Mudrooms tend to be a catchall space in our homes whether it’s shoes, coats, laundry, or outdoor toys, it all lives in this space. And after a year at home, this room has seen more wear and tear than normal. So how do you keep your mudroom organized, functioning AND beautiful?
We tapped into our design experts at the River North Design District to bring you 6 tips for designing a highly functional mudroom.
6 Mudroom Design Tips
Don’t Forget the Aesthetics
Studio Gild recently designed a mudroom in a lake home. The mudroom was designed in conjunction with the architect, Morgante Wilson. The bold blue storage cubbies and cabinets have a place for everything, including a sweet spot for the pup!
What’s one tip Studio Gild Design Principal Jennie Bishop would offer when it comes to mudroom design? “Don’t forget to make it pretty!”
Add a Place to Wipe Your Feet
No mudroom is complete without a place to wipe your feet! Oscar Isberian rugs has over 5,000 rugs in stock 3×5 and under, many of which are samples that are under $50.
Visit their River North Chicago showroom at 120 W Kinzie or call 312-467-1212 for more information.
Make Sure Form Follow Function
Mudroom design has come a long way. Form follows function as they say, the primary function of a mudroom historically has been widely viewed as a utilitarian space for the daily rituals of laundry, dirty shoes and cleaning supplies. Form following these initial functions left a void in the space longing for a higher investment in quality products and materials and something more aesthetically pleasing, offering a wider range of use outside of the every day, such as potting, organization efficiency, outdoor gear, school supplies, etc. Now there are so many products and materials available for various functions and aesthetics that you can lead with form and achieve the desired function with a plethora of options from counter tops, wallpaper, tile, cabinetry, lighting and so much more to make the space beautiful and functional.
In this particular setting of high use, dirt and grime, it is important to carefully specify materials that will be able to withstand the wear and tear of our daily lives, such as a dog bath enclosure with ceramic tile, vinyl wallpaper, or Cambria quartz counter tops.
Shown here is Cambria’s, Ella Design. To note quartz is the most abundant mineral on the planet. Cambria Quartz is 100% non-porous, stain resistant, scratch resistant, and extremely durable. Cambria Quartz is 2x stronger than marble and 3x stronger than granite. Ella is an organic, subtle design with the soft tonality of a Statuary Marble, making it the perfect choice for any marble lover that does not want to deal with the maintenance of marble.
This Mudroom pictured below showcases how design can help you to capitalize on organization and streamlining function, while accomplishing the simplicity of clean lines and the finite details that truly make a space. This mudroom shows Cambria’s Smithfield design. It has an optic white background with subtle gray veining that flows throughout the surface.
Combine it with the Laundry Room
The mudroom can be a key space for keeping your home organized. Komandor Chicago had an opportunity to create custom mudroom combined with the laundry room for a client from Breckenridge Colorado.
A Mudroom is the ideal place to store necessities that you don’t want to keep in the main kitchen and can be the perfect place for your washer and dryer too. Komandor Chicago created fitted storage with a closet, floating shelves, bench, drawers, shoe rack and dimmable lighted mirror. Storage, organization and practical features were the key to creating a dual functional space. They adapted laundry cabinets to the available space.
In terms of style, the cabinets of this mudroom/laundry room are blended with the style of the rest of the house. Designing this mudroom/laundry room represents a unique opportunity to reshape the space into a room that efficiently and effectively fulfills a client’s needs.
Design with a Clean Space in Mind
Organization and the right storage is key to keeping a mudroom clean, functional, and aesthetically pleasing. Sarah Jacquelyn Interiors suggest that you don’t try to change your habits to suit what you think your mudroom should be. Instead, figure out how you use the space and design around those needs. If the first thing you do is set your keys down, make sure there is a logical place for them. This room is intended to be a catchall space, so make sure it functions like one. Use dark, non-porous tiles and grout to keep the room looking clean with less maintenance. Sarah suggests this dark hex tile from Roca Tile.
Get Organized
Just as eyes are the window to the soul, mudrooms are the preview of our homes. As we transition from outdoors to indoors, these spaces welcome us to a more intimate setting and offer us a glimpse of what is to come, a first impression. A good mudroom is a gatekeeper, it keeps us organized by having a home for all the items we bring in and out of our homes and by doing so, it keeps us organized, on task and on time. ARMAZEM.design offers closets and storage systems to suit your needs.
