudroom it only seemed natural to include a custom dog door, to keep those cute little pups inside when our clients aren’t home. For this door we used a vintage barn door that we cut in half. When we found the door it was slightly too big, so Michael cut it to size using his table saw. We also added these adorable dog bowls to the space. The hammered copper metal just elevates them to a whole new level and if they’re going to be out all the time they might as well be beautiful too!


Knowing the space gets a whole lot of traffic making the most out of it was essential in our planning process. Right next to the mudroom we create a household command center! What I love about this space is it houses everything you could need to help keep your life organized, on time, and of course you’ve probably already guessed it, but yes I’ll say it again FUNCTIONAL! Are you seeing a trend here yet?!?

Having a monthly calendar is key to staying on track and knowing just what is going on in your life. Yes, something you can actually see that isn’t in your phone. We love this one from Circle and Square Decor. Not only is it eye catching but it is a fully custom acrylic calendar. Plus, it works with dry erase makers! So naturally we needed a bin for all the colors. This one from Amazon fit nicely into our display. Knowing how much paper comes with mail and kids we went with 3 wall organizers. And because of this location, right off the garage, we added a key rack. Who wants to spend 15 minutes looking for where you last left your keys! Oh and to add to that we hung this clock to help keep everyone running on time….or at least closer to on time! Now if you want the full breakdown for the command center you can head over here! We’ve got all the steps broken down to your dream walls come true!

The last space here is the laundry room area. This one is what we like to call Pinterest Perfect with all the good detailing to make doing laundry not so bad…if that’s a thing. The first goal for this area was to create a beautiful folding table over the top of the front load washer and dryers. You guys can get all the details on how we made that happen right here!!! From there we wanted to create an easy sorting system for all the laundry because no one wants dirty clothing hanging out in their entryway!

We built these laundry basket nooks for easy in and out access, sorting, and storage on the side of the laundry machines. Michael built the shelving unit custom to fit these laundry baskets. Although you could customize the nooks to fit any basket you want! Along the other side we went with cubbies for the dogs or just more additional storage space. To give some added texture to this side of the room I found these seagrass baskets that I love! I felt the seagrass and gray really pulled this side of the room in with the mudroom!


On top of the fold table we wanted to have easy access to laundry pods and dryer sheets. We used these two Anchor Heritage Glass Jars in gallon and 1/2 gallon size. The large round basket next to them gets to house laundry detergent and sprays to help keep the folding counter clear of clutter and ascetically pleasing for everyone passing through! Above the folding table we made a space for a clothes hanging bar for all those items that just can’t be dried. This is where we added in another layer of metal too. The two upper cabinets are from Home Depot and we added this Emtek hardware to give them a richer feel. We also added crown molding around the entire space to tie everything in together.

The last decision made in this space was a rug. The reason we saved this for last was to help give us an idea of exactly how big we wanted to go and how we could add a whole new layer of dimention, personality and texture into the space. This rug from Overstock literally made me jump up and down when I found it. Not only does it give all kinds of happy vibes looking at it, the rug perfectly marries our client’s kitchen space with the entryway! They have a stunning navy blue island that can be seen just outside this space. We ended up going with a 5×7 rug to help fill the space and create a stunning focal point between the laundry room and mudroom area!
We are seriously in love with how this space all came together. And I am pretty sure I could post about 100 more pictures to give you that idea. But we will leave you with this, a full list of all the items we’ve sourced. Please reach out if we missed something you are looking for!

Paint + Stain Sources
Wall Color – Sherwin Williams Origami White
Trim Color – Sherwin Williams High Reflective White
Wood Stain – Varathane
Mudroom Sources
Wire Baskets – Target
Round Baskets – Target
Hooks – Target
Stay Awhile Sign – Etsy
Dog Beds – Target
Dog Bowls – Target
Rug – Overstock
Light – Amazon

Command Center Sources
Calendar – Etsy
Clock – Target
Cork Board – Amazon
Key Rack – Amazon
Marker Holder – Amazon
Mail Organizer – Etsy

Laundry Room Sources
Laundry Baskets – Target
Seagrass Wicker Baskets – Target
Anchor Heritage Glass Jar 1/2 gallon – Target
Anchor Heritage Glass Jar gallon – Target
Round Woven Seagrass Basket – Target
Clothes Hanging Bar – Target
Cabinet Hardware – Amazon

OH, and one last thing! Don’t forget to check out all the other AMAZING participants in this seasons One Room Challenge. Simply click the picture and we’ll link you right there!

Until next time!
Much love-
Danielle + Michael



Leave a Reply to Mary K Hunnicutt Cancel reply