3 Reasons Why Your House Needs a Mudroom

Keeping a family organized is a hefty task, whether you have one kid or five, like me. With coats, backpacks, and shoes of all sizes, clutter and stress can pile up fast if you aren’t organized. That’s why I love a good mudroom, and why I argue if space allows it, all families should have one too.

Here are three reasons why your family needs a mudroom:

It will keep you organized
I like to think of a mudroom as a hybrid between a walk-in closet and a utility room. There is so much opportunity for organization! A big way to accomplish organization is through millwork. Where possible, dedicate one cabinet or shelf per family member for bags and coats. Cabinetry can also double as seating—I took a pair of standard 18” high cabinets from Cutler Modern Living and installed them on the floor to create a bench to make putting on shoes and boots even easier. Take organization a step further by using baskets and trays to divide cabinets on the inside. I use trays and small baskets from Bouclair to house keys, wallets and sunglasses and have invested in large fabric bins for off-season coats and large accessories. I also use my cabinetry to sort and store clothing that does not fit my kids, needs to be repaired or needs to be donated.

It will keep your house clean
When possible, it is so helpful when the mudroom can be a literal divide between the outdoors and the indoors. Instead of tracking snow and dirt through the house ruining carpets and hardwood floors, allow your mudroom to absorb all of the debris. Porcelain tile is my favourite material to use in a mudroom as it is durable, easy to clean and relatively inexpensive. In my space, I took simple 12” x 24” tiles in three colours from Creekside Tile, and installed them in a herringbone pattern that creates great visual impact and looks super chic. A must-have in a mudroom is a utility sink. I love using mine for floral arrangements, rinsing out dirty boots and stinky sports equipment. For really fast clean up, invest in a pull down nozzle. Bonus tip for multi-tasking moms: invest in touch technology like the Brizo Solna faucet that allows you to turn on the water just by tapping anywhere on the faucet or handle.

It will save you time and increase sanity
I’m a big believer that the more organized you are, the more time you save. So creating a room that allows you to get dressed easier, allows you to streamline your morning routine and makes things faster for a mom is such a major win. When coats, hats, boots and bags all have a dedicated space per family member, each person can take responsibility for their items, always know where they are, and reduce the chaos that comes with a last-minute search during the dash out the door. The peace that comes with a successful exit out the door without forgotten items is so great- and a mudroom can certainly help to facilitate this sanity and peace.