We couldn’t tackle the laundry area makeover without addressing our messy shoe situation. The side door into our laundry room is the entrance we use most, so it’s also where most footwear ends up—since we try to keep shoes off inside the house. Until recently our “solution” was a shallow woven basket from a bedding store—plus a pile next to it (not pictured, because I don’t want to shatter the illusion that we’re tidy).
That system worked well in our old, larger sunroom where the basket fit the casual vibe and an overflow didn’t create a trip hazard. But in our new, narrower 3’5″ laundry room we needed something that felt more organized and compact. We dug up a cheap shoe shelf that used to live in Clara’s closet, but while it worked, it wasn’t ideal. The open shelving meant shoes became toys for our little one and quickly looked chaotic.
We decided concealed shoe storage would be a better solution. There are plenty of good shoe cabinets on the market, including several from Ikea, but most were either too wide for our 24″ wall or too tall for the window sill height we wanted to match with our built-ins. We considered building a custom cabinet from plans, but before buying lumber we discovered an affordable, ready-made option thanks to a commenter’s tip: Ikea’s Retur recycling bins.
Retur is technically a recycling bin, but it’s designed very much like a shoe cabinet and its 23.5″ width fit our 24″ space almost perfectly. We bought two identical units for $19 each and installed them side by side. Their plastic finish isn’t bright glossy white, and they’re not wood, but the wipeable surface is practical for shoes and less precious than painted wood. The bins are durable and easy to clean, which is ideal for everyday footwear.
Installation was simple. Although they only included one screw per unit in the box, we used our own screws and anchors to secure each unit through the pre-made holes in the back. It took about fifteen minutes total, and once installed the units sat perfectly on top of the baseboard with the top edges flush with the window sill. There’s about a centimeter of breathing room on either side, so the cabinets look intentionally centered between the door and the sill.
The result is a visually clean, continuous line along that wall, connecting the built-ins to the new shoe cabinets. Despite being intended for recyclables, the Retur units store shoes very well, including room underneath for frequently used pairs. They only protrude about six inches beyond the door frame, making the narrow room feel more open than the bulky basket or stacked shelf we had before.
We’re thrilled with this inexpensive, narrow shoe storage solution. It keeps shoes out of sight, reduces clutter by the door, and prevents small hands from emptying piles of footwear across the floor. In the future we might dress up the fronts with paint, decorative paper, grasscloth, or simple labels, but we’ll hold off until the rest of the room is complete so the look remains balanced in this small space.
Here’s where the laundry room stands now—an almost-complete checklist of improvements:
- Paint the odd brown quarter round near the baseboards glossy white (done)
- Redo the dinged trim in semi-gloss white (done)
- Paint the walls (done)
- Replace the dryer hose with a safer all-metal one (done)
- Add adjustable built-in shelving in the nook next to the stacked washer & dryer (done)
- Prime & paint the upper cabinetry (done)
- Replace the hinges and knobs on the upper cabinets (done)
- Hang the ironing board to obscure the fuse box (done)
- Get a new light fixture — homemade clothespin chandelier coming soon
- Add a window treatment — possibly frost the glass when we convert the carport to a garage
- Add other functional storage near the door for shoes, leashes, and gear (done)
- Hang some cheerful art
Now it’s your turn: what’s your go-to shoe storage solution in a small entry or laundry area? Have you repurposed baskets, bins, ottomans, or cabinets, or do shoes tend to pile up where they shouldn’t? Do kids fling them in all directions shouting “shooooo!”? We’d love to hear practical, space-saving ideas for narrow spaces and household tips that keep shoe clutter under control.