A well-designed mudroom can help you corral the chaos — and get everyone out the door a little faster

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STI: One of the top wish list items that my clients have when it comes to renovations is a mudroom. While many people don’t have the space for a full-size mudroom, even a small one can be really convenient. It’s the spot that people drop and dump, and grab and go. It’s not one of those spots that needs to look perfectly presentable, but rather serves as the practical hub for busy families.

When we renovated our house, we moved the front door to what had been an enclosed sunroom. It was a long and narrow room with a very low ceiling because of the roofline, so we decided to open it and expose the slope so it would feel more airy. I split the room lengthwise into a small formal foyer with a coat closet and a mudroom behind it. The mudroom is hidden from view from the front door, but is right there for the kids to drop their knapsacks. The door to the deck and backyard is along the back wall of the mudroom. There are French doors leading from the mudroom into the kitchen as well, so everyone makes their way there once they’ve hung up their jackets and everything else.

Location, Location, Location

Ideally the mudroom should be situated as close as possible to the door that family members usually use to enter the house. Most often it’s the front door, but sometimes it’s a side door or the door off the garage. If needed, you can also put it near the place your family tends to head to when they get home, be it the kitchen or family room. Old habits die hard, so if the mudroom is too far, or in the opposite direction, your family probably won’t end up using it as much as they ought to.

Scale to Size

Size definitely matters, but it’s not all or nothing. If you’re limited on space, identify and implement the elements that would be most useful for your specific family, such as a scooter charging station, and hooks for schoolbags. Sometimes cubbies take up too much space and strategically placed hooks will stretch the available space and allow you to fit more in.

Bench like a Mensch

Even in a smaller space, creating a bench that extends comfortably past the hanging coats and knapsacks adds a lot of value. In addition to having a spot to sit down to put on and take off things like boots and Rollerblades, it serves as a shelf for heavier bags as well as neatly sectioning the area below it for storage.

Down Under

I don’t like building cubbies below the bench for several reasons. I keep many bulky things under there, such as a large container with outdoor balls and cases of drinks (no need to schlep them any further. It’s right off my kitchen and also convenient for grabbing a water bottle on the way out). I also keep a two-step step stool so the little ones can reach their hooks more easily. Having cubbies under there would significantly limit the size of what I could keep there. Even Rollerblades and boots are bulky and would be annoying to fit into a cubby.

On that topic, I find that if someone takes off their dirty boots and can easily kick them under the bench, they will make it under. On the flip side, if you need to bend down, pick them up and put them into a cubby, you and I both know that it won’t happen, and the boots will be left out for all to trip on. Continuing on the topic of dirty boots, I like to be able to mop all that mess up easily. Cubbies are more inconvenient to clean and won’t clean nearly as well as a tile or vinyl floor. ’Nuff said.

Basket Case

Because we opened the ceiling, we ended up with a ton of storage room for baskets. Honestly, we didn’t need that much. Each kid stores things in the basket above their cubby. I like that they have a small spot to call their own on the first floor and not everything sacred to them travels to their bedrooms. From baseball mitts to prizes to missing homework, I don’t really care, because I can’t see it and I’m happy for it to stay that way. In some of the other baskets, I keep winter accessories and outdoor summer supplies like chalk and bubbles.

Setting the Bar

I installed triple-swivel towel bars to the side of each cubby. Whenever we come in with wet things, whether it’s raincoats, umbrellas, bathing suits, or towels, we pull out a bar or two and hang it to dry.

Get Hooked

To get the most bang for your buck, triple hooks give you plenty of space for hanging coats and jackets. Check the weight capacity and reviews to make sure it can hold knapsacks and heavy coats.

Down to the Inch

Here are some numbers that you can use when planning a mudroom. They’re not scientific so just adjust them as needed for your space.

Cubby width 18”

Cubby Depth 16”

Bench extending beyond cubby 15”

Height of bench 17”

Height of hanging cubby 48”

Height of basket cubby 12”

Extra, Extra, Read All About It

Here are some other things you might want to allot space for, depending on how much room you have. For young families, having a spot to keep a stroller in the mudroom is very useful. Some families find it convenient to store shopping bags in the mudroom as well. Charging stations for both smaller and larger electronics (like Segways and scooters) gives them a great parking spot. Even something as small as a designated place for keys, sunglasses, and store returns waiting to go out, keeps our busy lives running a bit more smoothly!

The mudroom keeps so much mess and clutter at bay and really helps keep the rest of the house more organized. It also makes getting out of the house so much quicker because everything we need is located in one convenient spot.

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 950)