I think if you built that space the size shown you will find it is extraordinarily small, limiting its usefulness.

Seeing what I see in the drawing, it may be beneficial to you if you start another discussion asking for a review of the entire house design. There are dangers to this in that you hear things you may not want to hear but should hear.

Agree that it looks a bit small.

How many people will be coming in/out of this area regularly and how much do you want to store?

How do you use the mudroom, for how many people? Ages?

We have one bench with a lift-up lid. I haven’t seen the inside of it in ages. There are three baskets on top of it with winter accessories, work/garden gloves, and usually a bottle or can heading to recycling in the garage (yes, it stops at the door, and doesn’t go out till someone is going to the car, despite there being a recycle bin in the trash cabinet i the kitchen, don’t get me started lol!). We use the hooks, and have boot trays under them.

So, what will you store in the cabinetry? outerwear? batteries? household tools? out-of-season wear?

How will you light the space?

Will you have a broom or small vac there?

I find the second inspirational image disturbing.

Mark, darn you for making me really look at them. Granted they are just inspirational, but still…are they all three AI-generated? Curious about the functionality of some of the cabinets and doors, and the art and light on the floor, the odd floor, the plant growing out of a cabinet, and more, of the third one.

Do you drop shoes, or wet boots, etc, when you come in? Where will they go? Base drawers are not at all convenient for that, or for putting shoes back on later.

If the door to the rest of the house opens in to the mudroom, it blocks off 3’ of bench and hooks. Make it a pocket door.

How would you use the black hole of Calcutta that will be the left end of the cabinetry-closet?

Still living in Switzerland?

Are you building a new house, or is this a remodel/addition to an existing structure?

Who is "our developer"? Builder, contractor, friend ...

Bpath, the cabinet door has knobs and pulls! I hate this AI stuff!

"Any concerns with this approach or watch outs?"

Don't put pillows in a mudroom.

I always think that fluffy offwhite textiles are perfect for a room with the word "mud" in it.

Real life is simply not that clean.

And if it is - you don't need a mudroom.

hold now now, we have had our fun. The inspos are not about the fluffy towels or even the AI. Inspiration is not fact. This is about layout. And I will bring only those types of comments to the following:

How is the space used, b

LOL you guys are savage. The inspo is for layout yes. I’m not worried about aesthetics currently. Builder is finishing new home in Chicago. Will be place for family (incl children) to drop things. I asked for pocket door from inside to room but I don’t think there’s enough space sadly. Left wall goes to exterior and right wall has glass doors to a patio. Door as such will open into the room. My thinking now is keep the existing layout and just design the closet so it looks like part of built ins. Drop boots and shoes in closet. Keep drawers for cold winter items. Have hooks above bench for backpacks and everyday things.

If a pocket door won’t work, consider moving the garage door to the left enough that an interior door can open against the garage wall. Design the closet-cabinetry accordingly.

Will people really open and close a closet or cabinet door to kick their shoes on and off? I suspect they will go under the bench. (we use a boot trays, laying a standard 24” wire shelf inside. It does a great job letting shoes dry without sitting in their own drips, and outside debris falls off the shoe to under the shelf.)

Yeah, we’re kinda savage. Actually more like brutally honest. Don’t worry, it’s not personal. We’re like that with everybody.

That’s a great point @bpath thank you. Kicking off the shoes and then it ends up being a shoe graveyard to trip over which I would like to avoid. So instead of drawers under the bench keeping it open for shoe and boot space?

Yes. Maybe even slightly slant whatever flooring is there, for easier use (unless you use my boot tray/shelf method, where we use the old kind of shelf with a lip, and we use the lip to slant the shelf a bit)

ok - here's helpful comments

I have a huge laundry / mudroom. I don't use it as intended at all. The problem is - that the path from the door into the house is straightforward and I'd have to take an "unnatural detour" to pass by the storage space in the laundry room. I see that as a possibility here - come in, go directly into the (kitchen?) and don't stop in the mudroom. I can see the same happening here.

you will also want floor level storage for shoes, with a mat under it that will be out of the walking path - that negates a bench that has enclosed storage under it. Do an open bench and pile shoes under that.

Rather than having the bench just open underneath for shoes/etc. - I would use some type of baskets or some other easy to access item. I wouldn't want it to be completely open because it will be messy with shoes just kicked off and pushed underneath - esp with kids (heck, that would happen with my SO using it!). If you decide to leave the space open - I would add rubber trays (just a small lip around the tray in order to keep the water/etc. from running out on the floor).

I personally like drawers under the bench (with rubber trays to cover the bottom of the drawers to protect from water/mud). However, if you think that won't work for some reason, then a basket type thing for each person would work.

My girls used drawers to throw their shoes into under our mudroom bench - they were little when they first started using it (maybe four or five?). Initially, I had a bench with a hinged opening at the top - however, that was just a mess because all shoes/flip flops/boots were just thrown inside and mixed together = difficult to find matching pairs of whatever someone was looking for at that time). Life was better = easier when my daughters each had their own drawer.

I also think changing the closet in order to have more than hooks for storage is a good idea. My girls didn't ever use the closet by the garage door to hang up their coats - the easier you make it for them = better - that's why hooks are so helpful.

Do you need part of the closet for storing your vacuum/mop/broom/swifter?

here's what the developer currently wants to do with the space. trying to give feedback / ask good questions now.

Where is it?

@Mark do you mean where in the house? Here’s the floorplan. It’s off the family room, back of the home.

I meant the mud room. What the developer currently wants is 66" wide; I do not see anything in the mud room that is 66" wide?

@Mark bottom left of the home is where the mudroom is. The 66 wide is the portion leveled bench.

I am a fan of hooks - my boys threw their coats on them and then I had monogrammed tote bags that also hung so they could stuff smaller winter/athletic items in there (when we were running late, they’d just grab the whole bag and dig out what was needed on the drive) I am also bit on the cheap side so would hesitate to spend a bunch of money on cabinetry in that area when I wasnt sure how I would use it - also limits flexibility down the road.

@la_la Girl soooo much helpful perspective thank you! My little one is just 5 months old so I am having a hard time imagining the chaos of the space in the future. This is so helpful!

@Mark Bischak, Architect I'll ask the developer about this, thank you!