Don’t Make Your Name Mud
The winter sludge, the wet and muddy boots, and the dripping coats and umbrellas can take their toll on any sane person’s entry hall. If your floors are feeling soggy and your hallway is overrun with shoes and boots, maybe it’s time to consider a mud room. It can be part of a larger remodeling effort, or it may be a bump-out on its own, but there’s no question – living without it can make your name, “Mud.”
A mud room is as personal as your family. It should be created with the lifestyle of your family in mind. Do your children play sports or instruments? Do they play outdoors often? The mud room can be part of a first-floor laundry addition, sharing space with your washer and dryer. The advantage: muddy clothes or soiled sports uniforms can go right in the washer. Or, if you’re doing a kitchen remodel, the mud room is a logical extension. It not only provides a regrouping point between the outside or the garage and the inside of your home, but it also can be used as a storage and organization space. In fact, the mud room can double as a pantry for storing non-perishable items.
Built-in custom cubbies and cupboards can mean built-in organization. Alcoves with seats, hooks and storage areas for each member of the family help keep everyone organized, but they also make everyone feel pretty important. They can provide incentives for neatness and responsibility. These storage spaces provide a place for everything, and everything in its place. Whether you have a small area in which to work or a rather large space for lots of wet boots and umbrellas, create your own personal space that will work with your family’s lifestyle.
