2. Galley Greeting
Designer: Danielle Loven of Vivid Interior Design
Location: Edina, Minnesota
Size: 108 square feet (10 square meters); 6 by 18 feet
Homeowners’ request. “This was part of a whole-home remodel for a family with two growing boys,” designer Danielle Loven says. “They never had a mudroom in this home, so adding function and style was important in designing the space, as well as fitting the character of the home to make it seem like it was there from the beginning. We chose darker floor and cabinet colors to help hide marks and dirt better and create high style. The warm colors and high contrast of the space and lots of windows all add to the openness and inviting feel.”
Special features. Galley layout. Gray built-in (Cape May Cobblestone by Benjamin Moore) with a custom wood bench, open shoe storage, coat hooks and cabinets with brass-wire-mesh fronts. Graphite-color hexagonal floor tile with white grout.
Designer tip. “The honeycomb-pattern hexagon floor tile is a fun shape that is both modern and timeless and has the correct scale for the size of the space,” Loven says. “It’s important when selecting tile that the size is appropriate and scaled to the size of the space, to create balance and not overwhelm or feel too small either.”
Wall paint: Classic Gray by Benjamin Moore; trim paint: Pure White by Sherwin-Williams
3. Wonder Wall
Designer: Huntington ID
Location: Owasso, Oklahoma
Size: 152 square feet (14 square meters); 8 by 19 feet
Homeowner’s request. “The homeowner wanted a mudroom with no clutter, easy access to stored items for her three children plus a cabinet to drop keys with storage,” designer Tracy Huntington says.
Special features. “We started with the limestone floors, which were requested by the homeowner,” Huntington says. “We specified large, closed cabinetry because she loves lots and lots of storage and clean lines. We then added the bench with openings below for shoes.”
The cabinet color is Cape May Cobblestone by Benjamin Moore. The walls and trim are Super White by Benjamin Moore. “The challenge here was to marry a warm limestone floor with the homeowner’s strong love of stark, crisp whites and grays,” Huntington says. “After a few rounds of color meetings, we went with a muted contrast of gray cabinets. The color has a subtle warm undertone, which adds contrast and warmth.”
Designer tip. “The cabinet color hides dirt and dust, which is so important in a mudroom,” Huntington says.
4. Stylish Salutation
Designers: Elizabeth Mathieson and Emily Bruere of M House Development
Location: Naperville, Illinois
Size: 86 square feet (7.9 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “Cost and space were a factor, so we kept the design simple,” designer Elizabeth Mathieson says. “Instead of lockers, we defined the three spaces with vertical lattice strips, and we kept the shelf above floating instead of [adding] cubbies to make it feel modern, but also to save from having to add a finished side and top.”
Special features. Dark gray millwork (Kendall Charcoal by Benjamin Moore). Floating shelf. Chrome coat hooks. Porcelain floor tile in a herringbone pattern. “The tile running under the bench definitely adds durability to store shoes or shoe bins,” Mathieson says.
Wall paint: Chantilly Lace, Benjamin Moore
5. Breezy Beginning
Designers: Stephen Alexander Homes & Neighborhoods (home architecture and interior architecture) and Susan Wilson Interiors (interior design)
Location: Norfolk, Virginia
Size: 42 square feet (3.9 square meters); 6 by 7 feet
Homeowners’ request. “The goal with the mudroom was something practical as well as minimalistic in appearance,” design-build pro Stephen Alexander says.
Special features. Crisp white walls and millwork (First Star by Sherwin-Williams). Hardwood flooring and bench. “The trim materials are kiln-dried in various sizes,” Alexander says. “We eliminated all curved moldings and opted instead for square edges where possible. This helped us with our minimalistic theme.”
Designer tip. “Because we are at a marina on the Chesapeake Bay, Susan, our designer, decided to use real boat cleats instead of regular hooks as another reminder of the coastal lifestyle,” Alexander says.
One of the most reliable ways to establish an organized home is to keep clutter from entering your house in the first place. And a hardworking mudroom can do a lot of that heavy lifting for you. Cubbies, hooks, cabinets and other storage and organizing features will corral coats, bags, shoes, sports equipment and more before they have a chance to accumulate elsewhere in your home. Here, design pros share the storage and style details they used to create functional and fashionable mudrooms. (cited)
1. Beckoning Blue
Designer: Purple Cherry Architects
Location: Annapolis, Maryland
Size: 135 square feet (13 square meters)
Homeowners’ request. “This mudroom serves as the link between the garage and the rest of the home, so the clients needed a drop and storage zone for shoes, coats, etc. when entering and exiting the home,” says designer Cathy Purple Cherry, who collaborated with her clients through Houzz ideabooks. “They desired a functional yet beautiful space that also presented the coastal flair seen throughout the house.”
Special features. Porcelain tile that looks like bluestone. Blue-gray walls (Manor Blue by Benjamin Moore). Built-ins including one with a custom-cushioned bench, coat hooks, an open shelf and two drawers with navy leather pulls.
Designer tip. “Casters on the bottom of the two ottomans stored under the table make for an easy rolling seat to put shoes on and take them off,” Purple Cherry says.
Light fixtures: Montpelier large flush mount in polished nickel, Visual Comfort; seat cushion: Sew Beautiful; built-ins: GYC Group