When I built my home twelve years ago there were no kids, no dog, no immediate need for or concern about trapping the residuals of the outdoors ... the muck and dirt that inevitably would be tracked into our home by a growing family! Two sons and a dog later, the need for a 'catchall entryway' for wet shoes, muddy boots, winter layers of clothing after sledding, not to mention a 'depository' for basketballs, karting helmets and the like, became all too apparent.
Enter the need for a mudroom. A mudroom essentially serves as a stash-it-all, transitional space where you can shed the dirt of the day and leave behind those things that will only clutter your home. It's one of the hardest working rooms you can have for how multifunctional it is. If you've got pets you may even want a utility sink to wash your muddied pooch in, a grooming table or place for its water bowl and bed.
And the organizational possibilities are endless. Imagine a room where not only wet coats and mud-encrusted shoes are left but a designed to your specific needs place to store sporting equipment, a designated place for your children's paraphernalia. It's a 'home' for the things your family needs easy access to as they're walking out the door. A hook to leave your keys on, a vertical sorter for the day's mail to be sorted through later ... not everything needs to immediately make its way into your home if at all, left on a counter top or in the corner of a room. Mudrooms made it possible for both children AND adults to become more organized.
Beyond its functionality imagine further this is an attractive, inviting entryway. A mudroom is one of the most customizable rooms in your home! It hardly has to look like what its name suggests.
"The mudroom is typically the entrance to your home. Make it count," advises Alane Jewel of RealEstate.com in her article "Mudroom Design" Fun and Functional." She goes on to say, "It is where your visitors establish their initial impression of your home and therefore should reflect your home's style and personality."
