Few of us live in places where the weather is fine all year round; most of us have to battle inclement conditions for considerable portions of the year, many of which make us wish we could leave our muddy footwear and dripping umbrellas outside the door! But what if there was somewhere you could dump soggy, muddy items inside your home?
Mudrooms were popular in the twentieth century and used to be something of a luxury, but now, modern homeowners view them as a necessity, and it’s easy to see why. Whether you’ve got small children who love jumping in puddles and getting covered in mud and grime, or dogs who love the same, a mudroom gives anyone entering your home a controlled space in which to de-robe dirty outerwear. And for dirty dogs: the perfect place to towel them down and clean their paws!
With so many benefits, a mudroom could make a very real difference to your home, and if you’re considering having one built or converted out of an existing space, here are some inspiring ideas for getting the most out of it:
Turn it into an inviting entryway with storage
By creating a mudroom that’s both inviting and practical, you get the best of both worlds. With a look that reflects your design style, but plenty of storage and space for stashing coats, shoes, and dogs leashes for example, you can make it an inviting space to step into, while also protecting the rest of your home from grime and muddy foot or pawprints.
Make it all about the boots
Mudrooms are sometimes referred to as boot rooms, and if you want your new space to be entirely devoted to outerwear, you might want to consider putting a sink in to wash off muddy boots and anything else that might be dirty.
Create a mudroom for the entire family
Instead of creating a mudroom in which it becomes a bit of a free-for-all in terms of coat hooks and space on the rack for shoes, why not divvy the space up so that each member of the family gets their own hooks, rack etc? If you want, you can really go to town with the personalization of each family member’s section of the mudroom.
Make a mudroom with laundry access
Where possible, building a mudroom onto your home that leads conveniently to the laundry room, can make its design more cohesive and a lot more practical. Grubby items can be taken straight through to be washed or dried without disturbing the rest of the property.
A mudroom that includes Fido
Dogs can get super dirty, and dogs really don’t care! If Fido comes in from the rain and shakes himself off, or runs all over the place with his muddy paws, a well designed mudroom should be able to cope with this. From easy-to-wash floors and wipeable walls, to a separate area that doubles up as a dog washing station, you can not only cope with the mess and dirt with this kind of mudroom, but you can clean Fido up before he even sets a paw inside your home!
A mudroom that has been well designed and which clearly serves a purpose, will almost certainly increase the value of a property, but it’s important that the space doesn’t look or feel like a mere add-on.
For a mudroom that helps keep your home clean and tidy whatever the weather, be sure to hire a company with plenty of experience and a solid reputation for quality workmanship.