12 Mudroom Ideas That Make Mundane Chores Feel Magical
Words by Olivia Lidbury
Photography by Christopher Horwood; Design by Max Rollitt
Give it up for the hardest-working—but all too often uncelebrated—spot in the home: the mudroom.
This hero of a space, with its affection for muddy boots and capacity for all-weather outerwear, is what allows your actual hallway to sing in all its uncluttered, well-styled glory. It’s where the dog pads in without care, and doubles-up as an ‘in-tray’ while you ready yourself to unload the grocery shopping.
While it’s a room which has to score highly on practicality, that doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful too. And if anyone can make a utilitarian side room look magazine-worthy, it’s our roster of Experts. We’ve compiled a handful of lust-worthy mudrooms for inspiration, and remember—you can book a consultation to get the Expert touch on your own small but mighty space.
Photography by Malissa Mabey; Design by Alex Adamson Design
Get personal
When everyone has their own designated area, it makes for a tidy space—no excuses. In this mudroom by Alex Adamson, slim ‘wardrobes’ and cubby holes offer ample storage, but the wood treatments and material finishes means they don’t appear too uniform. The bench to sit on while putting your shoes on is the icing on the cake.
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Photography by Helen Norman; Design by Andrew Howard
Load up on laundry—and pattern
If you have the square footage, incorporating a laundry station into a mudroom is a smart move. By using uplifting prints and mood-boosting colors, seemingly never-ending chores will take on a more joyful dimension. Andrew Howard mixed blues and greens here to dazzling effect, because for a space you won’t actually spend any time sitting down or relaxing in, you should have carte blanche to indulge a more daring decor fantasy.
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Photography by Rikki Snyder; Design by Becca Interiors
Make the mundane magical
‘An ordinary space reimagined to find magic in the everyday’ is how Expert Becca Casey sums up this oh-so desirable mudroom in upstate New York. Loaded with tongue-and-groove paneling, and stone flooring for texture, the wooden cabinets echo the earthen palette used around the rest of the colonial property. Suddenly putting a wash on just became top of the to-do list.
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Photography by Shade Degges; Design by Ashe Leandro
Think outside of the (cabinetry) box
Sure, you can continue your kitchen’s cabinet style into an adjoining mudroom, but using counter skirts offers a softer sense of whimsy (and might be kinder on your budget). This patterned fabric in a home by Ashe Leandro doesn’t just seamlessly bring in a kaleidoscope of colors, it’s an invitation to also cultivate the area into your very own ‘flower room’.
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Photography by Sam Frost; Design by Jeffrey Alan Marks
Mudroom, but make it summery
Paneled walls, material ceiling, textured stone flooring… Functionality was never going to get in the way of frivolity in Expert Jeffrey Alan Marks’ Montecito ‘sand room’. A must for beachside dwelling, the Dutch door on this sweet space welcomes the outside inside in the most traditional of ways.
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Photography by Stacy Zarin Goldberg; Design by Cameron Ruppert Interiors
Make every square inch sweat
Even if your mudroom is a glorified hallway, it doesn’t mean it can’t perform. These boot hooks dreamed up by Cameron Ruppert keep the floor space clear, while a row of pegs is all you need for everyday coats. A vintage runner provides that little ode to beauty.
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Photography by Amy Bartlam; Design by Light and Dwell Interiors
Create your happy space
If traditional interiors are your bag, don’t deprive your mudroom of a decorative wall finish and some artwork. No matter where you fall on the maximalism scale, marrying form and function is always a must. Never let the practicalities ruin your party; as Light & Dwell shows—there’s always room for both.
Book a consultation with Light & Dwell
Photography by Dominique Vorillon; Design by Mark D. Sikes Inc.
A room with a view
Mudrooms don’t always have the primest of real estate, but if you have a garden-facing space to repurpose, consider going grand with glazing à la Mark D. Sikes. All of a sudden your mudroom is more ballroom, and commands a giant sink for those freshly-cut stems from the garden.
Book a consultation with Mark D. Sikes
Photography by Colin Way; Design by Nam Dang-Mitchell Design
Put the beauty in utility
Downton Abbey may have informed Nam Dang-Mitchell’s obsession with traditional auxiliary spaces, such as mudrooms, laundry rooms, and butler’s pantries. Her translation into real life sees her blend natural woods and brick tiles to create a room that is as noteworthy as anywhere else in the home.
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Photography courtesy of Salvesen Graham
A case for drawers
Design duo Salvesen Graham are advocates for squeezing a chest of drawers into a boot room (the correct term for Brits). “They are so useful for small things like dog leads, gloves, secateurs, shoe cleaning kits,” they reason. Failing that, a unit with cubby holes for pull-out baskets comes a close second. And of course, any space is an opportunity for more soft furnishings and pleasing pops of color.
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Photography by Sarah Shields; Design by Whittney Parkinson Design
Focus on what’s underfoot
Bathed in opulent color from skirting board to ceiling, and topped with brass hardware, who needs a formal entry when Whittney Parkinson’s mudrooms look as delectable as this? Tiles or pavers get the thumbs-up as the flooring of choice from the designer, as they combat the moisture from the elements (hello: rain!) better than hardwoods.
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Photography by Lauren Miller; Design by Ashley Montgomery Design
And don’t forget those extras…
A charming blind, a vintage flush mount, and painted window frames are all small but impactful details which contribute to making the mudroom feel just as considered as any other part of the home. Ashley Montgomery’s embrace of powder blue and a small stool for a moment of quiet contemplation make this space feel more like a sanctuary than a utility zone.
Book a consultation with Ashley Montgomery Design
