• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Menu

Menu
  • Home
  • Design-build
    • Overview
    • Why Us
    • Our Process
    • Design-Build Guide
    • FAQs
  • Our Projects
  • About Us
    • Overview
    • Team
    • Awards
    • Press
    • Careers
      • Carpentry Jobs
  • Insider Tips
  • Get Started
Contact
(781) 860-9800 info@feinmann.com
Location
27 Muzzey Street, Lexington, MA. 02421
  • Home
  • Our Projects
  • Design-build
    • Overview
    • Why Us
    • Our Process
    • Design-Build Guide
    • FAQs
Feinmann, Inc.

Feinmann, Inc.

A Home you love, for the way you live.

  • About Us
    • Overview
    • Team
    • Awards
    • Press
    • Careers
  • Insider Tips
  • Get Started

What Is a Mudroom? Design Ideas & More

February 22, 2023

Do you know what a mudroom is? Having one keeps your outerwear and clutter away from the rest of your spotless house would be great, right? More than just a storage space, this room can serve multi-functional purposes, from providing a welcoming home entrance to elevating your space’s aesthetic. You can use your mudroom space effectively by learning what you need, setting priorities, and taking practical steps. Please keep reading to learn more about mudrooms, from what they should include to how to best design them.

What is a Mudroom?

A mudroom is the home’s secondary entrance and a dedicated space to remove boots, coats, backpacks, and wet clothing before entering the main house. This room functionality provides storage and ensures the home’s entrance stays clean and tidy. Depending on individual house designs, mudrooms can store miscellaneous items such as hats, pet leashes, and sports equipment.

How to Design the Best Mudroom for Your Home

Before you get started brainstorming design ideas, it’s essential to focus on the practicalities of your mudroom. Think strategically about your needs and the solution you want to create for your home. Categorically breaking down your design into the following sections will be helpful:

Needs

Before looking into design elements, assess your needs. Do you require extra storage space? Or, do you need easy-to-clean surfaces (essential for kids and pets)? The more precise you are with assessing your needs, the better.

Layout

The available space your mudroom occupies will determine your structure. Ideally, a mudroom should be approximately no less than 5ft wide, so visitors and occupants can enter comfortably. If you have the available space and want additional laundry or extra storage, consider designing a rom that’s approximately 10ft by 10ft.

Seating

If you have the space for seating in your mudroom, it can create a perfectly welcoming space. Consider benches that add convenience, organization, and a refined look.

Storage

The perfect way to control clutter, and keep your mudroom in shape, evaluate the best storage options to meet your specific needs. Consider storage baskets for shoes and miscellaneous objects. You can also include hanging hooks, built-in storage structures, cabinets and drawers, and a hall tree with rivets for extra storage.

Lighting

Lighting can make or break a space, which is no different for your mudroom. Because mudrooms are transitional areas, the light from doors, windows, and overhead fixtures, also known as ambient lighting, will meet many of the requirements. You will, however, still need to think about layering in different types of lighting, including task lighting and accent lighting. Find out more about choosing the proper lighting here.

Flooring

Because mudrooms have the potential to get so dirty, consider materials that can withstand dirt and muck from the elements. These materials should be easy to clean, mopped, washed, or hosed down when needed. Options include floor mats, easy-to-clean flooring, and durable, nonporous flooring.

What to Include in a Mudroom?

Cubbies and shelves

Adding cubbies to your storage can be a great way of keeping not-so-pretty items out of sight. Consider combining your cubbies with shelves, which can store more items and keep your mudroom looking clutter-free at all times.

Shoe Storage

You’ll need to consider the size of your space and how many shoes you have. Options include:

  • Shoe racks: An inexpensive item that can keep shoes organized and off the floor.
  • Free-standing racks: If your space is a little larger, try a free-standing rack which will provide easy access to taking off and putting on shoes.
  • Fold-out shelves: A dresser-sized shoe cabinet with fold-out shelves will hold a dozen or more pairs of shoes out of sight for a small space.
Hooks

Maximize your storage capacity while adding style to your mudroom by hanging additional items on hooks. Peruse home improvement stores to find hooks in various styles, from traditional ironwork to modern chrome.

Floor Mats or Rugs

Since mudrooms experience a lot of foot traffic from muddy shoes, not all types of rugs can be appropriate. Instead of purchasing a pretty rug, concentrate on factors such as durability and functionality instead. Examples of appropriate mudroom floor mats and rugs include sisal rugs, waterhog mats, seagrass rugs, and polypropylene rugs.

Washer, Dryer, and Laundry Baskets

Space allowing, your mudroom can also serve a dual function as a laundry space. Add a washer, dryer, and laundry basket. But, to keep your laundry clean, make sure it’s in a separate space from things that can make it dirty.

Clothing Hangers

Clothing hangers are the perfect items to bulk up the storage potential of your mudroom. Consider checking out Pinterest for clothing hanger inspiration.

Pet Supplies

Whether it’s leashes, harnesses, pet food, or toys, pet supplies can take up a lot of room and add to clutter. You can significantly decrease your pet clutter by employing a few clever storage ideas for your mudroom. Space allowing, consider a pet storage station complete with hooks, baskets, and bins for extra organization. If you have a small mudroom, try some pull-out storage to store your pet supplies neatly.

Featured Mudroom Projects

In need of some mudroom design inspiration? We have you covered! Explore Feinmann’s featured mudroom projects below.

Playful Arrangment Project
Playful Arrangement

This homeowner in Concord, Massachusetts, employed Feinmann to reconfigure their kitchen and dining room and improve the flow and functionality of their mudroom. The mudroom includes custom built-ins, benches, and beautiful mosaic flooring to help distinguish its boundaries. The mudroom floor is patchwork tiles in black and white.

Learn More
Kitchen Renewal Project
Kitchen Renewal

The Feinmann team worked on this Belmont home to create a new airy space complete with an island, mudroom, and additional cabinetry for storage. The team added a mudroom by the door, conveniently slotted into a three-foot, nine-inch space. This addition enhanced flow and added more working surface area. The team used an original exterior wall supporting beam as a corner for a bench and cabinet. This solution kept the mudroom open to the rest of the home. The bench provides space for removing and storing shoes. And the glass-door hutch is perfect for storing wine glasses within reach of the wine cooler.

Learn More
Family Home Remodel Project
Family Home Remodel

The Feinmann team redesigned this Newton Tudor home to improve functionality. As part of the revamp, the team built a highly-efficient mudroom with plenty of storage. The cabinetry throughout the kitchen and mudroom is natural, slab-style wood, with a vertical grain and stainless steel bar pull hardware.

Learn More
Hosting Haven Project
Hosting Haven

Drawing on the Japanese roots of its owners, our team crafted a traditional ‘Genkan’ entryway. This space features an area to take off and store shoes, as well as a sitting bench and closet for coats or add-ons.

Learn More

Conclusion

We hope you have taken away some practical steps from this blog that will help inform your mudroom design and layout. We have what you need to make your mudroom functional and beautiful, including ideas for containing your clutter. At Feinmann, we pride ourselves on being able to help our clients with any size home design and building project. So no matter how big or small your project may be, please do not hesitate to reach out to our team to see how we can be of assistance.

Back

Why Feinmann for Design-Build?

Read about our design-build service,  process, and what differentiates us from our competitors.

Learn About Design-Build

We loved having entire Feinmann team in our home and appreciated them treating it like it was their own. The work they did is all over-the-top gorgeous. They coached us to select products and finishes that will last a lifetime (and through our toddler), and the craftsmanship with which it was all executed certainly will hold up to time. I admire daily the integration of existing and new, and regret only that in time I’ll likely forget which is which. Feinmann is masterful at what they do. I really can’t say enough nice things about them, and their work.

- Cambridge, MA

From start to finish of the project our ideas were heard and creatively addressed. The quality of the final results are even better than we imagined. Our home feels completely new and we love the improved living space! As far as the team, they are fantastic, personable, timely, has great ideas and always seem to stay calm and in charge, ready to problem solve. The carpenters are a delight to work with and the quality of their carpentry and building skills are impressive, always smiling and offering a “can do” attitude.

- Leveling Up for Grand Entertaining

Feinmann is a top-notch company in every category! We have worked with them on three separate occasions: a complete kitchen remodel (2017), three bathrooms (2016), and a room addition (2011). Working with the Feinmann team was truly a great pleasure! Everyone in the company is committed to quality work, the projects were run proficiently and professionally, they provided the highest quality workmanship, and we always received timely responses to our questions and concerns. My wife and I would consider no-one else for our new project!

- European, Contemporary Kitchen Remodel

We are very happy with the experience we had with Feinmann in what was a pretty extensive remodel. First of all, their design team truly developed a great vision for the house, beyond what we had imagined. Through the remodel, which by its nature is an arduous process (living without a kitchen for a while), the Feinmann team was very collaborative and supportive, managed well and the results have truly transformed our house. We’re extremely happy with the outcome.

- Hosting Haven Meets Artistic Angles

Feinmann took a real interest in building a kitchen that would fit the design of the house and meet our needs. That was when we knew that they were the best choice for us. Anyone can rip out a kitchen and put in some new counters and cabinets, but we wanted someone who cared about design, style, and function.

- White, Waves and Blue Kitchen

Footer

Contact

(781) 860-9800
info@feinmann.com

Location

27 Muzzey Street
Lexington, MA. 02421

Connect

© 2023 Feinmann, Inc.