With the onset of winter months, rain and snow, the Mudroom gains importance to the household. The majority of homes today have a transition area from the outdoors. Some are large and some are not. But the mudroom of today is very different than its predecessor. It now functions as the organizational center for busy families. Often this area is also a laundry room, pet center and craft area.
The mudroom is a full-featured permanent part of new home construction and remodeling. It is estimated that 3% of the home floor space dedicates its use to the mudroom. A full room, while nice, isn’t essential to making it work for you. What is essential is a design to store stuff like: backpacks and briefcases, hats and gloves, sports equipment and small toys, dog leashes and towels to clean dirty feet, messages, schedules, appointments.
How to design for so many functions? Home improvement stores and specialty stores sell DIY supplies or a designer can create ideas for storage and organization. Before beginning assess the existing space. Who uses the area and what do they bring in and need on a daily basis? Start with accurate measurements and then draw the area to scale.
Plan your mudroom as a multipurpose room and consider these 7 options:
1. With laundry in the space, add a cabinet with counter surfaces and upper cabinets for storage of cleaning products or general household items.
2. A designated storage center is great for things like pet food, potting soils, small outdoor toys as well as a recycling location for cans, paper, and glass.
3. A pantry cabinet can provide overflow storage for kitchen dry goods or easy snack access for children. Utilize labeled bins inside cabinets to keep it neat.
4. Vary the height of hooks to allow for personalized space and easy accessibility. Small children can’t reach high shelves but will use baskets and lower shelves and hooks.
5. Locate the dogs leash and towel close to the door.
6. For adults, keys and phones should have their designated area eliminating a search when ready to leave. Locate a message center for easy viewing for all the family.
7. For flooring, consider textured ceramic or porcelain stone tiles. Vinyl can be slick; wood and laminate perform poorly in wet areas.
