Purcell Quality: Mudrooms

Hear me out, now. Historically, the purpose of a mudroom was to shed the outside, as farmers (and dirty children) cleaned off before entering the home.

Today, mudrooms do the same, and more…. we have a place to remove outerwear and keep the dirt and snow out of the living spaces. But, as our lives have become increasingly complicated, mudroom design has evolved to accommodate our ever growing collection of gadgets, paperwork, sports equipment, etc. Freeing up the living areas of our homes, thus creates a more peaceful and beautiful place to reside.

How to create your life changing mudroom…..

Customizing your mudroom to meet your family’s needs is time well spent. List your needs and think beyond coats and shoes. Where are the problem spots in your house?

Here are a few ideas to get you started…

Solution: put an extra fridge in the mudroom for the juice boxes and sports drinks. Drawer style refrigerators work excellent and blend seamlessly into a cabinet design. Mudroom refridgerators also serve as a great place to store kids lunches, so they can grab and go.

Issue: Are the kid’s school papers and activity schedules taking over the dining room table?

Solution: Create a “family center” with a slot for each kid’s activity schedules and permission slips. Design a place for a cork board and/or chalk board.

Issue: Where are the golf clubs and the skis? Are they in the garage?

Solution: Customize your shelving and cabinetry to accommodate whatever your sports equipment needs are… deep wide shelves for hockey equipment, slats for the skies or right-sized cubbies for the golf bags.

Issue: Are you a gardener without a proper shed?

Solution: Maybe a potting bench and small sink would be more convenient for you than running out to the garage and back for tools and supplies?

Issue: Where are you bathing Sparky?

Solution: Maybe it makes more sense to bathe the dog right where he enters the house. Install a deep single bowl sink and a faucet with a good sprayer. If Sparky is a Newfoundland, a dog shower station might be the way to go.

Solution to almost everything: You can never have too many hooks… the more the better.

Now, make it beautiful…..

Now, because your wonderful mudroom is a conditioned part of your home, not a lean-to loosely attached to the side of the house make it stylish and beautiful. You’ll love it all the more!

Make it a room, not a glorified storage closet. Work from a color palette coordinating the flooring, wall and cabinet surfaces.

Color Color Color… paint your cabinets and don’t be afraid to use some colorful flooring.
Art. Incorporate wallpaper and get some art on the walls.
Mix in an antique or furniture piece somewhere.

Other considerations….

Flooring should be durable and hide dirt so that you don’t feel inclined to constantly clean it.

My rule of thumb is medium value. Dark flooring will show all the salt and water spots. Lighter floors will show dirt. Find a medium value material with texture and variance to distract the dirt.

Porcelain is very durable and is available with textured surfaces for a non slip surface

Natural stone will patina over time and will always be relevant

Linoleum in tiles or sheet goods are another wonderful option, as there is no need for grout. Linoleum is a timeless look and will last a century!

I like benches that are open underneath to store shoes out of the way and typically have them custom made and built in to maximize every inch of space.

A painted picnic bench or old church pew adds giant style.

Similar to online banking, the modern day mudroom helps us have more efficient ways of living, so that you can get to the good stuff…. Making holiday cookies and enjoying the movie with the kids.