Design my mudroom!

[Anonymous]

The mudroom is the ugly duckling of our new house. It's roughly 12 feet wide and 4 feet deep, with two steps in the middle leading up into the family room. One ugly overhead light, plus lots of light from the glass-paned exterior door. It's currently carpeted in astroturf, so really the only place to go from here is up.

Design mavens and armchair decorators, start your engines. I need: a fun paint color, a good flooring choice and lots of ideas on how to trick out the walls to serve our family's needs. We need space for a recycling bin, sports equipment, backyard stuff (sunscreen, bug spray, squirt guns, gardening boots), and a place to take off wet/muddy footwear and store it. It's not the primary entryway to our house, but I have a feeling we'd use it more if if was actually functional. And not covered in plastic grass.

[Anonymous]

Mixed color slate floor with lighter grout, but irregular tiles, similar to this: http://www.slate-export.com/views.asp?hw_id=440 That room will have so much muddy traffic, that I'd splurge on a great floor and wouldn't use a rug. Get a thick sisal/natural doormat.

Dark gray walls. Or, navy blue (which is hot right now).

If there's a view to the living room, you need a mix of high and low. I'd start with a wooden chinese table: http://www.overstock.com/Worldstock-Fair-Trade/Rosewood-22-inch-Walnut-Altar-Table-China/5698378/product.html by the door. Put baskets underneath, for winter hats, scarves, magazines, and newspaper recycling. On top, get some nice catchalls, perhaps a white porcelain dish (I got one from Crate & Barrel) for keys. Above, put a sunburst mirror, or a piece of art you really that you love or makes you relax, but is also fun. I like this, but tons of great stuff on 20x200: http://www.20x200.com/art/2011/06/quiet-planes.html Or, b/w photos of your family in white frames. If you want something bigger along the wall, have someone build out storage suited to you, or get a big armoire and retrofit it. It depends on the total look you want. If you can't do a build out, you could also line up three of these, for shoes, etc. and put hooks above: http://www.rhbabyandchild.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=rhbc_prod225100&categoryId=rhbc_cat101054

If you really have to put recycling in the that room, I'd get a few of these bins from IKEA, so it's doesn't look like you have recycling, and you could use one for balls, and another for sports equipment: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60045656

I also love these Aiden Gray bins, which you can get at Restoration hardware kids: http://www.rhbabyandchild.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=rhbc_prod227195&categoryId=rhbc_cat102126

Then, splurge on some nice hooks that are at the size of kids. I like the ones like this http://restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod1160270&categoryId=cat160081 because you can hang a backpack on the bottom and baseball hat on top.

For lighting, I'm loving the galvanized look now, so I'd do something like this, which you can also do for a sconce too: http://www.lightingdirect.com/anp-lighting-w516-49-blc-49-rlm-spun-aluminum-vintage-warehouse-reflector-barn-style-cord-hung-outdoor-pendant/p1152238?source=gba_1152238&CAWELAID=451288059 Or, depending on the artwork (like the planes above), I'd do some color and hang two or three of these since it's a long space: http://www.lightinguniverse.com/warehouse-shade-rlm-pendant/hiliteh135harborwarehouserlmpendantlight_g618829.html?cse=1658&ctype=2&gclid=CP-x1anD3qkCFYZrKgod0zskZg Love the weathered blue, but tons of colors available. If you want it fancier, go with a moravian star. It's a bit ubiquitous, but a classic: http://www.ballarddesigns.com/bd/10680?SourceCode=FROG07&cm_mmc=mer-_-cse-_-google-_-prod-feed&mr:trackingCode=774D396A-3686-E011-AC9E-001B2163195C&mr:referralID=NA Or, for something totally different, love a couple of these: http://www.laylagrayce.com/Products/Currey-and-Company-Regatta-Pendant__CU9055.aspx

Anyway, have fun!

[Anonymous]

I droll over the pictures of mudrooms with lockers or cubbies for the kids stuff. Seems like such a good place for kids to hang their backpacks and such.

I'd actully do a vinyl floor. A mud room is not a show area. I really like the way vinyl cleans up easily (no grout!) and its inexpensive.

[Anonymous]

Astroturf? Really???? Don't you wonder what on earth people are thinking sometimes?

[Anonymous]

If we were to ever build a house, this is my mudroom wish list (not all will apply to the space you have available or to your family):

* hooks: multiple per family member (rain coat, fleece, vest, cap, backpack/shoulder bag)
* charging valet for phones, etc
* key dish
* spare keys in drawer (our spares for visitors, valet keys, neighbors' keys)
* bulletin board with calendar and school schedules
* in and out baskets for permission slips, etc
* library book basket or bag
* mail sorter (his, hers, children, bills)
* recycling for junk mail (ideally would sort as entering the house)
* industrial size shredder for credit card offers, etc (again, sort as entering the house)
* mirror
* a place for chapstick, sunblock, hair brush, maybe even makeup
* a place to sit down to change shoes
* dog leash hook
* dog towels and a place for them to dry
* boot dryers
* umbrella stand to hold wet umbrellas