Mike Schaap
Mike Schaap Builders & Benchmark Wood Studio, Holland, Mich.
A well-designed mudroom can serve many roles, from hiding clutter and storing mail to achieving organization with great style.
(Photos: Chuck Heiney Photography)
Here, an entry hall is packed with space-maximizing storage and organizers such as a small counter with electrical outlets that serves as a charging station for the family’s devices. Other features—exposed hooks, open shelving, a soft bench—are great storage options that can easily adapt as needs change.
Serving as a mudroom, laundry, and home management center, this layout keeps the main-level clutter-free through features such as drawers with pull-out laundry hampers, countertops for workspace, and a utility sink for quick clean-up.
In homes that lack a designated mudroom near the entry, discreet closets and drawers offer a clutter-free drop zone. Guests are greeted by extra-long bench seating flanked by built-in armoires with louvered doors and additional storage cubbies above and below.
Robin Wilson, ASID
Robin Wilson Home, New York
Mudrooms and entryways should allow your guests to arrive in a stylish space that welcomes them and provides a transition from outside to inside.
(Photo: Vanessa Lenz)
The mudroom is a place to deposit coats, shoes, and books and can prevent dust, pollen, and external toxins from entering your home. Furniture options in this space—where family and guests shed dirt they bring in from outdoors—should include closets, cubbies, and benches.
(Photo: Vanessa Lenz)
Floors should be as “cleanable” as possible, especially for those with children in the home.
(Photo: Matt Armendariz)
Sam Liberti, AIBD, CGP, HERS
Low Tide Designs, Bluffton, S.C.
While finding a location for a mudroom in your existing or new home may not be a challenge, determining how and what you will use it for can be.
(Photos: Courtesy of Shoreline Construction)
If you have a sports-minded family, lockers and storage may be for you. For kids coming home from school, providing a place to hang jackets and book bags with hooks and cubbies for each child keeps items separate.
Also keep in mind that a bench is a necessity for taking off or putting on shoes or boots. In designing space, a mudroom can be located in the rear hallway as you come in or in a laundry room, should size permit.
If you have pets, their food bowls, beds, and special areas can easily be incorporated.
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