When I was little, my Dad would go on and on about us not leaving stuff in the middle of the floor and “blocking the pathway.” It was not remotely endearing and made me feel a case of the crazy coming on every time.
Y’all! It must be genetic because now that I am a grown-up, I share his deep-rooted dislike of having stuff on the floor!
I hate having to move stuff to vacuum. Or accidentally suck stuff up with the vacuum. Or step on something and break it. Or step on something break myself.
Seriously. I will do ANYTHING to store stuff not-on-the-floor.
My kiddos hampers? They are wet bags that hang on their doorknobs.
Their beds/desks/bookshelves? Loft beds with build-in desks and bookshelves from College Loft Beds.
Our living room shelves? Suspended from the wall with anchors so strong they could hold elephants.
So when my girls would come home from school and dump all-the-things on the floor, I felt an old familiar case of crazy coming on.
I couldn’t scold them for not hanging their coats up, as they are both currently too fun-sized to reach the rod in our entryway closet. And there was no logical home for their backpacks beside the floor beside the front door.
I needed something low-to-the-ground that they could use without my assistance.
Not ON the ground, of course, because see above rant.
I was recently inspired by a wall-mounted hook rack that one of my client’s kiddos use to hang up their coats and backpacks. I spent days (not kidding) looking at every prefabricated, wall-mounted option on the market, but nothing seemed right for our iddy-biddy space.
Enter the WALL O' KNOBS!
All you need is:
1. A whimsical assortment of cabinet knobs from your local hardware store.
Be sure to test them on a variety of different items you intend to hang before you fully commit aka open the hermetically sealed package and attach them to your wall.
2. Appropriately-sized “hanger bolts.”
These are magical hardware that turn the bolts of your cabinet knobs into screws.
3. Anchors that hold a monkey's butt-load of weight (unless you plan on attaching them to studs).
You don't want those puppies getting yanked out of your wall by a child who mistakes them for climbing wall, let me tell you!
4. A writing tool to mark where you intend to drill your holes.
5. A drill with the right sized bit.
This will involve math. You are on your own with that! Good luck and God speed!
Once you have swapped your bolts for hanger bolts, it's as easy as mark, drill, anchor and screw!
Friends.
I. Lerve. It.
Not only is there a place for their coats and backs, but now there is a new and improved spot for me to hang my pocketbook and keys.
Bonus!
Farewell to the ritual of dumping all the things on the floor upon entering the front door!
I don't miss you.