Design a Mudroom

“Whether you have kids or animals, a mudroom is a requirement,” says David Lupberger, a former design builder and remodeler and now a home improvement expert for ServiceMagic.com, an online company in Golden, Colo., that matches homeowners with pre-screened home-service professionals.

A mudroom is a space in the house for storing frequently used tools and seasonal items like skis or holiday decorations. It can also be a place where muddy shoes can be removed after a hike or working in the yard. Busy parents can use it as a space to organize their children’s mornings. Here are some tips to design the ideal mudrooms to fit your customers’ lifestyles and add value back to their homes.

Focus on Function
A mudroom is not the formal entry area where your customers would receive company. Work with your customers to identify which entries in the house receive the most traffic. If the family traffics through the back door, don’t renovate a space adjacent to the garage just because it has more open square footage.

“A mudroom is really a great thing and quite popular now,” says Ann Robinson, licensed architect for Renovation Design Group in Salt Lake City. The key is making sure it’s located near the entry that your customers use the most. The mudroom is a utilitarian space and is only effective, “if you’re forced to go through or past there,” she adds.

There can be creative ways to borrow space, such as cutting into the garage. For instance, remove the pocket or French doors that close off the existing laundry room. Or replace the standard washer/dryers with a stackable washer/dryer system.

Pique Interest
Although a mudroom is a transitional space, be sure it is a livable space and has visual interest, which will encourage the homeowners not only to linger, but also to maximize the multifunctional use of the space. Lupberger suggests selecting focal points to draw the eye into the room. Mudrooms typically have only one or two windows. Replace these with leaded or frosted glass. Or replace the floor with patterned tile and a dark grout that won’t discolor from frequent traffic. “Make it a space that you’d like to step into because it has some variety,” Lupberger says.

Another alternative to a tiled floor is a pressure-treated wood floor that can be laid over a concrete slab, provided that there’s a sufficient slope and floor drain, since dirt and dust can fall through to the concrete slab. “You can lift up a small section of the wood floor to hose it down,” says Natalie Howard, residential designer and member of the American Institute of Building Designers in Tiger, Ga. The waterproof floor also may be used to water plants. A rough wood texture will capture dirt from shoes, keeping it in the mudroom and away from the rest of the house.

In Sink
Try adding a slop sink or pet shower. A pet shower is designed identically to a traditional shower, with the same faucets and sprayers, but with walls only about 3 feet tall. It’s a convenience to be able to hose off a pet’s, or even their own, dirty feet as soon as they enter the house.

Storage
The cabinetry you install depends on your customers’ storage needs, Robinson says. “If you’ve got a 50-pound bag of dog food, where do you keep it?” Robinson asks. Benches with cupboards underneath and hooks on the walls can help create space—and provide a place to remove muddy shoes. Provide cubbies for children, enough so that parents can assign one cubby per child.

If the mudroom includes a closet, be sure there are high and low shelves and hooks. Replace the factory doors on the closets or cabinetry with a solid-wood door that will be sturdier and more visually attractive.

Consider a built-in craft table that folds into the wall like a Murphy bed; your customers could use this as a wrapping area. The table and some dowels for ribbon and paper could turn this mudroom/storage room/laundry room into a craft room as well.