A mudroom is a place where we can take off our shoes and shake the dirt from our clothes. It’s also where we store things like coats, umbrellas, and sports equipment that we use outside of the house. There are lots of ways to make your mudroom more functional and beautiful. Here are eight tips for building your dream mudroom:
1. Choose the right location for your mudroom:
The best place to put your mudroom is near the entrance of your house. This will make it easy to keep all of your family’s coats, shoes, and umbrellas close at hand. It’s also a good idea to place your mudroom near the laundry room, so you can easily wash and dry your family’s coats and shoes.
In Japan, they use a part of the entrance known as genkan where they leave their shoes. You can use this as inspiration to build your own mudroom. Of course, you don’t have to put your mudroom near the entrance of your house. You can also use a shed in your garage or an added room.
2. Plan out the layout of your mudroom:
The layout of your mudroom is very important. You’ll want to make sure that it’s big enough to store all of your family’s coats, shoes, and umbrellas. You’ll also want to make sure that there’s plenty of space for guests to hang up their coats and shoes.
If you’re using a small room as your mudroom, you’ll need to be very careful about how you lay out the furniture. You’ll want to make sure that there’s plenty of open space so that you can easily move around. If you’re using a shed in your garage as your mudroom, you’ll have more flexibility in terms of layout.
3. Add storage to your mudroom:
Especially if you plan to use your mudroom for other than storing coats, shoes, and other outdoor necessities, adding more than enough storage will be very useful. For instance, you can use shelves to store high-use items like scarves, gloves, hats, and jackets. Or you can use cabinets to store more infrequently used items like camping equipment or sporting goods.
4. Install a bench or seating area:
One of the main purposes of a mudroom is for people to be able to remove their dirty or wet shoes before entering the rest of the house. For this reason, it’s wise to include a bench or seating area in your mudroom so that people can sit down while they take off their shoes. Don’t forget to add doormats inside the room for people to wipe their shoes on to keep your mudroom tidy.
5. Be sure that your door is wide enough:
The door to your mudroom should make entry and exit as easy as possible. For this reason, you’ll want to measure the width of your main entryway before buying a whole bunch of cabinets for your mudroom. This will ensure that whatever you bring in, from surfboards to shopping bags, can easily fit through the door.
6. Make sure your mudroom gets good ventilation:
If you plan on using your mudroom as a storage area for coats, shoes, and other outdoor necessities, it’s really important to make sure that your mudroom gets good ventilation so that the items inside have a chance to breathe. An exhaust fan and open windows are great ways to help keep your mudroom well ventilated.
7. Decorate your mudroom with fun accessories:
Your mudroom should not look and feel as muddy as its purpose. Decorating your mudroom with fun accessories is a great way to keep it looking polished. Don’t be afraid to get creative when decorating your mudroom. For instance, you can use wreaths to add some extra color and cheer to the room.
8. Keep it clean and organized!
One of the main reasons to have a mudroom is so that you can keep your main entryway clean and organized. When people take their shoes off in the mudroom, it’s important to make sure that they are wiped down or, even better, have a place to put their shoes so that they don’t track dirt and mud all over your house.
The same goes for when you come in from outside. Make sure that you have a designated place to hang up your coat so that it doesn’t get dirty. And be sure to clean your mudroom regularly so that it always looks neat and tidy.
Final thoughts:
A well-designed mudroom can help to keep your home clean and organized. By following the tips in this article, you can create a mudroom that is perfect for your family’s needs. Be sure to decorate your mudroom with fun accessories and keep it clean and organized so that it remains a functional and beautiful part of your home.
