We couldn’t leave the laundry room makeover without addressing our messy shoe situation. The side door to our laundry room is the most-used entrance, so it naturally became a dumping ground for footwear—since we try to keep shoes off inside the house. Until now our “storage solution” was a shallow woven basket from Bed Bath & Beyond (and a pile next to it that I’m not even photographing because I don’t want to prove we’re total chaos).
That basket worked fine in our old house where it sat in the sunroom and suited the casual vibe. When it overflowed, it didn’t become a trip hazard on the way out the door or when heading to the washer because the space was much larger.
Now we’re dealing with a 3’5″ wide room and needed something that felt orderly and concealed. We briefly tried a cheap shoe shelf that once lived in Clara’s closet at our first house (originally from Target).
It wasn’t terrible—especially if we’d taken the time to notch out the back so it fit around the baseboards—but it didn’t solve our biggest problem: Clara treats shoes like toys. They quickly ended up scattered and unusable.
So we agreed that concealed storage was the way to go.
There are plenty of shoe cabinet options out there, including several at Ikea, but nothing we found fit our strict size constraints: we only have 24″ to work with and didn’t want anything taller than the window sill so it would look streamlined next to the built-ins we installed.
After a few dead ends we considered building a custom cabinet from plans on ana-white.com, which offers great free furniture tutorials. Before committing to buying lumber and worrying about how durable a DIY would be, a timely comment from Roberta pointed us to an affordable, ready-made solution: Ikea’s recycling bins.
Turns out the Retur recycling bins are essentially designed like a narrow shoe cabinet. We found them at Ikea and came home with two—one for each side of the space—at $19 apiece.
They didn’t show up in our earlier searches because they’re listed as “recycling bins,” but their 23.5″ width made them a perfect fit for our 24″ niche. We were willing to overlook a couple of things: they weren’t a perfect match of bright white (they still read as white in the room), and they’re plastic rather than wood. In this case, plastic felt practical—easy to wipe clean and hard to ding or scratch from everyday use.
- They weren’t bright white (they still read as white in the room, and we’re not obsessive about a perfect match).
- They were plastic (but wipeable and durable for shoes).
One minor annoyance: between the two units, Ikea only included one screw for hanging. After digging out some of my own screws and anchors, installation was quick and easy—about fifteen minutes total. Each unit required four screws/anchors through pre-made holes in the back.
Clara hasn’t touched them yet—probably because there are no knobs to pull on—and the height worked out beautifully. Stacked on the baseboard, the top of the units is perfectly flush with the window sill, creating a continuous, streamlined shelf that visually ties into the built-ins on the opposite wall. There’s about a centimeter of breathing room on either side, so the units look intentionally centered between the door and the sill.
The recycling bins store shoes very well, including room underneath for frequently used pairs. The narrow depth—only about six inches past the door frame—means the room actually feels more open compared to the previous bulky basket or stacked shelf.
We’re really pleased with the result and grateful to Roberta for the suggestion. At some point we may dress them up—paint them, add decorative paper, grasscloth, or colorful labels—but we’re waiting until the rest of the room is finalized so we don’t risk making the small space feel too busy. The room is only as wide as a bathroom stall, so restraint is key.
Here’s our almost-completed laundry room to-do list:
Paint the odd brown quarter round near the baseboards glossy whiteRedo all the dinged up trim (also in semi-gloss white)Paint the wallsReplace our dryer hose with a safer all-metal oneAdd adjustable built-in shelving in the nook next to the stacked washer & dryerPrime & paint the upper cabinetryReplace the hinges and knobs on those upper cabinetsHang the ironing board to obscure the giant metal fuse box- Get a new light fixture <- we’ll share our homemade clothespin chandelier soon
- Add a window treatment (maybe a homemade one) <— we might frost the window when we convert the carport to a garage
Add other functional storage near the door for shoes, Burger’s leash, etc.- Hang some art to keep it cheerful
Now it’s your turn: what’s your favorite shoe storage solution? Do you repurpose baskets, bins, ottomans, or cabinets? Or do shoes usually end up wherever they land? Does your toddler fling them while chanting “shooooo!”? Tell us how you tame the shoe chaos.