Sometimes, the smallest rooms make the biggest impression. Just ask Michelle Knutson (@michelleknutson), whose once-forgettable mudroom is now one of the most charming corners of her Nashville cottage. With a fresh coat of All The Sage, a few well-loved vintage finds and those gorgeous terracotta floors, Michelle transformed a plain white pass-through into a cozy, collected space that feels like it’s always been part of the home. 

Her secret? Embracing what was already there instead of starting from scratch. The result is a sage green entryway that feels warm, welcoming and full of character. 

Before: A Blank Canvas With Plenty of Potential 

Michelle’s home is a nearly century-old cottage that blends the relaxed, natural sensibility of her Los Angeles upbringing with the history and charm of traditional Southern homes. Since purchasing it about two and a half years ago, she’s been making thoughtful updates that honor the home’s original character while adding her own personality. 

Her design philosophy is all about creating spaces that feel collected over time. Think antique furniture, natural materials, earthy colors and pieces with a story to tell. Inspired by the English countryside, particularly the Cotswolds, Michelle gravitates toward interiors that feel classic, a little imperfect and comfortably lived in. The mudroom, however, hadn't quite caught up with the rest of the house.

“Before, the mudroom was basically a boring white box with one very redeeming quality: these incredible terracotta floors,” Michelle shares. 

The room serves as a passage between the kitchen and her covered patio, where she frequently entertains. It's also a popular route for her 12-pound Tibetan Spaniel, Poppy, who uses it to access her doggy door. While Michelle eventually plans to build a garage that will make the room a more central everyday entryway, she didn't want to wait for a future renovation to give it some personality. 

Because the mudroom is visible from the kitchen and much of the main living area, that blank white backdrop stood out more than she wanted it to. Her goal was to make the space feel intentional, interesting, and connected to the rest of the home. 

Finding the Perfect Match: All The Sage 

When it came to choosing a paint color, Michelle let the terracotta floors lead the way. Their warm, earthy tones were already a standout feature, so she wanted a shade that would complement them rather than compete. 

She sampled two colors, initially considering whether to lean into the floors' warmth or introduce contrast with an earthy green. Meet Cute was the first contender, but once it was on the walls, it didn't deliver the English cottage-inspired look she envisioned. Then came All The Sage. 

“I loved the relationship between the sage green and the warm terracotta. It feels a little unexpected, but also like it could have always been there,” she says. 

That's the magic of a well-chosen green. Sage has a natural, grounded quality that pairs beautifully with warm wood, clay tones and vintage pieces. Rather than making the terracotta floors feel like a separate design feature, All The Sage brings everything together.

And because the room doesn't receive much natural light for most of the day, Michelle wasn't looking for a color that would simply make the space feel brighter. She wanted something with depth and a personality of its own. 

All The Sage delivers on both. Throughout the day, it reads as a soft, earthy green, then takes on a different character when the room gets a burst of direct sunlight around sunset. It's a reminder that paint colors can be wonderfully dynamic, shifting with the light and the surroundings. 

After: A Sage Green Entryway With Character 

With the walls painted, the mudroom finally feels like a room in its own right instead of a space to hurry through. 

“I keep calling it my little jewel box art room,” Michelle says. “The color gave this tiny space a personality of its own and made all of the things I already loved, especially the terracotta floors, feel even more special.” 

The transformation wasn't about adding more stuff or taking on a complicated DIY. It was about choosing a color that made the existing elements shine. Suddenly, the floors, furniture, artwork and accessories felt like parts of the same story. 

The green also creates a natural connection to the outdoors, which feels especially fitting for a mudroom that opens onto the garden and patio. Instead of trying to make the room disappear into the background, Michelle gave it a reason to be noticed. Her biggest takeaway? Small spaces don't have to play it safe. 

“I think there’s an instinct to paint a tiny space white and try to make it disappear. This project taught me the opposite. Giving this little room a strong color actually made it feel more considered and complete.” Consider that your permission slip to go bold in the rooms you might otherwise overlook. 

The Finishing Touches: Vintage Finds and Natural Textures 

Of course, the paint is only part of the story. Michelle's collected approach to decorating gives the sage green entryway its lived-in charm, with every piece bringing a little history or connection to the outdoors. 

Her favorite vignette brings together three simple elements: an antique wooden bench, a garden basket and a pair of vintage hunter green rain boots. The bench was an estate sale find from her years in Los Angeles, while the basket has a practical purpose: collecting hydrangeas from her Nashville garden. Nearby, a meadow painting reinforces the room's nature-inspired feel without making the space look overly themed. 

Against All The Sage, these pieces feel cohesive without looking too coordinated. The green echoes the garden and the rain boots, while the terracotta floors and weathered wood add warmth and texture. Each element feels like it belongs, but nothing feels like it was bought just to match. 

“I love when a vignette looks beautiful but everything in it also has a life outside of being decor,” Michelle explains. It's an approach that makes the room feel personal rather than staged. And it's proof that a few meaningful pieces can go a long way when the backdrop is right. 

Your Reminder to Rethink Small Spaces 

Michelle's mudroom makeover is a great example of how paint can transform a room without a full-scale renovation. There were no major construction projects or elaborate DIYs involved. Just a thoughtful color choice, a few existing favorites and a willingness to give a utilitarian space the same attention as the rest of the home. 

Whether you're refreshing a mudroom, entryway, hallway or powder room, don't automatically reach for white just because the space is small. An earthy green can add depth, create contrast, and make even the most overlooked corner feel intentional. 

Start by looking at what's already in the room. Warm terracotta, natural wood, woven baskets and vintage accents can all help guide your color choice. And if you're deciding between a few shades, try swatching them in the space to see how they interact with your finishes and change throughout the day. For Michelle, All The Sage was the missing piece that made her cottage's existing charm come together. 

The mudroom still does exactly what it's always done: connects the house to the patio, collects muddy boots and serves as Poppy's personal highway. It's simply a lot more beautiful now. 

And honestly? That's a pretty perfect makeover. 

Ready to give your own small space a little personality? Explore All The Sage and discover how the right shade of green can turn an everyday entryway into a space worth showing off. 

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