My 5 Mudroom Must-haves
The mudroom is complete and I couldn't be happier with how it looks. For a quick backstory, we chose not to have built-ins put in while we were building the house. There were a few different things I knew I wanted in the space and the builder said they were unable to do anything custom. We were fine with waiting to get something put in after we moved in. Well here we are today, the space is complete and I'm so happy we decided to wait. We were able to design the space ourselves and get exactly what we wanted. Here are my five things that I knew I wanted in the space:
1. Closed storage: while I love the look of open cubbies in a mudroom, I knew I wanted mainly closed storage. I am a very type A person and I like having things look neat and tidy. With the closed storage, I won't be constantly trying to straighten everyone's jacket when they put them into their lockers a little crooked. I think I will love the ability to have everything closed and looking nice & neat.
2. Bench seating: if your mudroom space is big enough, I love the look of big closed lockers and a separate bench area to be able to sit down and take shoes on and off. Because our mudroom is a smaller space, we decided to combine the lockers and bench to still get the best of both worlds. We can grab our shoes out of our locker and then sit on the bench to put them on.
3. Dog bowl built-ins: Up until this point, the only thing we used the mudroom for was to feed our dog, Major. Since the built-ins took over his space we knew we wanted his bowls incorporated into the design somehow. We chose to put them in a bottom drawer which worked out perfectly because they're hidden and the height works well for him when they're pulled out. We store his food in the drawer above it so it's easy to feed him.
4. Mail cubbies: I don't know about you but before our mudroom built-ins, mail would just pile up on our kitchen island. I decided some mail cubbies would be the perfect way to organize our mail and declutter our kitchen. I plan to use the mail slots mainly for outgoing mail/packages. I also think it will be a great place to put completed forms for school so we no longer forget them on our way out the door.
5. Removable Shelving: one thing I wanted included in our closed storage were adjustable shelves. Right now Tatum and Poppy's coats are so small it would waste a lot of space to just have coats hanging in the lockers. Even our coats don't take up the entirety of the locker. With the shelves, we are able to utilize the space more. I plan on putting our shoes on the shelves and have our jackets on hooks.
*Bonus must-have: a fun pop of color. Another reason I wanted to wait is because our builder was only able to do white built-ins. If you know me at all, you know our house is VERY neutral - think white, black and brown everywhere. So for this space I decide to branch out and add some color. The specific color we used is Behr Norwegian Blue. I think it pairs really well with the black floor and natural wood countertops. Click here to shop our mudroom.
Let me know if you have any questions! What's your favorite part of the mudroom?
xo
-Annemarie