If you're a busy Mom with a busy family you totally get why having a well designed mudroom is one of your keys to HAPPINESS! Mudrooms are considered the family entrance into the home and are usually located right off the kitchen. These work horse rooms are family catch alls for shoes, boots, coats , book bags, umbrellas, sporting equipment and pet supplies. Some mudrooms also include a washer and dryer depending on the set up and space but ideally they remain in separate rooms. If you read last weeks blog post, Miss Amy's goal was to do exactly that.... no dirty laundry greeting her daily!
A well designed mudroom should take into the account the family that will be using it. There should be enough storage for each family member including pets. Depending on how much storage you require and your budget, you can decide between cabinets, open shelving, wall hooks, baskets, benches or a combination of them. Here is a mudroom I designed a few years ago for a family of four with four separate cubbies and hooks for pet leashes.
As with all high traffic rooms, ORGANIZATION is the key to happiness! When designing a mudroom, I first start with the number of family members and after measuring the available wall space, I figure out how wide each cubby or section can be. I also take in to account any oversized or specialty sporting equipment that needs to be appropriately stored. This is the beginning of designing a clutter free mudroom that the whole family can use and enjoy. One feature I often recommend is the use of drawers vs. cabinet doors for storage. While drawers typically cost a little more due to the necessary hardware to operate, they are great for some serious organization, even more so than cabinets.
Mudrooms are a great place to have charging station for electronics. Be sure to include electrical outlets in your cabinet plans for dreamy clutter free storage. Everyday items like keys and anything else you use on your way in and out of the house can all be stored in one spot for easy access.
Another important consideration of a mud room that will directly affect your HAPPINESS is the type of flooring you select. It needs to be dirt friendly meaning it's easy to clean and stain resistant as this will be the main drop zone for messy kids, pets and even husbands lol! My sister actually put a shower in their mudroom and they don't even have kids, ahem. If you like the look of tile, it's a great hard surface but steer clear of white grout that will stain in the long run. Below is another shot of the mudroom from the photo above. The homeowner wanted brick pavers with mortar in a unique herringbone pattern and used a durable jute rug to soften the space.
Mudrooms don't have to be super expensive. In fact a bench with hanging hooks, artwork and baskets will suffice if that's all you have space or a budget for. The goal is to create a space to keep your family organized, especially when you are trying to get out the door early in the morning or to after school sports practices. A well organized mudroom could actually keep you from yelling at your husband or kids! In my book that is HAPPINESS!
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