Closet to "Mudroom" Transformation

I've mentioned before how much I hate our front entry and closet. The space is just too small to work properly - that and the closet door opened into the room further bottle necking traffic.

Could have sworn I had a better picture. I'm standing in the front door frame to take this and there is no space to the left. The closet door opened to the right into what is the size of a doorway leading into the living room.

Well, we solved that problem. Awhile back when Beth at Home Stories A to Z was talking mudrooms, I told her my dream was to turn my closet into a a pseudo-mudroom, and I finally did it!

First we took the bi-fold door off and removed the track. Easy peasy. We knocked the shelf out and removed the hanging rod.

The inside was painted to match the rest of the room and the holes left by the rod where patched and sanded. 

Bad pictures! Sorry.

Mateo used scrap wood cut to fit the holes and then some putty and sanding to smooth it out.

The harder part was the bench. The back of the closet near the floor is angled because it sits over the stairs to the basement. So Matt had to build around that and close it in so it was hidden. He also wanted it to be strong enough to hold the monkey boys who were bound to climb up on it.

Some priming, caulking and painting, and viola! the bench was white. We added five double hooks for hanging coats and whatnot.

The sign was a gift from my parents. It reads: Please excuse our messy house, the kids are making memories.

I'd like to get a different basket, actually, something a bit smaller so I can have two. I'll use those in the winter for mittens and hats and whatever other odds and ends need a home.

The basket is angled and sticks out a bit too much. It's hard to see in the picture.

I did not remove any walls, and yet it feels so much more spacious at the entry. It feels usable now too. The bench can hold purses or other items. Using a hook is so much faster than a hanger, so it should help flow issues.

Color info: The walls are Coventry Gray by Benjamin Moore and the Trim is Mayonnaise by Benjamin Moore (but I actually had that color matched at Home Depot in Behr paint).