mudroom design ideas
Mudrooms are an area of a house designed to be a barrier between your living area and the mud, grit and snow from the outside world. Acting as a bridge between your house and the great outdoors, mudrooms are typically located at the front door and occasionally the rear door as well. The idea behind the mudroom is to act as a store for muddy boots, wet jackets as well as hats and gloves during the winter season.
For something with so much prominence, mudroom is one of the most misused places of many homes. Most people use the mudroom as a temporary dumping ground for winter outerwear and tend to ignore its existence until it's time to leave.
There are, however, a few simple and inexpensive things that can be done to fix the state of your mudroom so it won't be in a constant state of clutter and disorganization. Here are a few:
The foyers and front entrances of most houses already have a side closet meant to store hats, gloves and winter coats. Unfortunately, this coat closet is rarely used because most people are under the impression that they are meant for use only by guests and not the people actually living the house. This sort of thinking leads to people dropping winter coats on the floor of their mudroom when there are perfectly good coat closets sitting empty next to their front doors. Put a stop to this but making full use of your coat closet and encourage everyone in your family to hang up their coats in the foyer closet as soon as they walk in the front door.
Considering adding hooks and purchasing a closet organizer with large shelves in which you can store gloves, hats etc. Smaller mudrooms without space for custom closet sets can make use of a simple clothesline suspended over one corner of the room to hold hats and mitts. Clothespins can be used to keep pairs of mitts together and fasten them to the line.
If your current mudroom setup is no meeting your family's needs, change it! Spend a little time evaluating what you need to do to organize the whole room. Clear out as much junk as you can from the mudroom and your mudroom closet - you'll be surprised at how much extra room you create this way. Improving the state of your mudroom doesn't always have to be an elaborate and time consuming process - sometimes it can be as simple as adding a few extra hooks.
Most mudrooms will have a limited amount of space to work with. Clear out your mudroom closet to squeeze out the maximum amount of space. Add a few shoe organizers and modular dresser like units to your mudroom closet - you will be amazed at how much new space you can create by simply rearranging your closet layout and sticking in a few storage boxes.
A mudroom's location is important. A mudroom located at the back of your house can be more spartan and functional than one built adjacent to your front entrance. A front entryway mudroom needs to be a friendly and welcoming space, as well as utilitarian.
Be careful with your choice of flooring when designing a mudroom. Choose the right kind of flooring that is easy to clean and not dangerously slippery when wet. A simple sea grass mat should suffice as a welcome rug. Sea grass mats are easily hosed off and are great at catching and dirt and grit from muddy boots.
As with the flooring, choose your wallpaper carefully. Vinyl wallpaper can be an inexpensive alternative to pricey water resistant paints. Not only is vinyl easy to wipe down with a sponge, it also comes in a variety of designs.
A well placed bench-cum-storage unit is an excellent addition to any mudroom. Make sure your mudroom bench has a hidden storage compartment at the bottom accessible through a hinged top. Make sure your mudroom bench is the right size for your mudroom, and does not block the entryway.
If you have small children, vary the height of hooks and install easy to reach shelves and baskets for tiny hands. For older kids and adults make sure there are enough storage bins for sports gear and outerwear. A small wall mounted shelf with key-hook and enough room for wallets, cell phones and purses can be excellent time savers.