So I’ve mentioned our plans to turn our office into a mudroom on a few posts now, so I thought I should give you a few more details on how we plan to make this happen.
Here is our first floor layout:
You can see that the office (den) butts up against the garage. We plan to put a door on this wall so that you can enter the mudroom from the garage.
Here is why we want a mudroom:
Yes, we have a hall closet, but putting our coats on hangers just isn’t practical for us. We are lazy. In addition, we keep vacuums in the hall closet, so there isn’t really room for everyone’s bags. Plus, our kids are just going to get more stuff as they get older – sports bags, instruments, who knows!? So, I’d love a place to put all of this stuff!
Here are our wishes for the mudroom:
- A cubby for each family member
- Doors on the cubbies to hide the mess
- Open shoe storage under the cubbies (something easy to clean)
- Storage above the cubbies for seasonal items (sunglasses, hats and gloves, etc.)
- Hooks on the wall for guests
- A desk area to set/sort mail.
- File cabinets to file mail (already have these in there)
- A bulletin board to hang invitations, event fliers, etc.
- Slate floors
- As much storage as possible
Here are some inspiration photos:
We hope to order the tile soon and get started when that arrives!! I’d love to know what you think! Good idea/bad idea? What do you thing about getting rid of an office? Comment below.
I think, if the area is big enough you could make it an office/ mudroom. Annley and Cammy could have a little space to do their homework. Maybe yours and parkers lockers could be on either side of a desk where you could sort mail, etc. And annley could have her locker attached to a mini desk and Cammy too. Just a thought to make it a very multipurpose room, with lots of storage still.
I like those ideas! The issue is that this room is actually pretty small. We might play around with the idea of putting the desk between lockers, though, and then having lockers where the desk was going to go. I hadn’t really thought of that! Thanks!
Also, will there still be an entrance from the garage into the laundry room where the washer and dryer is? What are your plans for this area? Also, I would like to see my present to you hung in your new mudroom hahaha
Yes, we will keep that enterance. Sometimes Parker’s work clothes are so dirty that it will be nice to take them straight to the laundry room instead of carrying them through the house. I’m not sure exactly what our laundry room plans are at this point.
I think a bench, hooks, and doors to hide the mess would be clutch for a mud room. Oh and an open area for shoes is a great idea!! Our shoes can’t find it into the basket by the back door EVER. And I think a desk area would be a must as well to organize mail and file your paperwork!
Let’s hope we can pull it all off! Shoes are EVERYWHERE at our house. I yell at everyone about it, but I am one of the biggest offenders 🙂
I think once you get this done you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it! That is as long as you can train everyone to use their cubbies/lockers correctly for all their stuff! Oh and one more thing, maybe you could hang some sort of a hook right as you come in for all KEYS!! Just a thought! Lowes sells a nice white 2 drawer, 2 hook shelf for that very purpose!
Yes, we will need a place for keys, etc! I also agree that we will probably wonder how we lived without it!! I hope its everything we think it will be!
Oh Jalene, this blog is so cool! ;). I love this mudroom plan! You definitely need a good mudroom! Especially once the kids get in school!!! And I love your idea of doors on the lockers. Ours gets crazy! We just installed more hooks in each one for winter coats and hats and scarves, ….. oh my!! And shoes….. Goodness shoes! Those definitely need contained! I got bins for shoes to shove under the locker bench, but they rarely hit that. It’s still a weekly clean up room but at least once everything has a place, you will be so thankful! And I love your idea of making it a desk area too! That will be great!!
Oh my gosh, thanks Liz!! If anyone has advice on how keep a house organized, it is you – daughter of Jan and mother of 5! Hahahaha! Can’t wait to catch up!!