Designing the House: Mudroom

Come on in! This is the first look at what we want the inside of our house to be like. As far as we’re concerned, the mudroom is the most important room in the house, and we have given a lot of thought and consideration to this part of our house design.

We’ve learned–from living for eight years in a house with a very small entryway/mudroom–that an ideal mudroom doesn’t necessarily need to be huge but it does need to have lots of storage. Like lots of storage.

Entry / Mudroom / Laundry wish-list:

  • Defined, clear, covered entry from front of house (likely east).
  • Enter into multi-use space mudroom that is set up for the people that live there every day, but is easily organized for guests to pass through as well. Mudroom moves to main house and garage easily.
  • Adequate storage for on and off season outdoor gear–hats, mittens, hunting apparel, boots, shoes, flashlights and other items you keep near the door
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  • Separated laundry easily accessible from mudroom and kitchen (open to it being in the basement if there can be an access to basement from the mudroom or close by)
  • Laundry has folding counter and space for cubbies for laundry baskets, enclosed storage for soaps, brooms, vacuum, cleaning supplies, fold-out ironing board, etc. Space for air-drying items like sweaters and wool blankets
  • Space has large unrefined utility sink for washing dogs, potatoes, paint brushes, muddy boots, etc.
  • Coat rack for every day coats, enclosed coat cabinetry for winter bibs, parkas, etc.
Top left // Top right // Bottom left // Bottom right
  • Mudroom/laundry/utility space could transition to kitchen and/or a hall with stairs and access to other space.
  • Under-counter space for a dog kennel with easy access to door
  • Consider main-floor bathroom just off of mudroom for easy access to bathroom when working outside. We are open to stairs to second floor being either centrally located in living room or near the entry. Consider stairs to basement accessible via mudroom
  • Desk for bills, mail, keys, etc. in transition between entry and kitchen

As I type this I am giving my current entryway the stink eye…It is spilling over with winter coats, and boots that have been kicked off haphazardly. Homeless mittens and hats are strewn everywhere, and there is a stack of firewood taking up the one wall where we could put a storage cabinet.

Having a better designed mudroom with plenty of storage would be a dream come true and would really help us keep our house clean and tidy.

Coming up next…The second most important room in the house: the kitchen!

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