Mudrooms...friend or foe?

Rain, rain go away! Come again another day! And take my family's muddy shoes with you!!!

I must admit, I love my mudroom.  Without this tiny all-purpose room the details of "life" would be overwhelming.  My mudroom is a tiny world unto itself limited not just to muddy shoes and boots!  It houses my laundry hamper, washer and dryer, two closets full of appliances I don't use on a daily basis, a basket for mail, a boot tray because there is a "no shoes" rule in my little Jewel Box® Home, laundry necessities, a long counter where I do anything from craft projects to folding socks, backpacks and letters to be returned to the teacher, a clip on which I hang permission slips or money for the book fair, my PC and printer and a myriad of seasonal clothing from flip flops and wet bathing suits in the summer, to boots and mittens in the winter.  If I didn't have this necessary catch all, the contents of living would overflow into my tiny home and eat us alive!

The truth of the matter is, though, that sometimes this is my least favorite room.  There is no serenity to it because it holds all the "ugliness" that isn't allowed into the main house.  After all, this is where the rubber meets the road in regards to charging cell phones, collecting loose change and finding a home for dirty socks!  Sometimes when I walk into this tiny room, which is really no more than an over-sized closet, I want to turn around and walk back out.

Let's face it, it needs some T.L.C.  This week I turn my eye to a little revamping and reexamination of this oft-used, but oft-neglected space.

Photo Courtesy of Kitchen & Bath Ideas

Everyone needs a place to sit and take off their shoes.  I love how this mudroom makes use of an unused corner for a bench encouraging family members and friends to respect the freshly mopped flooring.  A little basket underneath is a great way to corral loose shoes.

Photo Courtesy of Kitchen & Bath Ideas

With separate storage areas for every member of the family, there is more than enough room to store all their gear. Baskets on the top shelf hold a variety of small items such as hats and gloves.  Not enough room for a locker for each family member?  Have them use the buddy system and share!

Photo Courtesy of Kitchen & Bath Ideas

Backing the mudroom wall with corkboard creates an easy-to-use bulletin board perfect for posting schedule reminders and children's artwork.  And it looks so cute!

 

Photo Courtesy of Kitchen & Bath Ideas

Even if your house didn't come with a mudroom, you can improvise but creating your own.  A partial wall with lots of windows allows natural light to flood through to the kitchen and still feel like a separate area.  A chalkboard next to coat hooks provides a space to leave notes.

Photo Courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens

Baskets do so much to conceal the clutter and add to the decor of the room while still remaining functional.  They are great for holding school books, hats and mittens or soccer balls.

  

Photo Courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens

Another way to make a mudroom magically appear when it is not built into the original house plans is to hang a few hooks and place a boot tray by the door making efficient use of empty wall space.

Photo Courtesy of Better Homes &Gardens

Another way is to utilize cut out areas normally used for decorative purposes.  By converting this cut out area into cubby holes, this family created a mudroom area where none previously existed.

 

Photo Courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens

Darling accents like the bench cushion and colorful towels make this laundry room appealing to the eye.

Photo Courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens 

Anywhere a small niche can be spared, a mudroom can be created.  Just by some careful placement of hooks and benches you can arrange a space for the odds and ends in your family to end up.  

~Amber