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A Place for Everything: Thoughtful Storage in Emily Henderson’s Portland Project

We love when people improvise organizational work-arounds in their home and find artful ways ways to store their stuff. (This kitchen and this apartment come to mind as two especially compelling examples of those who make do with smaller and less-than-ideal homes.) That said, there’s nothing quite like taking a building down to its studs and rebuilding it to fit your lifestyle perfectly.

Designer Emily Henderson gets to do this for a living. A couple years ago, she wrapped up a gut renovation in Portland, Oregon, that is bright, airy, and brimming with modern farmhouse style. But what we’re most taken with is the highly thought-out storage in the mudroom and kitchen.

“I realized—finally—the utter joy of everything having a real place,” Emily tells us. “So after experiencing a truly organized kitchen and pantry during our two weeks of shooting there, the design team and I went back and thought out every inch of our newest kitchen project. Now, even our phones have a secret special place to charge.”

Let’s take a tour, shall we?

Photography by Sara Tramp for Emily Henderson Design.

Emily Henderson Portland Mudroom
Above: A side Dutch door opens into the mudroom, just off the kitchen. Open shelving and sturdy coat hooks make coming and going easy and efficient. Note the dog station to the left of the door, comprised of a hook for the leash and a tray to hold water and food bowls.
Emily Henderson Portland Mudroom Built-Ins
Above: A landing spot is key for any entry. Placed on the center shelf are in/out trays for mail as well as a designated spot for sunglasses, keys, and pocket change. The white enamel caddy (on top shelf) is by JLL Home, the faux leather bins by Hearth & Hand with Magnolia (now discontinued), and the darkened ash basket by Schoolhouse Electric. Rejuvenation has similar brass hooks.
Opposite the open shelving and bench are a butler’s sink and closed cabinets. (The faucet is from Kohler’s Purist line.) The utility closet is right next to the door, while a pantry closet was placed closer to the kitchen.
Above: Opposite the open shelving and bench are a butler’s sink and closed cabinets. (The faucet is from Kohler’s Purist line.) The utility closet is right next to the door, while a pantry closet was placed closer to the kitchen.
Emily Henderson Mudroom Utility Closet
Above: A must for an organized utility closet—hooks for storing brooms, dust pans, dusters, etc. The two-tiered cabinet organizer is by Made by Design, available at Target.
Emily Henderson Portland Mudroom Open Cabinet Pantry
Above: Metal organizers from Target’s Made by Design line make pantry organization a breeze. (See New & Noteworthy: A Line of Minimalist Home Goods, Coming Soon to a Target Near You for more attractive storage basics from the retailer.)
Emily Henderson Portland Kitchen
Above: The mudroom leads to this open kitchen. At right is the refrigerator (left) and another pantry.
 This pantry is for breakfast essentials only—cereals, teas, bread and, most important, a coffee station. “Most of us need a cup of coffee to feel like a person in the morning,” says Emily. “But the visual clutter on the counter isn’t always what you want. So having designated place for it that you can tuck away once you are fully caffeinated is amazing.” The wooden drawer inside holds tea towels.
Above: This pantry is for breakfast essentials only—cereals, teas, bread and, most important, a coffee station. “Most of us need a cup of coffee to feel like a person in the morning,” says Emily. “But the visual clutter on the counter isn’t always what you want. So having designated place for it that you can tuck away once you are fully caffeinated is amazing.” The wooden drawer inside holds tea towels.
Emily Henderson Portland Pantry Cabinet Open
Above: Emily’s favorite part of the kitchen? “It’s a toss-up between the enclosed counter for a cute but concealed coffee station and the extra storage racks on the inside of the cupboard door,” says Emily. “Both are game changers and inspired by deVOL kitchens (the kitchen masters). The racks on the back of the cupboard door really helps you be able to actually see what you have.” (We’re big fans of deVOL as well. Go here and here for our most recent coverage on the UK kitchen designers.)

Eager to learn about this mudroom/pantry area? Check out Emily’s blog for more details.

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