Chicago's extended winter season produces a surplus of winter clothing, snow boots, and outdoor equipment. To maintain orderliness and prevent the spread of snow, mud, and water into the main living area, it is essential to have a designated space for storing these items near the entryway.
A mudroom provides homeowners a solution by bringing order and organization rather than having a messy heap of boots and outerwear near the closest door. It offers a tidy and efficient area for putting on and taking off seasonal outerwear. A mudroom can also serve as a laundry room and many other purposes depending on the needs of your family.
This guide will provide all the necessary information to create the perfect transitional space from the outdoors to your indoor living spaces and vice versa.
What Do People Look for in a Mudroom?
For the family, this is the primary entrance to the home. Without a dedicated and organized space, it becomes a messy dropoff zone for whatever you don’t want to track further into the house.
Clutter can lead to chaos. To avoid this, a few of the most common mudroom ideas people look at include:
- Closet/cubby space or lockers
- Coat hooks or storage solutions for backpacks and outerwear
- Pantry area for larger bulk items
- Laundry area
- Extra storage for cleaning supplies and tools
- Storage for sports equipment and umbrellas
- A built-in bench to provide additional storage and a comfortable space to sit down to put on shoes
In short, deciding to move forward with a home improvement project of having a dedicated mudroom increases storage, organization, and cleanliness where you need it the most.
What's the Best Place to Add a Mudroom?
You have choices when it comes to the mudroom location. You can repurpose existing square footage or add an ideal mudroom to a larger renovation with a home addition project.
1. Repurpose Space
Start by evaluating the flow of your first floor and whether or not you can reuse existing space. Is there extra space near a rarely used or poorly used entryway? Look for space in the following areas:
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Closet
Consider revamping an underutilized coat closet! These small spaces have hidden potential. Combining a closet with nearby unused space can create a much bigger and more functional mudroom. -
Hallway
Many older homes in the Chicagoland area have a long hall leading out to the back of the house. We often reuse this small space by converting a portion of adjacent rooms into larger and more effective mudrooms. -
Laundry Room
Many homes have laundry areas that hold more potential. Consider transforming it into a multi-functional mudroom and laundry room combo. This clever solution can maximize your space and streamline your entryway. -
Garage
Do you have a spacious two-car garage? If so, consider claiming a small garage section to create a dedicated mudroom right where you enter the house. This clever conversion will keep your home organized and free from clutter.
You can do a lot with a little. You may look at a space that is 4 feet wide and wonder if there is any potential there. A high-quality design-build firm will have exceptional interior design skills to evaluate whether you have enough space and find creative ways to repurpose the underused area.
2. Home Addition
If your current square footage is already maxed out, it might be time for an addition. Consider a mudroom as part of a larger project, like a much-needed kitchen remodel where you plan to reconfigure other parts of the main living area.
Where will you put the addition? Front and side setbacks often limit options, which is why bump-out additions are typically added to the back of the home. Another option is to expand the space in the rear of the garage, even if you don’t need to add square footage to the living areas of your home. A dedicated mudroom can easily be added to that project.
How Big Should a Mudroom Be?
The ideal mudroom size is a personal preference. What do you need from a mudroom? If you plan to combine several uses, you will need a bigger mudroom than if you’re simply looking for a couple of coat hooks.
Here are a few questions to consider when determining how you will use the space:
- Will you store coats and other outerwear here?
- Will this be a laundry/mudroom combo space?
- Will this be overflow storage for your pantry?
- Will this space store cleaning supplies and tools?
- Will this be a space for your pets to roam?
- Will you be adding a powder room adjacent to the mudroom?
Designing Your Mudroom for Style and Function
Just because it has the word “mud” doesn’t mean it needs to look like a place where mud belongs—just the opposite. Mudrooms are more than a few wall hooks to hang your coats and some floor space for dirty boots. There is no reason for this room not to be both stylish and functional.
A mudroom isn't just about practicality; it can create a welcoming first impression. By keeping clutter under control and incorporating design elements you love, your mudroom can be both stylish and functional. This dedicated space promotes organization for everyone's peace of mind, whether it's for your family or visiting guests.
You might consider pocketing doors to cover the washer and dryer. Instead of using the generic, plastic utility sink, you could design the space to house an undermount sink with cabinetry and a stone countertop or install a stylish wall-mounted sink. Will you drop keys and mail here? Include a storage bench to store sporting equipment and double as a spot to put on your boots before you head outside.
Popular Mudroom Design Ideas
Bring on the Cubbies
The basic cubby form is often a storage space up top, with a rectangular open box below with wall hooks or pegs for hanging hoodies and jackets. This is often separated by a bench seat. Below that is storage for sports gear and footwear.
Some questions to consider before designing your custom-built cubbies:
- What do you need to place in these cubbies?
- Will one cubby be for each family member, or will it be a shared space?
- Do you want a mudroom bench inside of each cubby for family members to sit down while getting in and out of boots?
Another great option is to include a built-in charging station to charge school computers, tablets, and other electronic devices.
Mudroom Pet Station
Another popular mudroom feature is a space dedicated to pets. This might include a watering station with a built-in tap, an automatic feeding station, a doggy bath, and a wifi-enabled dog door. This is a great opportunity to combine fun and functionality in mudroom design.
Beyond Laundry Basics
If the mudroom also functions as the laundry room, this can streamline the gathering of dirty clothes from the person who dove for a great save on the soccer field to the washing machine.
And guess what? Laundry chutes are making a comeback! Adding laundry chutes is a great way to streamline how dirty laundry is gathered throughout the home.
Do you need a small home office space to store important paperwork, a laptop, and a desk to pay your bills? Consider adding a pull-out desk in this area. Often, if you add an addition, you can utilize one wall of the mudroom for a small paperwork drop zone.
Bringing Your Ideal Mudroom to Reality
Adding a mudroom means borrowing from existing space or adding additional square footage to your first floor. Either way, adding a mudroom to your home will not only improve your quality of life but also add value and help you maintain the rest of your home by managing and eliminating the mess before it gets to the rest of the house.
To learn how to build the best mudroom for your space and needs, download the eBook guide "Home Addition Design 101: A Comprehensive Guide to Planning a Family-Friendly Addition."
