• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The DIY Mommy
  • Decor
  • DIY
  • Clean + Organize
  • Printables
  • Recipes
  • Life
  • The Academy
  • Shop My Home
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Decor
  • DIY
  • Clean + Organize
  • Printables
  • Recipes
  • Life
  • The Academy
  • Shop My Home
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Home Decor » Entry

    Creating an Entry Using a Cabinet as a Room Divider + Our Guest Cottage Update

    Published: Jun 30, 2016 · Modified: Dec 26, 2022 by Christina Dennis · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 8 Comments

    If you live in a smaller home, you'll know that having a lot of storage options in your house is really important. This is especially true in entryways where things tend to get dropped off and piled up - having a good entry storage system in place is always helpful! But what do you do if you don't have a closet or a wall near your entry? Let me share with you one great solution, and how we tackled this problem in our guest cottage.

    Use a storage or coat cabinet as a room divider to create an entry - black, white and wood farmhouse cottage entryway

    If you've been following along with me over the past couple of weeks, you'll know that we've decided to turn our old garage house (the home that we lived in for 7 years before we built our current home) into a guest cottage. You can read more about that right here. My parents will be our first guest cottage guests, and they've been doing a ton of the cleaning and organizing of the space right along with me!

    One large issue we had in the cottage was the entry. The front door opens up into a large open area which helps give the tiny home an open-concept feel, but there's nowhere to store anything. Also, the area beside the door that's opposite the living room isn't very functional when it's seen right from the entry:

    Guest-Cottage-Before-5

    The cottage entry before

    One solution to help define and provide more storage for an awkward entry is to use a floating cabinet as a dividing wall. That's exactly what we did here:

    Use a storage or coat cabinet as a room divider to create an entry - black, white and wood farmhouse cottage entryway

    The cottage entry after

    Now our little guest cottage entry looks like its own separate space, and there is a TON of storage for coats, accessories, footwear... and anything else our guests may want to store.

    The unit we used here is called the Chandler 4-Piece Coat & Storage Cabinet from The Brick, and it's such a great value for its price. This unit is really solid, and it has a really unique combination of doors, drawers, nooks and shelves.

    Use a storage or coat cabinet as a room divider to create an entry - black, white and wood farmhouse cottage entryway

    I built the majority of the unit myself, and then my dad helped me finish building the drawers. All of the hardware is really sturdy, and the espresso melamine finish is really pretty!

    Use a storage or coat cabinet as a room divider to create an entry - black, white and wood farmhouse cottage entryway

    When I was looking for a unit like this for the cottage entry, the Chandler caught my eye because of how practical it was. There's just so much storage potential! This piece was actually the inspiration for the entire black & white theme of the house - I wanted to paint the cottage walls in white and this cabinet came in this beautiful warm black. The extreme contrast is just so striking.

    Use a storage or coat cabinet as a room divider to create an entry - black, white and wood farmhouse cottage entryway

    When using a cabinet as a divider like this, make sure to anchor it safely to the wall, floor and neighbouring cabinets. Consult a professional like a general contractor to see what the safest way is to secure a floating cabinet in your space.

    Use a storage or coat cabinet as a room divider to create an entry - black, white and wood farmhouse cottage entryway

    We painted the back of the Chandler cabinet units with warm black latex paint so that they looked cohesive from all angles. Now, the space behind these is usable too! My parents are going to put their roll-top desk here and use this little nook as an office.

    Use a storage or coat cabinet as a room divider to create an entry - black, white and wood farmhouse cottage entryway

    The unit is three separate pieces, so you can arrange them in any order that works best for you. For us, it made the most sense to put the open hook unit right by the door so that bags and jackets can easily be hung here.

    Use a storage or coat cabinet as a room divider to create an entry - black, white and wood farmhouse cottage entryway

    Natural coloured baskets on top of the unit give the entry some warmth and a hint of farmhouse appeal, as does the vintage wooden chair.

    Use a storage or coat cabinet as a room divider to create an entry - black, white and wood farmhouse cottage entryway

    An old galvanized bucket filled with my mom's peonies is the perfect final touch for our new guest cottage entry.

    We're so happy with how easy it was to make this little entry so much more functional. Now it's on to the next space in our cottage renovation project!

    Have you ever used cabinets as dividing walls? What do you think of our new guest cottage entry?

    Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by The Brick. As always, all of the opinions here are my own. I only recommend companies that I use and love myself.

    More Inspiration

    • 6 small entryways with creative organization and space solutions.
      Small Spaces: 6 Entryway Ideas To Make A Statement
    • Before & After: Small Entryway Makeover in our Tiny Cabin
    • Before & After: A tiny mudroom gets a cheerful makeover!
    • How I Organize My Entryway - Ideas for Quick & Easy Organization

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sara

      June 30, 2016 at 10:42 am

      Ohmygoodness Christina! It's GORGEOUS!! Everything is turning out just perfectly! Wow!

      Reply
      • Christina Dennis

        July 06, 2016 at 7:58 pm

        Thanks so much, Sara! I am so happy with how this is turning out. My parents are really happy with the updates too! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Medina Grillo

      July 02, 2016 at 8:04 am

      Oh wow this is stunning! Love how it all turned out 🙂

      Reply
      • Christina Dennis

        July 06, 2016 at 7:58 pm

        Thanks so much, Medina!

        Reply
    3. Joann

      July 08, 2016 at 2:30 pm

      The whole space is so beautiful! Love the hooks on the outside of the cabinet doors. Great touch. My sister-in-law once did something similar to divide her family room from her entry. She used a unit which also held the tv.

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Our Guest Cottage Bedroom: A Small Space on a Budget in Black & White | The DIY Mommy says:
      July 7, 2016 at 1:07 pm

      […] the left of the entrance of our guest cottage (you can read more about the entry makeover here), is one small bedroom. The cottage has two bedrooms altogether, but now we’re using one as […]

      Reply
    2. Entryway Divider – Home Direct says:
      May 24, 2020 at 10:44 pm

      […] View Image More Like This […]

      Reply
    3. Creating an Entry Using a Cabinet as a Room Divider + Our Guest Cottage Update | The DIY Mommy – Home Redesign says:
      May 26, 2022 at 9:36 pm

      […] Creating an Entry Using a Cabinet as a Room Divider + Our Guest Cottage Update | The DIY Mommy — Read on thediymommy.com/creating-an-entry-using-a-cabinet-as-a-room-divider-our-guest-cottage-update/ […]

      Reply

    What do you think? Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome!

    Christina Dennis, The DIY Mommy

    I'm Christina and I'm sharing budget-friendly DIY & decor ideas to create a cozy home and life you love!

    Read more about me

    Latest Posts

    • Learn how to find FREE vintage botanical art to print at home. This is a fantastic, budget-friendly wall art solution!
      How to find FREE vintage botanical art to print at home
    • Build a Simple DIY Boho Picnic Table (Low Profile)
    • Modern coastal inspired bathroom renovation with marble tile, shiplap, gold and black accessories, clear shower door, blue and white colors & rattan accents
      Easy IKEA Makeover: DIY Painted Bathroom Vanity

    What's my home decor style?

    Discover the home decor style that best fits your personality and lifestyle. This two-minute quiz is going to give you the direction you need to start the big, bold room makeovers that you've always wanted to try!

    Find out now!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About The DIY Mommy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Terms of Service

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2009 - 2023 The DIY Mommy. "The DIY Mommy" is a registered trademark.