What is a Mud Room and Does Your Home Need One?
With indoor-outdoor living on the rise, this trend is expanding beyond our living areas and now influencing other entrances to the home.
The mud room, a common feature of houses in the US, has been increasing in popularity as part of the Hamptons design trend. Working with the right specialists in custom kitchen joinery in Sydney, it can be a relatively low-effort addition to the home with a high appeal.
So, what is a mud room, and why might you want to include one in your renovation plans?
What is a mud room?
Designed to house the clothing, items and accessories needed to step outdoors – and prevent the dirt and grime from outside being traipsed through the home – a mud room has appeal for sports enthusiasts, families and pet owners alike.
Either positioned as part of the entry to the home, adjoining the laundry or near a back door, mud rooms are designed to be low-maintenance and able to withstand high traffic.
If your floor plan doesn’t permit for a dedicated mud room, or it sits outside your project budget, it’s more than achievable to implement the same key functions using some well-designed custom joinery in Sydney.
How should I lay out my mud room?
The way you design your mud room will depend on where it sits within your floor plan.
If your mud room is part of the entryway to your home, you may want to design your custom joinery in Sydney to include benches to sit and take shoes off – consider hinging the benchtop to allow for hidden shoe storage. Cupboards also work well in the entryway, to conceal coats and scarves from guests.
If located in the laundry, cubby holes for each family member can be convenient to house sports equipment and to keep the area from getting cluttered.
Which type of flooring should I choose for my mud room?
Given that the word ‘mud’ is right there in the name, it’s unsurprising that heavy-duty, easy to clean floor materials are the most popular choice for mud rooms.
If timber floorboards are used throughout the rest of the home, they can work in mud rooms – otherwise opt for a tile or polished concrete.
What storage should I include in my mud room?
Consider how your family will use the mud room, and make sure there’s a spot to store any items to keep the area free from clutter.
Hooks along the wall or on the back of a door make great use of available wall space, and give your coats and jackets a home. Alternatively, include a rail inside any built-in cabinets to create hanging space.
If not concealed within a bench as suggested earlier, shoes can be stored at the base of any cupboards, in an open cubby hole beneath any seating or in baskets.
Cubby holes or shelves running from floor to ceiling can make great homes for things like school bags and sports equipment.
Mud rooms provide lots of extra storage space, so make sure you’re making full use of vertical wall space. Don’t be afraid to put shelves above head height – this can make a good home for seasonal items, like winter clothes or Christmas decorations that you don’t need to access frequently, and free up valuable space inside the home.
Want to add a mud room to your home, or add extra storage to your existing entryway or laundry? As specialists in creating custom joinery, kitchen benchtops & cupboards in Sydney, we can tailor a solution to suit your home and your family’s needs. Get in touch with us for a no-obligation consultation and quote.
Looking for some more light reading? Download our eBook, full of design trends to inspire your renovation.
