Mudroom
4. Hardworking Casual Entries The most popular entry photos weren’t all about formality. Houzz users are saving lots of photos to their ideabooks that feature hardworking casual entries. A dark wood door with glass panes at the top, brick floor and scads of built-in storage for coats, bags, shoes and other gear made this photo a favorite. Shop for a lantern-style pendant light
She did it by stealing a 5- by 14-foot space from one side of a two-car garage to make this mudroom (the doorway on the right leads to the cars). Because she still needed space for comfortable parking, she expanded the garage on the other side with another long, narrow addition. “If I were to ever design a house from scratch, I’d make a giant mudroom,” says Paquin. Her design firm is based in her house, so this room sees heavy traffic from at least three employees and four family members. “Between all the coats, hats, backpacks and sports equipment, we really needed a command central for stuff,” she says. Paquin salvaged all of the old leaded glass doors and windows from the original house, and she used one of the doors and one of the windows in this space. “They are more of an aesthetic decision than a practical choice — they don’t have great insulation,” she says. “But this space would be very dark without them.”
The choice of hook is no accident. “There are very few hooks out there that I like,” Paquin says. “I love these because they are beefy, they have two spots for hanging things, and they have a nice rounded piece that doesn’t make points or poke holes in your sweater.” The floor was another thoughtful selection. “It’s a porcelain tile with a metallic wash. I like the industrial feel and the fact it hides dirt — a consideration in the winter when you have wet and snowy boots,” she says. A bench and mirror at the door give everyone a landing and launching pad. “If you have kids, you have to give them a place to sit down to put on or take off their shoes and park their stuff before they put it away,” Paquin says. “And I like to check the mirror when I’m coming or going.”
One of the things I’ve noticed on Houzz recently is how many people use their mudroom for more than boots and coats. Many are putting the mudroom to work by installing a work, craft or homework station, such as with this mudroom by Sicora Design/Build. In this setup, the briefcase and laptop might never get past the mudroom.
Lindstrom echoes the other designers when she says that flooring needs to be durable and not slippery. For other finishes she favors beadboard paneling painted in a semigloss finish. “I like the lighter, brighter feeling of painted wood, and I’ve found it much easier to clean and maintain than drywall,” she says. The designer says she usually reserves darker wood for the top of bench seating, because that area takes the brunt of the wear. Many of her clients with kids choose open hooks for coat and backpack storage. Lindstrom favors hooks with two prongs — one for coats, one for backpacks. Costs: You can create a mudroom inexpensively with freestanding lockers and cubbies, or you can invest in custom built-ins. The consensus among the architects and designers interviewed is that setting up a built-in mudroom can range from a few thousand dollars to $10,000, depending on the amount of cabinetry and built-ins. Haynes and Garthwaite estimate that a budget between $5,000 and $10,000 would be needed. Arielle Weedman says there’s quite a range in costs of mudrooms, and notes that many of them are folded into kitchen renovations. She would budget roughly $3,000 to $10,000 for a mudroom pr...
Shelly Lindstrom, of Fluidesign Studio, has designed a number of mudrooms that were built by Barak Steenlage, of Anchor Builders, including this one. In her design mind, the room should be laid out carefully with an eye to operations, just like a kitchen. “There’s a high level of traffic in these rooms, so you want to make sure there’s good flow,” she says. “It should be easy to enter and exit, and you should be able to do so without causing everyone to shuffle around. You don’t want people to have to move so others can walk in or out.” Other layout considerations include sight lines and seating. “In general you want to make sure you can’t see directly into the mudroom from other parts of the house. Not everyone wants to see a row of drying boots,” Lindstrom says. “And you will always need a place to sit to remove boots and shoes.”
“I personally don’t think every pair of shoes belongs in the mudroom,” says Travis. “That’s what the bedroom closet is for.” Following that line of thinking, the two adults and two kids in this household each stow just one pair of shoes here. The key drawer is seen at right; the small cupboard below is for the dog’s leash and waste bags. The Weedmans have designed mudrooms with painted cabinets and with natural wood finishes. “Natural wood wears well and does not chip, but wood painted with a semigloss paint should be easy to wipe down,” says Arielle. “A lot of it is simply personal preference.” Individual styles also come into play for colors of walls and floors. “We have clients who don’t like to see dirt, so they choose darker colors,” she says. “However, we have others who want to see the dirt so they can clean it.”
Travis and Arielle Weedman, of Weedman Design Partners in Oregon, do all kinds of mudrooms, but in general their philosophy is “less is more.” The two remodel a lot of older homes, and they find that there’s not always room for a large mudroom lined with hooks and cabinets. “In my opinion, mudrooms that work well have just what you need on a daily basis,” says Travis. “There are other places in the house to store the rest.” Case in point: The small but mighty drop zone seen here, which the Weedmans created in the entry of an older home. It holds the bare essentials: a bench for removing shoes, a mesh-front cabinet for hanging jackets and stowing backpacks (note: Each family member has one jacket space here, and the bottom of the unit is divided into two backpack cubbies), drawers under the bench for stowing shoes and a small drawer for keys. Find freestanding storage benches
In terms of surfaces, the architects think the key surface is the floor. They say that most of their projects have some variety of a slip-resistant natural stone, such as slate, but they have also used porcelain tiles and Marmoleum. “We think the best mudroom floor materials don’t absorb water, aren’t slippery and are easy to clean,” says Haynes.
“But for some others, such as people with kids, it’s more important that everything be accessible and easy to find. Those are the people who do well with cubbies or hooks,” Garthwaite says. When it comes to cubbies, the architects have found that a stack of niches — one for shoes on the floor, one for coats in the middle and one for less frequently used items on the top — works nicely. A lot of mudrooms on Houzz are more than mudrooms — some incorporate laundries, message centers and even craft tables. When clients ask Garthwaite and Haynes for additional functions in the mudroom, it’s generally a powder room, a dog shower or a small countertop that can hold keys and mail. Browse thousands of mudrooms and filter by style, size and budget
According to these New Hampshire architects, the front door on most New England homes is ceremonial. “Most people enter through the garage,” says Haynes. “But the key thing is that it has to be in a location that’s convenient.” And by “people,” he means guests too; that’s why the architects generally make the mudrooms fit the style of the house.
Foyer. This is the one space where open shelving really makes sense, so shoes and boots can properly air out. Stinky shoes that share storage with coats will inevitably make the coats smell a little funky.
Entryway
2017 Modern JayMarc Bellevue
Bench plus upper shelf
Beautiful mudroom
Good bench & hooks idea for mudroom or laundry room
6. “X” Marks the Spot Designer Nikki Dalrymple of Acquire made over the kitchen and adjacent mudroom in this Wellesley, Massachusetts, home. She gave each family member a cubby with room for shoes, coats, bags and other outerwear. The back of each cubby has a triple hook, and each side has a double hook. Tongue-and-groove paneling dresses up the cubby backs. The built-in bench is maple, and antiqued-mirror-front doors grace the X-details on the upper cabinets; the X-detail is also found in the kitchen island. Matte gray porcelain tile complements the colors used in the kitchen, and a new exterior door lets in light. The cabinet at the end of the run serves as a command center, with space for sorting mail and charging electronics. The side of that tall cabinet facing the door has space for keys.
Blue, White and Tan Designer Barrie Spang of Sapphire Pear wanted to create a useful space off the main hallway in this Ohio vacation home. The hall connects the kitchen, laundry area and garage entry, and Spang outfitted it with built-ins, a bench and bins that corral belongings as the homeowners come in from outdoors. White shiplap walls (Extra White from Sherwin-Williams) and wood floors keep the space feeling clean, while flush-mount ceiling lights and a graphic runner add style.
Bright and White Designer Jennifer Radakovic combined a mahogany door, bright white cabinets (Snowbound by Sherwin-Williams) and ceramic floor tiles designed to look like natural stone for a room that feels natural, warm and full of light. The owners of this farmhouse outside of Richmond, Virginia, wanted a secondary entry space that would work for their four kids and full farm life, which includes a dog, a pony and two goats. Soft gray walls (Horizon by Benjamin Moore) prettify what also acts as an informal entrance for friends and neighbors.
Seating / bench in mudroom
Interesting separation of space for mudroom area
Tile & wood combo
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