If it were me I wouldn't even be considering rugs with white. All I can think of is dirty shoes. I like the LL Bean rug in the Honey Multi and the Bright Multi. Of course, I like the Ballard Bench since I have one, but the one with storage might be better for a growing family. I've read conflicting info on coat trees ... that they aren't all that sturdy. Maybe something to research.

Btw, I have a couple Waterhog rugs and love 'em!

Jan -

I used two indoor / outdoor braided rugs for our back hall entry. Here's a pic for you!

And a pic of the back hall with bench and rack.

I agree with Natal, though pretty pretty, those rugs would be destroyed after one winter with our northern winters. I think the Ballard bench is nice because it's more open and won't make the space look crowded. Have you checked out the Mudroom/Launry Room and the Hallway / Foyer threads Oceanna did way back when? A lot of them won't be applicable but there are still quite a few that might help with ideas.

halls & foyers:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/decor/gal0222253725206.html?23

Here is a link that might be useful: laundry & mudrooms

Hi Natal - Thanks for the input. I was leaning toward the LL Bean rug, unless there's something better out there. According to the reviews on those rugs, the colors are brighter IRL, which could be a good thing. I like the look of the bright multi too, although the reviews claim it is really bright and that the colors appear primary IRL - not sure how that would work with the more muted wall colors I have. If I do go with the braided multi, do you think the bench cushion should be solid, or would a print fabric work?

I'm leaning toward black for the bench color.

Homersmom - Great rugs - and very functional too! Your dogs are so cute there. Where did you find those indoor/outdoor rugs?

Still trying to decide on the larger or smaller bench.

Thanks,

Jan

Jan -

The manufacturer is Homespice Decor. If you go to their website there is a link to find a retailer near you. I have found them to be very easy to clean (hose off) and the colors haven't faded in the two years I've had them. They take a beating with Homer and Molly eating treats on them, sleeping on them, drooling on them - get the picture?

May I ask what color is that on the back wall in homersmom's photo with the adorable dogs?? :)

I like the cream PB bench. It will go great with the interior. The black bench is pretty but I think it would make the room look too dark.

The PB benches are also more practical if you plan on using them. Do you get much traffic in the mudroom? Is this where you take your dirty shoes off?

Beautiful room, btw!

I like the black bench and shelf and that honey braided rug and thoughts of a basket. I agree that the dark colors will hide the dirt better. Have fun decorating!!!

jan,
You'll love those Dash and Albert rugs, but I'd buy one of their indoor/outdoor types for the mudroom. They are made from a polypropylene (?) and you can just hose them off outside. There are several colors with brown if you need to worry about it showing dirt. If you can see them in person, you will notice the colors are so cheerful. You might be able to find out who sells them in your area from the website. We love selling them from our store, we get repeat business with them as people keep adding them to various rooms.
If you have to order online, they should ship pretty quickly unless they are out of stock.

lukkirish - Sigh . . . I know you're right about the prettiest rugs and dirt, and I do have two boys, so no need to say more. Thanks for the thread link. I remember it, and I reviewed it again. Another option from that thread would be to buy the bench and instead of the shelf, a flatter coat rack board.

homersmom - Thanks for the company name. I will check it out.

oakleyok - I like the cream bench too. But . . . in the rest of the house, I have painted black furniture. Should that play into this decision? We will use the bench. We all leave the house through that back doorway. In the winter, boots go on and off back there.

vampire - Thanks, and the reviews on the LL Bean wool braided rugs were very favorable - some people bought the very same rug ten years ago, and they're still happy with it. I don't know if I can got that long without changing something, though - lol.

sallymo - I have looked at the indoor/outdoor types, and I can't seem to find one with colors that would work. I was really hoping for something with red, gold, and black/brown. I LOVE their rugs, and the stripes just make me happy. I did find one of the indoor/outdoor types that could work in the kids' bathroom, though. :o)

Thanks, guys.

Jan

bellafleur22 - It's Benjamin Moore Gentle Cream. It looks much darker since there isn't much natural light in the back hall.

check out the website below. They have some nice benches and lockers. I've never ordered from them, but have always been interested.

For rugs, I love Dash and Albert rugs. I'm dying to get one, but do they stay flat? It seems they may not have enough weight to them. I really want one for DS's playroom-are the outdoor ones soft? We often sit on the floor in the playroom and I'm wondering if I can use the indoor/outdoor rug.

If you find an indoor/outdoor you like that may be the best. There are several out here that mimic natural fiber rugs that may look nice.

Here is a link that might be useful: sawdustcity

Oh Jan, sorry bout the rug comment...I feel the pain. :c)

pps - Love that site - and it's a company out of Wisconsin, too! Who knew? It looks like they make benches and shelves just like the PB ones, but more on the rustic side. I bookmarked the site. Their shipping is reasonable, and they have lots of color choices.

lukkiirish - Yes, they probably won't do for a mudroom, but maybe somewhere else . . .

ooh, what about this one? Wool and jute might wear better and the colors are nice in your space.

Here is a link that might be useful: D&A rug

Our mudroom is about the same width as yours. We opted for a 60" built-in bench and rack/shelves. Before that we had a bench similar to the PB one but it had baskets in the bottom for shoes. It was from Home decorators and they have a wide variety of benches in several sizes, similar to PB but cheaper(you do have to put it together though). I like the cream one as well. Don't think you have to match it to the rest of your house. Our floor is a very similar color and our built-in is a creamy white. The cushion I got from overstock(It's Sunbrella fabric for easy cleaning).

With boys, would definitely opt for the bench with storage. I prefer baskets/drawers for shoe storage as each person can have their own basket and it makes finding the shoes in the AM so much easier.

Here are our built -ins. We found a local cabinet maker who did it for not much more than the PB set and It was much better quality. I ended up stacking cabinets on top for more storage. We love it!

Here is a not so great pic taken with my cell phone(excuse the mess!):

As for rugs, I would be a little weary about placing one in the hallway as you have the laundry room there and the last thing you need is to trip over it with a basketful of laundry in your hands. We have a few nice decorative mats in front of our door from outside and the garage entrance.

Here is a link that might be useful: Home decorators storage benches

I had a locker custom made from Sawdustcity and was very pleased with the process, price and product. I highly recommend them.

I think the lishaana's multiple hooks are a great idea...you really can't have to many in an active family's mudroom.
And I agree about leaving out the rug. You can take a lot of the indoor-outdoor ones out and hose them down, but do you really want to? And in the seasons when you will be tracking in the most debris?

If you do want something, have you considered Flor tiles? I put "Housepet," which is made for high-traffic areas, in the front and back halls of our city house, where people track in heaven-knows-what, and it holds onto the dirt invisibly, and vacuums like a dream. I used two colors...whole tiles in the center and half-tiles to make a border (I cut them myself). I love this stuff for working areas of the house. And they'll send you samples to help choose.

Jan, I like lishaana's bench with the dark cushion.

When I see the black bench in the narrow space, for some odd reason I see someone stubbing a toe on it. LOL. A white bench doesn't give me that feeling.

I don't think you have to have black just because you have black in other rooms. I just think with a white bench it will keep that particular room bright and cheery.

I don't know if you all are talking about dirt showing on the rugs or benches, but dirt would show up more on a dark bench than a white one..and dust. It's kind of like cars. Black cars show all dirt while the white one's don't. lol

lishaana - Beautiful space, and I love the built-ins! Your cabinetry is actually very similar to ours, and I like how it is just part of the house. Our wall space is shorter than yours, but I'm sure something could still be done with it. I just thought it would be prohibitively expensive. Are those drawers or tilt-outs on the bottom?

aunttomichael - Sawdust City ships very reasonably, and that's an important consideration too. They make a bench that looks a lot like the PB bench with storage underneath.

bronwynsmom - I think I'm interested in the rugs for their decorative purposes too. I don't want high-maintenance though.

oakleyok - I like the dark cushion too, with the white bench. Without having custom made, I'm wondering if the whites would look close but not close enough or something.

Jan

I love the Ballard bench but having a bench with extra storage would be a bonus in a mudroom (wish I had a mudroom). Didn't you get a Ballard bench for your front entry or was that someone else? The PB benches and shelves look like they'd be very practical and they look great.

The reference to the Waterhog rugs reminded me that I really need to look at those - my family is tracking in dust and dirt and I need something to protect my floors.

Along with juddgirl2, I too seem to remember you have a black bench in your entry already similar to the Ballard bench in the photo. For a mud area I think you would be happier to have the PB bench with the storage, to keep the clutter a little more tucked away : ) While either black or white would be nice, I am leaning towards black since you have white cabinets in your laundry and bath. We are in process of building cabinetry for our mud area which is located in a hallway between our kitchen and laundry room. We opted for white cabinets so we wouldn't end up with a sea of maple spice cabinets everywhere we looked. I love your hallway though - your home is beautiful!

BTW, I see a strip of red wall paint in one of your photos. What shade of red is that?

Jan- Our wall is about 72". The bench is 60" and we put an umbrella stand at the end between the bench and powder room. Those are full-extension drawers that actually extend a few centimeters past, so finding shoes is really easy. I can fit about 8-10 pairs of my shoes in 1 drawer.

You can do a built-in but instead put cubbies with large storage baskets at the bottom (like the PB one) That would cut the price considerably but you would be able to customize the color to match your trim. If you go with the PB one, you can order the cream wood swatch to check the color before you order it.

juddgirl - Yes that was me with the Ballard bench for my front entryway. I love it! I had to go through a lot to get it, but it was worth it.

southernfrenchie - Thanks for weighing in. The red color is SW Flower Pot - very pretty red that we learned about on a parade of homes tour.

lishaana - Our wall is about 55", but maybe a smaller version could work. We definitely need shoe storage. I am in awe of fitting 8 - 10 pairs of shoes in one drawer. I'd be happy with two pairs! :o) I love your picture, and I'm going to show it to my hubby to see what his thoughts are about it. Thanks again!

You might enjoy these photos of Sarah Richardson's back entry and mudroom from Season 3 of "Sarah's House".

...Pam

Here is a link that might be useful: Sarah's House - Mudroom

Jan, I love the rug selections; you may want to check out JC Penney's selection of braided rugs online, I had considered one there because they have good reviews and the prices are good as well. Also, at our local store the window covering ladies will order window coverings or rugs for me shipped to the store so I don't have to pay shipping. I really like the Ballard bench!