We couldn’t redo the whole laundry area and ignore our messy shoe situation. The side door into our laundry room is our most-used entrance, so it’s also where most of our footwear ends up (we try to keep shoes off inside the house). For years our “storage solution” was a shallow woven basket and a pile next to it—functional, but far from tidy.
That basket worked well at our old house, where it lived in a sunroom and fit the casual vibe. When it overflowed it didn’t create a tripping hazard because we had much more room to move around. In our new home, though, the laundry room is only 3’5″ wide, and we needed a neater, more intentional solution—something with concealed storage and a streamlined look.
We tried a cheap shoe shelf that once lived in Clara’s closet. It did the job better than the basket, but it still looked cluttered—especially since Clara treats shoes like toys and often scatters them around.
We decided concealed storage was the way to go. There are plenty of shoe cabinets on the market, including options from Ikea, but most were either too wide or too tall. Our space only allows 24″ of width, and we wanted anything we added to line up with the window sill to keep the room feeling cohesive with the built-ins.
We briefly considered building a custom unit from a plan on ana-white.com, but before buying lumber and committing to a build, a reader comment pointed us toward Ikea’s Retur recycling bins as an inexpensive, ready-made option that might work as shoe cabinets.
We went to Ikea and bought two Retur units at $19 each. They’re technically recycling bins, but their shape and tilt-out fronts are essentially identical to a shoe cabinet. Best of all, they are 23.5″ wide—perfect for our 24″ space. That slim width made them a great fit for small space organization.
There were a couple of compromises we accepted:
- They aren’t bright white—we decided the slightly different tone reads as white in the room and isn’t worth stressing about.
- They are plastic—while wood would look nicer in some ways, plastic is wipeable, durable, and better suited for shoes that can scuff and dirty surfaces.
One minor hiccup: each unit only included a single screw for mounting. After digging out our own screws and anchors, installation was quick—about fifteen minutes total. The units mount through pre-made holes in the back and require four screws and anchors each for a secure install.
The fit was almost uncanny. Paired side-by-side and set on the baseboard, the tops line up perfectly with the window sill and the width leaves a centimeter of breathing room on either side. Visually the units read as one continuous, low profile shelf that aligns with our other built-ins, making the room feel intentional and tidy.
Although they’re designed for recyclables, the Retur units store shoes very well. The tilt-out fronts conceal the clutter, and there’s even room underneath each unit for frequently used pairs. Because they stick out only about six inches beyond the door frame, the room feels more open than it did with the deeper basket or stacked shelf options we tried previously.
We’re thrilled with the result and grateful for the recommendation that led us to this quick, affordable shoe storage solution. Eventually we might personalize the fronts—paint, decorative paper, grasscloth, or colorful labels—but we’ll wait until the rest of the room is finished so we don’t make the space feel too busy.
For context, here’s our nearly finished laundry room checklist:
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 be back to share our homemade clothespin chandelier tomorrow morning
- Add a window treatment (maybe a homemade one?) <— might just frost it 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
What’s your go-to shoe storage? Do you repurpose a basket, bin, ottoman, or cabinet, or do your shoes end up wherever they land? Does your little one fling footwear around yelling “shoooooooooo”? We’d love to hear how you tame shoe clutter in a small laundry room or entry space.