How to design and decorate your own mudroom

(Not very Parisian, but bear with me!)

The last time I wrote it was about designing and decorating an entrance or hall. Here in Paris, where space is at a premium and each inch counts, most often there is no space for a mudroom as well as a hall. But then, not everyone lives in Paris - and there’s not much mud anyway…! So indulge me and read on for decorating tips about mudrooms!

What is a mudroom anyway? When I think of a mudroom, I think of my brother’s house in the country in the south of England or my parents’ house in rural Ireland (hence the photo!).

So for me, a mudroom is exactly that - a room which catches the mud so that it doesn’t go any further into the house. Ideally it’s a place inside the back door of the house, so it doesn’t matter how muddy it actually gets… even though we all dream of a permanently Insta-worthy home, the realities of life, kids and pets often get in the way!

As usual, when we start thinking about a space, we start with the function. And lots of questions! What does your mudroom absolutely have to do for you? And if you could wave a magic wand, what would you like it to do for you? When will you use your mudroom? Do you habitually go in and out of the house through your mudroom, or do you use the hall? When going in and out of the mudroom, do you put on and take off shoes and wellies? Jackets and coats? Other outerwear?

Do you want to store accessories for the car (roof bars, screen holders…) in the mudroom or do they go somewhere else? Do you want to keep your shopping bags in the mudroom so that you can grab them as you go out, or do they live in the car? It’s important to get this list right as it will determine how successfully your mudroom performs for you and your family. I like to write lists like this one day, then I come back and update it a few days later, after my brain has been processing it behind the scenes!

Now we translate what we need to the actual practical mudroom storage solutions. Would you prefer hooks or hangers for coats and outdoor gear? Do you need shelves for hats and bike helmets - how long and how many? You probably need shelves for shoes and boots but how many do you want to be able to store? You’ll probably need shelves at different heights for different types of foot gear - measure the tallest pair of boots you have! Perhaps you’d like a mudroom bench to sit on while you boot up, and can store shoes underneath.

Maybe you need an umbrella and walking stick holder? Do you need a cubby hole or drawer for gloves? Do you want to include a boot jack to facilitate boot removal? Where will it go? (nothing worse than tripping over a boot jack in your heels!). If you have school-age children at home, do they leave their school bags in the mudroom? Do you want to include a blackboard for reminders or a magnetic board for sports timetables? Do you need to store football / dancing / rugby / gym / yoga / golf / fencing gear in the mudroom (I can just see the mudroom expanding exponentially at this stage. It’s probably half the size of the living room…!). 

And if you have a four legged friend or two (or more!) you’ll most likely need a shelf for leads and paraphernalia, probably at a height non-accessible to jaws and paws! Also, where do your dogs sleep? If they’re going to sleep in the mudroom, you’ll want to leave space for their beds / crates. 

So, mud! Mainly on boots and paws! And the rain gear that goes with them can all be very wet and damp. And sports shoes can get very smelly unless they’re immediately and properly aired! So make sure to include good ventilation and a radiator to help air and dry the space itself and what’s in it.

Now that we’ve thought about function, we can think about the aesthetics. As the mudroom is a very informal space, you can make it really fun (not that other rooms in the house can’t be fun, but here you can really go to town!). So all those cat or dog themed presents that your friends have been giving you over the years? This is the perfect place to display them! Together with dog themed wallpaper and brightly painted doors. Or a huge collage of family photos over the years. Or the kids’ artwork since they were aged three. And anything cheerful that makes you smile! Just make sure you include a washable rug and washable paintwork / wallpaper given that they might get very dirty!

I hope that this has been helpful and made you think about what your ideal mudroom would be like. If you’d like any help just give me a call!