Do you have this problem?

This really makes me nuts. You see, we have a lovely entry off the front door, with plenty of space inside for shoes, but NO ONE uses the front door. Seriously.

We also have a mudroom off the back door, with a basket reserved just for shoes. Guess what? No one uses the back door, either.

Everyone uses the side door that comes directly into our dining room. I HATE the messy pile of shoes that is always outside the door and have been trying to come up with a viable solution for some time. Well, yesterday I was walking to the store and our little gift shop had this wheelbarrow display case sitting out front for $35. They'd bought it to use as a display for the store, but it didn't work for them. (It still had the $149 price tag still on it)

What a perfect place to put shoes. It was cute as could be but the color, a pretty springy green, really clashed with the house. Still, don't those shoes look ever so much better on their shelves?

Today, I painted the doors on the house and went through my odball paints to find something to paint the little cart with. I showed dh my choice and he was confused because it didn't match the house. I mean, I have all this house paint, why wouldn't I just paint it with that? Honestly, I TRIED to explain that I didn't want it to "match" but rather, wanted it to "coordinate". I think he thought I was nuts.

Nonetheless, I think it turned out lovely. In fact, I think I might even use this color on the porch floor. (If I can figure out what color it is) Up until now, we were thinking the dark chocolate that is on the trim. But is shows dirt and dust terribly. What do you think?

Oh! I plan to reserve the top shelf for seasonal decor to make the shoes even less noticeable. Next trip to the store I'll grab some pumpkins to put up top.

You know, if you compare the pic before the cart and door were painted and the pic after they are painted ... isn't it amazing what a difference a few coats of paint and the right colors make?