Mudroom
The powder room received a budget-friendly but impactful makeover during the mudroom remodel. Letzring extended the travertine herringbone floor into this space. She saved money by keeping the existing vanity, toilet and mirror. She painted the dated golden oak mirror and vanity olive green and added cute new porcelain knobs to the vanity. She also created an accent wall with adhesive wood paneling. These thin veneer planks are installed just like peel-and-stick tiles.
Another standout feature in the room is the dark travertine floor tile, laid out in a herringbone pattern. “This tile is beautiful, and there is some variation in the color and veining,” the designer says. “And it’s not shiny or glossy, so it hides everything.” This means the high-traffic area’s floor won’t show dirt between weekly cleanings. A herringbone backsplash is in the kitchen plans, so the pattern will provide another nice connection between the spaces. Hooks on the wall add a spot for keys, bags, and for now, masks. The open door leads to a powder room that was remodeled as part of the project. The herringbone floor tile continues into that space.
After: The new cabinets have Shaker-style doors painted Pure White by Sherwin-Williams. These are finishes that Letzring had already planned for the kitchen remodel. Like the bench, the counter over the machines is alder. The black shiplap detail over the machines is a box that conceals the water valves for the washer. It can be pulled out for easy access to the valves. “We couldn’t make a beautiful room and then have that eyesore of a valve sticking out,” Letzring says.
This photo was taken during the construction process. “Lowering the washer-dryer opened up more room for upper cabinets,” Letzring says. She designed the cabinets for additional laundry, cleaning supplies and pantry overflow. “I told my clients that their existing utility sink and countertop were just fine, so we simply refaced the cabinet beneath it with matching cabinet doors,” she says. They opted for a more updated faucet, but she saved her clients money by repurposing the sink, counter and cabinet box.
Before: “Their machines were on risers before, which is great ergonomically. But they had the litter box under there and it wasn’t really tall enough for the cat. And they would wind up chucking other stuff under there because they didn’t have enough storage space, so it looked messy,” Letzring says.
After: From working on other spaces in the home, Letzring knew her clients liked a modern farmhouse aesthetic. “I knew we were planning on remodeling their kitchen in about a year, so I planned this scheme to coordinate with what I knew they wanted to do in there,” she says. The mudroom renovation provided a preview of the upcoming kitchen remodel’s style. She replaced the closet with a large open coat locker and bench. Each family member has their own hook and basket. Knowing this area would get a lot of hard use, she chose solid alder wood for the bench instead of painted wood or a wood veneer. And knowing that drywall would have become scuffed and dinged behind the bench, she covered the wall in wood shiplap planks. She sized one cubby under the bench to fit a covered litter box for their cat. The closed cabinet next to the bench has shelves to accommodate cleaning supplies and overflow pantry items. There are electrical outlets inside, and they keep their Roomba vacuum cleaner charging on the bottom. Wall paint: Agreeable Gray, Sherwin-Williams
This family had a long list of rooms they wanted to remodel and had been working on it with interior designer Jeanna Letzring for awhile. “The mudroom was way down the list. But once their daughter started elementary school, the shuffle through this space to the garage ramped up. They had a greater need for somewhere to drop things like book bags and her guitar as soon as they entered the house, and the mudroom became their top priority,” she says. The designer replaced a catch-all mess of a closet with an open bench and hooks, added cabinetry to better meet their storage needs and even planned a tucked-away space for their cat’s litter box. And she chose finishes that would coordinate with her clients’ future plans for their kitchen remodel. Before Photo Pinnacle Interior Designs Photos by Kevin Adah of Height Advantages Mudroom at a Glance Who lives here: A couple and their daughter Location: Maple Grove, Minnesota Size: 100 square feet (9.3 square meters) Designer: Jeanna Letzring of Pinnacle Interior Designs Contractor: Stoltz Installation & Carpentry Before: The door to the left leads to the garage. The mudroom layout was not bad, but it had dated decor, and the coat closet...
4. Choose a Door With Windows Sometimes the exterior door is the only way to bring natural light into a mudroom. The French door with sidelights and transom makes all the difference in this long, narrow mudroom by designer Jenny Madden. Also worth noting is the way Madden created a lovely gallery wall of family photos that can be enjoyed when passing through or while sitting on the bench.
3. Add Texture Function is key in a mudroom, but adding design and decor details will make this hardworking space a pleasure to be in. One way to create style is to layer textures. In this Milwaukee home, the designers at Deep River Partners added textural depth and interest with planks behind the coat hooks, a wooden bench and durable porcelain flooring with the look of encaustic cement tile.
2. Create Locker-Style Storage A dedicated locker space for each family member is a tried and true way to keep everyone in the home organized. It’s also one of the defining features of modern-day mudrooms. Notice the way architect George Clemens took the locker-style cabinets all the way to the ceiling for extra storage and added a second shelf for shoes underneath the bench.
1. Consider a Sink A mudroom sink is handy for rinsing off mucky boots, spot-treating muddy uniforms, washing small dogs, arranging flowers and potting plants. Perhaps most important, though: A mudroom sink provides a place for everyone to stop and wash their hands as they enter the house. This beautiful mudroom by DeBaker Design Group features a vintage-style utility sink, a herringbone brick floor, deep green cabinetry and Moravian star light fixtures.
2. Galley Greeting Designer: Danielle Loven of Vivid Interior Design Location: Edina, Minnesota Size: 108 square feet (10 square meters); 6 by 18 feet Homeowners’ request. “This was part of a whole-home remodel for a family with two growing boys,” designer Danielle Loven says. “They never had a mudroom in this home, so adding function and style was important in designing the space, as well as fitting the character of the home to make it seem like it was there from the beginning. We chose darker floor and cabinet colors to help hide marks and dirt better and create high style. The warm colors and high contrast of the space and lots of windows all add to the openness and inviting feel.” Special features. Galley layout. Gray built-in (Cape May Cobblestone by Benjamin Moore) with a custom wood bench, open shoe storage, coat hooks and cabinets with brass-wire-mesh fronts. Graphite-color hexagonal floor tile with white grout. Designer tip. “The honeycomb-pattern hexagon floor tile is a fun shape that is both modern and timeless and has the correct scale for the size of the space,” Loven says. “It’s important when selecting tile that the size is appropriate and scaled to the size of t...
3. Wonder Wall Designer: Huntington ID Location: Owasso, Oklahoma Size: 152 square feet (14 square meters); 8 by 19 feet Homeowner’s request. “The homeowner wanted a mudroom with no clutter, easy access to stored items for her three children plus a cabinet to drop keys with storage,” designer Tracy Huntington says. Special features. “We started with the limestone floors, which were requested by the homeowner,” Huntington says. “We specified large, closed cabinetry because she loves lots and lots of storage and clean lines. We then added the bench with openings below for shoes.” The cabinet color is Cape May Cobblestone by Benjamin Moore. The walls and trim are Super White by Benjamin Moore. “The challenge here was to marry a warm limestone floor with the homeowner’s strong love of stark, crisp whites and grays,” Huntington says. “After a few rounds of color meetings, we went with a muted contrast of gray cabinets. The color has a subtle warm undertone, which adds contrast and warmth.” Designer tip. “The cabinet color hides dirt and dust, which is so important in a mudroom,” Huntington says.
1. Rich Materials The most-saved entryway of 2020 smartly blends style and storage. The mudroom, designed by LDa Architecture & Interiors, was part of an addition to a home in Newton, Massachusetts, and includes new cubbies, coat closets and firewood storage. Eye-catching navy-blue cement star-patterned floor tile grounds the design, while a stained walnut ceiling draws the eye up to the skylight.
3. Efficient Charging Station A family found Ginger Curtis of Urbanology Designs on Houzz and worked with her to create this stylish entry between the kitchen and laundry room. Storage cubbies and cabinets organize and conceal bags and shoes, and the wall-mounted white oak shelf is designed to corral and charge the family’s devices, keeping kitchen counters clear and everything where it needs to be. See more of this kitchen in Texas
5. Flexible Storage This combined mudroom and laundry room, added as part of an addition, gives this home in Minneapolis a new entry just off the kitchen. Jkath Design Build + Reinvent added custom cabinetry (painted in Chelsea Gray by Benjamin Moore) that includes storage cubbies, wall hooks and built-in cabinets. An oversize area rug protects new solid-engineered wood floors.
8. Light and Bright Wood trim pieces create the look of a paneled wall in this bright and airy mudroom in Wayne, Pennsylvania, designed by Larina Kase and built by Rudloff Custom Builders. The window, glass-paneled door and white beadboard ceiling lighten up the space, and durable slate floor tiles anchor the room. Cubbies above the window seat and a row of coat hooks provide plenty of storage.
For an active family of four and their dog, this remodeled mudroom in Burlington, Vermont, functions as a front entry and area for unloading ski equipment. White shiplap walls, custom built-ins (painted in Benjamin Moore’s Vintage Vogue) and new brick floors in a herringbone pattern give the space a warm, welcoming vibe. “They hold up well to the elements and also infuse the space with a classic character that complements the house,” says designer Vanessa Elliott of Elliott | Meyers Design. Oil-rubbed bronze coat hooks line the wall.
10. Tan, White and Blue A beachy palette of pale blues, natural tans and white in this Ohio vacation home entryway exudes relaxation. Designer Barrie Spang of design firm Sapphire Pear wanted to create a flexible space off the main hallway connecting the kitchen, laundry area and garage entrance that was pretty, tidy and functional. With white walls and woodwork (Extra White from Sherwin-Williams) and medium brown exposed-grain wood flooring, the space feels friendly and clean. A shiplap back face above the bench, Hadley flush-mount ceiling lights by Hinkley Lighting, coordinating blue storage boxes and a bold but understated graphic floor runner complete the laid-back look.
9. Neat With Knickknacks Brian H. Murray of Brian H. Murray Interior Design in Raleigh worked with the homeowners of this rural North Carolina home on a major renovation that included transforming what was once a dysfunctional laundry room into an open foyer space that would double as a mudroom. The project involved opening the side entrance to the house with 8-foot double glass doors that bring natural light into the new white space (Sherwin-Williams Alabaster walls with Sherwin-Williams Pure White trim). The larger-scale horizontal shiplap was meant to draw the eye around the space and add an element of rustic charm, Murray says. Hidden storage keeps sports equipment, shoes and dog leashes tidy, while curated accessories play up the personality of the space. Wood finishes, stained in various shades of walnut, add an approachable dose of farmhouse character.
8. Low-Key, High-Traffic Near the Lake This lower-level rear entryway opens onto a Minnesota backyard along Lake Minnetonka. Because there’s typically so much foot traffic coming from and going to the outside dock, this space needed to be resilient, comfortable and packed with storage features. Homeowner and architect Laurie Kruhoeffer says the hooks, reclaimed-wood bench and adjacent closet with a built-in hamper come in handy after a day of boating. The smokey gray walls (Benjamin Moore Smoke Embers) and weathered wood-look porcelain floor tiles (Revive by Caesar Ceramics in Sesame) keep with the nautical spirit. The transom above the bench was added to let in more sunshine.
7. Bright With a Bench The homeowners at this rural farmhouse outside Richmond, Virginia, wanted an everyday entry and mudroom that was functional for a family with four kids and a whole flock of animals, including two goats, a dog and a pony. But they want it to still be pretty enough to act as a secondary front door for friends and neighbors, designer Jennifer Radakovic says. Pairing custom cabinetry in white (Snowbound by Sherwin-Williams) with the mahogany-and-glass door created a room brimming with natural light. The space now acts as a transition zone between the original house and the new addition. And with durable ceramic tile floors that look like natural stone, pale gray walls (Benjamin Moore’s Horizon) and warm touches of mahogany and alder wood, that in-between area feels warm and inviting.
4. A Place for Everything A custom-designed dusty blue door that allows natural light to flood this Michigan space pops against thoughtful white built-ins and neutral tile flooring.
2. Chicago Cubbies Smart storage looks both neat and everyday-practical in this Chicago area Tudor entryway. With the top cubbies stocked with baskets matching the rich dark stain of the floor planks and bench, this drop zone looks cohesive, not cluttered.
1. Clean Lines in New York With its herringbone wood-look floor tiles and the striking horizontal lines of the white shiplap walls, this New York entryway by designer Amy Eisenberg of Karen Berkemeyer Home manages to be sweet, sparse and packed with visual interest all at once. It earns the honor as the most-saved entryway photo uploaded to Houzz in the past three months.
Mudroom-Laundry Combo Washers and dryers are often part of multifunctional spaces, and on first-floor spaces, a laundry and a mudroom are often mixed. RW Anderson Homes crafted beautiful and functional built-ins in this Seattle home for organizing outerwear, bags and shoes, and included a bench and a large sink for hand-washing or working on stains. The white Shaker cabinetry, dark wood shelves and bench, and brick-like tile floor create a farmhouse feel.
White White kitchen Transitional Kitchen, Philadelphia Jordan Bush Photography Open concept kitchen - large transitional l-shaped medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen idea in Philadelphia with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, granite countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island - Houzz
Saratoga Springs Bespoke Kitchen Transitional Entry, Boston Scott Bergmann Photography Example of a mid-sized transitional slate floor mudroom design in Boston with gray walls - Houzz
Wilmington Court - Mudroom Traditional Entry, Houston Mudroom featuring custom industrial raw steel lockers with grilled door panels and wood bench surface. Custom designed & fabricated wood barn door with raw steel strap & rivet top panel. Decorative raw concrete floor tiles. View to kitchen & living rooms beyond. Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless gray floor and concrete floor entryway remodel in Houston with gray walls and a white front door - Houzz
Letzring replaced existing low golden oak baseboards with more modern 5-inch baseboards painted white. One of the homeowners is a graphic artist, and she added olive green details to a map of Minnesota’s small airports, then chose a frame that coordinated with the wood accent wall. The clients were so excited about the new mudroom that they decided to start the kitchen remodel immediately instead of waiting a year. The black chalkboard wall, Shaker-style cabinets, pendant lights and herringbone backsplash tile will tie into the mudroom and powder room beautifully.
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