5 Messy Mudroom Design Solutions

Follow the mudroom design tips below to clean up your naturally messy mudroom and get this useful space into shape. You can employ the whole family to help with this fun project as you reclaim your mudroom and get organized.

Clean Up

Cleaning your mudroom may not sound like a design solution, but the space must be clean before you can organize it. Throw out everything you do not need or use. Then, take everything out of your mud room that doesn't need to be there.

Give the room a good spring cleaning. Scrub everything from top to bottom. Start with the light fixtures and ceilings, go down to the walls and baseboards, and then clean the floors. Don’t forget any windows and shelves. Now is the time to repaint the walls and cabinets or seal the floor, if necessary.

Organize Your Mudroom

Once you have cleaned your mud room, you need to decide how you will use this space. If it serves as a laundry room, then you need your laundry essentials. If it stores the kids' backpacks and sports equipment, you need storage areas for those items. You may even use your mudroom for indoor gardening or to store garden items.

When you have decided how to use the space in your mudroom, decide if you need any shelving, hooks, benches or other storage. Multi-functional items are always best, especially in a smaller room. Tall cabinets that have closet rods and shelves are good for coats and boots. A bench that has underseat storage is ideal for a place to sit to remove shoes and to store small gardening tools. Find items that work for you.

Tall Cabinets

One of the best items to have in your mudroom is a tall cabinet with adjustable shelves. If you select a model that resembles a freestanding closet, you can either keep the doors or remove them. If the cabinet has shelves, arrange them to accommodate your needs. If it doesn’t, use wicker or plastic baskets at the bottom of the shelf for extra storage. You can also place baskets on top of the cabinet to store seasonal items.

If you have a tall cabinet that has adjustable shelves but no closet rod, get enough baskets to fill the shelves. This way, you have plenty of storage room on your shelves and things stay organized. Label your baskets to be able to find things easily. You can also remove the top 2 or 3 shelves and install coat hooks on the inside of the back wall, about 4 inches from the top of the cabinet. These can be used to hang coats, umbrellas or even small gardening tools.

Wall Solutions

If your mudroom is small, keep in mind that you have lots of wall space. Add deep wall shelves, and use baskets to store items. One option is a wall-mounted closet organizer. The heavy duty wire-coated closet organizers will be able to hold lots of weight. They are usually sturdier and easy to clean, and they provide both shelf space and hanging space.

If your mudroom doesn’t allow enough space for a closet organizer, simply hang shelves up high for storage, and install coat hooks into the wall for hanging items. Another wall solution is to use a peg board to hang gardening tools, umbrellas, etc.

Cabinet and Bench Solutions

If your mudroom is larger, look for a used bathroom counter with cabinets. This will give you counter space that is ideal for a folding table for laundry or a work space for indoor gardening. Plus, the cabinets underneath are great for extra storage.

You can also use a bench with underseat storage to keep your mudroom mess under control. If you have a bench that does not have storage, slide a few decorative baskets underneath for extra stowing space.