Mudroom: fantasy vs. reality

[Anonymous]

We've all seen those perfect mudrooms online: beautifully built in cubbies, benches, shelves, the works. If you have a mudroom like that, do you really use it as it's intended or is it just another space where members of the family drop everything on the floor?

When we were doing our renos we ran out of money toward the end, so instead of built ins we put in only hooks, lots and lots of hooks. It turned out to be the best decision. The hooks get used everyday and I can't imagine trying to put things in cubbies and on shelves.

I don't believe in much, but I believe in hooks (and duct tape).

[Anonymous]

I think the point of the mudroom is to keep the things that get dropped on the floor and flung onto hooks in that space. There’s no expectation of perfection—it’s to keep it out of the rest of the house.

[Anonymous]

I like hooks too but we still need cubbies and drawers. Where do you put mittens, hats, sunglasses? We each have a drawer. Over the drawers are rows of hooks, which I do agree are useful. I allow one jacket to be out on the hooks, but the rest are hung up in the coat closet.

I like hooks everywhere. Kids and DH hang up towels when I have hooks. Towel bars just mean that wet towels are draped everywhere and they don't get used.

[Anonymous]

Long skinny dalley-shape room with lots of hooks and shelves. Square floorspace is useless.

[Anonymous]

Hooks are definitely the most useful.

The shelves are used, in that there is crap stored there.

The bench holds a row of those Target canvas bins, everyone has 2 for hats, gloves, and similar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like hooks too but we still need cubbies and drawers. Where do you put mittens, hats, sunglasses? We each have a drawer. Over the drawers are rows of hooks, which I do agree are useful. I allow one jacket to be out on the hooks, but the rest are hung up in the coat closet.[b]

I like hooks everywhere. Kids and DH hang up towels when I have hooks. Towel bars just mean that wet towels are draped everywhere and they don't get used.

Do you get compliance with this? I have the same rule, 1 jacket and 1 pair of shoes per person. But everyone just ignores me (including the husband) and then acts like I'M THE CRAZY ONE when I go off on them eventually.

[Anonymous]

I have a baker's rack in the mudroom and I love it. I also leave the muck boots on the boot dryers, which not only dries them but keeps them out of the way.

Definitely the mudroom is for corralling the grossness so that it doesn't escape into the rest of the house, but the mudroom is usually pretty presentable.

[Anonymous]

We have hooks a bench and cubbies with baskets for shoes. Honestly everything (shoes and backpack) gets thrown on the floor so I'm glad I didn't spend more money. The only kid left at home is 14 so it's only one set of shoes which I just toss in a basket.

The hooks do have things we use occasionally-coats, drawstring bags, etc. Not in the DC area and we don't wear coats 80% of the year.

[Anonymous]

We put in a mudroom wall right next to the backdoor when our kitchen was enlarged and redone. It has hooks and cubbies under the big bench for shoes, which is great because shoes aren't all over the floor (and one can sit right there to put shoes on). There's three high cubbies that aren't really for daily use, right now I have a bin with hats and gloves in one. I like it because my H and my son can leave their backpacks there too on the bench, out of the way. I know many may not like the mudroom being a part of the kitchen...but in our case it's a million times better than how it was before, and doesn't interrupt the flow of the kitchen in any way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like hooks too but we still need cubbies and drawers. Where do you put mittens, hats, sunglasses? We each have a drawer. Over the drawers are rows of hooks, which I do agree are useful. I allow one jacket to be out on the hooks, but the rest are hung up in the coat closet.[b]

I like hooks everywhere. Kids and DH hang up towels when I have hooks. Towel bars just mean that wet towels are draped everywhere and they don't get used.

Do you get compliance with this? I have the same rule, 1 jacket and 1 pair of shoes per person. But everyone just ignores me (including the husband) and then acts like I'M THE CRAZY ONE when I go off on them eventually.

I think that's an unrealistic expectation, and I wouldn't abide by it, either.

[Anonymous]

We have been thinking about replacing a closet in our mudroom with hooks and cubbies like this because my kids are far too lazy to open the closet door and throw their stuff inside.

But also they come in through the front door and we just have two big baskets for all their crap. I don't know what we're going to do in the winter. Put hooks inside our main entry hall closet?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like hooks too but we still need cubbies and drawers. Where do you put mittens, hats, sunglasses? We each have a drawer. Over the drawers are rows of hooks, which I do agree are useful. I allow one jacket to be out on the hooks, but the rest are hung up in the coat closet.[b]

I like hooks everywhere. Kids and DH hang up towels when I have hooks. Towel bars just mean that wet towels are draped everywhere and they don't get used.

Do you get compliance with this? I have the same rule, 1 jacket and 1 pair of shoes per person. But everyone just ignores me (including the husband) and then acts like I'M THE CRAZY ONE when I go off on them eventually.

Yeah, it's their house too. Why do you get to dictate how many jackets or shoes they get in the mudroom. And the nerve to call it compliance, like your family is a group of employees.

[Anonymous]

We use all of it. Drawers are for things like winter hats and gloves and scarves and dog supplies.

We have higher shelves we use for baseball hats and sports gear and also sunscreen/bug spray etc.

Counter space for just putting things down.

Lots of hooks. Backpacks, jackets, sports bags.

Open cubbies under a bench for the shoes.

Sure things just get dropped on the floor at times but it’s very easy to tidy it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like hooks too but we still need cubbies and drawers. Where do you put mittens, hats, sunglasses? We each have a drawer. Over the drawers are rows of hooks, which I do agree are useful. I allow one jacket to be out on the hooks, but the rest are hung up in the coat closet.[b]


Do you get compliance with this? I have the same rule, 1 jacket and 1 pair of shoes per person. But everyone just ignores me (including the husband) and then acts like I'M THE CRAZY ONE when I go off on them eventually.

Yeah, it's their house too. Why do you get to dictate how many jackets or shoes they get in the mudroom. And the nerve to call it compliance, like your family is a group of employees.

DCUM, so unserious

[Anonymous]

I have a mudroom space but during the pandemic it morphed into a workout space. We still have a coat area and shoe cabinet but also a bunch of workout equipment. I love the space now. I think it is better utilized. YMMV.