Mudroom needs tweaking

11 years ago

We moved into our new house in January. 10 days later I was in an auto accident, so the things I would usually do, such as finishing work and decorating, got put on hold. Now I am having trouble with the mud room. We had done some remodeling and had to add 3 steps outside and 1 inside to make it the right height, without too many steps for my mom who uses a walker. So there are 2 levels to the mudroom. The higher level is where the washer and dry closet originally was (level of the 1/2 bathroom and pantry), the pantry, door to the bathroom, and door to the kitchen. The pantry was added by taking space from the garage where the steps to come into the house used to be. The lower level has the washer and dryer, door to outside, and door to the garage (right).

Right now we have folding chairs with those shoe mats under them to help collect the debris. There are 5 of us, 3 kids middle school and under, my husband and myself...and the dog. I'm thinking benches to keep it open. My husband wants to build built in and "wrap" it around the outside corner to make 5 seating spaces. I'm not sure if there is enough room.

Also, we need to add more hooks or shelves. All of my kids will have "A days" and "B days" at their schools, which means 2 book bags each.

The area by the washer and dryer is awkward. For code, we had to stack to make it far enough from the electrical panel. So I am not sure how to fit in a shelf for the baskets, cleaning supplies, etc. The IKEA caddy there is temporary. It doesn't really fit the need. It feels cluttered over there.

Besides the mirror I bought today 1/2 price at At Home, the area rug from Ollies (a steal at $25) and the Sherwin Williams Peacock, which I love, I'm not sure how to decorate without feeling cluttered. There is no window. We put in a lot of overhead lights, which works. Is less more? Can anyone help?

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Comments (4)

C&T Brooks (VA, Zone 7a)
11 years ago
I see what you mean, rochelleslp. A couple things...

Storage for shoes, bags, coats etc: What's in the closet across from the powder room? Is it being utilized efficiently or are you open to change? For me, coat closets don't end up working as efficiently as hoped. We moved any coats up to the corresponding person's closet in the warmer months. Changing that space would solve many of your design issues here. You could remove the doors and add a locker type system for each person, see example in pic below.

Laundry area: This one's a little easier. I would install a combination of shelves and a more substantial lower storage cabinet, one that spans the width of the opening...on wheels so you can roll it out to access the electrical panel. Or you could opt for a shallow, builtin bookcase-like piece. Depends on what kind of storage you need.
rochelleslp
Original Author
11 years ago
The closet across from the bathroom is my pantry. It is my only food storage area, as my kitchen and dining areas are quite small. It also houses my china and moderate size kitchen appliances, such as my croc roaster, dehydrator, juicer, etc. Using that closet for something else is not an option. I like the idea in the second picture with the hanging rod and shelf up high. It wouldn't get in the way of the panel. As well as the roll away unit. I have a small trash bin is in that corner, which is definitely a must, as well as a step stool. I am very short and if there are socks in the back of the dryer, I need the stool to get to them.

If I have something on wheels, then benches rather then built-ins may be required so that I have room to roll the caddy out of the way. Any comments on that?

Thank you for your comment! I am most appreciative!
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miacometlady
11 years ago
Here are some deign ideas you may be able to add!
rochelleslp
Original Author
11 years ago
Miacommentlady,

I hadn't thought about the bench with the higher shelf or a rod to hang things. Thanks for the ideas.