Mudrooms continue to be a staple in homes, and for good reason. Most commonly a secondary entrance where homeowners can drop wet and muddy messes before entering your main home, mudrooms are a smart addition to a home. They provide extra storage for virtually everything: coats and shoes to school backpacks and sports gear to drop zones for keys and umbrellas. In fact, in a custom-built house, you can create a mudroom that’s both functional for your entire family and a stylish addition to your home.
As mudrooms continue to remain on the must-haves for a custom-built house, they’re especially practical in modern family homes—especially when living on the lake. With a mudroom in your lake home, you’ll keep dirt, sand, and messes at the door and far away from the rest of your home.
Adding a Mudroom to Your Custom Built Home
When planning that mudroom for your custom-built house, start by making sure you have an adequate amount of space planned within your new build. Use the following checklist to consider the storage space you’ll need and that it will meet your family’s lifestyle demands:
1. Include a bench or seating
No mudroom would be complete without a bench or comfortable spot for sitting and removing your shoes. Fortunately, most mudroom benches pull double-duty, concealing storage under a flip-up seat or used to tuck book bags underneath.
2. Add some furniture
Mudrooms are designed to provide plentiful storage, so look for functional furniture like cubbies, lockers, shoe cabinets, and closets for holding coats and seasonal items.
3. Keep adding storage
Since mudrooms are spots that are heavily used, make sure to find practical, durable items for the space. Think about it this way: you’ll want everything that comes in and out of your home to have a designated place, so make sure you plan accordingly. Each family member should have his or her own storage box or basket for convenience. Install hooks for rain jackets and coats. And consider cubby holes for shoes and drawers or doors to store away soccer balls, tennis racquets, and baseball bats.
4. Add some character with lighting
You’ll obviously want overhead lighting in your mudroom. You’ll also want to consider task lighting for your space. If your built-ins aren’t decorative, use lighting to enhance the design and beautify it on some levels.
5. Be smart about flooring
Your mudroom will not only be one of the most high-traffic areas in your home, but it will also need to be highly resistant to dirt, water, and stains because of its utilitarian design. You’ll want to look at hard surfaces over carpet to keep the floor protected. Look into polished concrete or floorboards to help your mudroom stand the test of time.
