Lucas Roberts
Join our newsletter Name: Your Email Address Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Thank you for signing up to Realhomes. Though mudrooms provide a space for families (and pets) to unload dirty outwear, keys and more belongings, you wouldn't want paw prints or small footprints on freshly-laundered clothes... Regardless of where you put your mudroom, as there are several routes you can take depending on the layout of your house,' says Sal Graci, digital marketing manager, at Philadelphia based, The Closet Works, Inc (opens in new tab). Located in an entryway, garage, laundry-room or even a spare room, your mudroom will contribute to the removal of all things muddling your life.' The combination of navy blue subway tile and patterned wallpaper is giving us all the elegant and aqueous Grecian vibes. If you've got a large family, or one that likes to get involved in muddy outdoor sports, it can be hard to keep the laundry schedule under control.
Sportswear like team jerseys, long soccer socks and sneakers with studs or designed for artificial turf surfaces can take a battering. Keep your appliances, washing loads and detergents off the floor and out of reach of young children by installing built-in mudroom storage and spaces to plug in your white goods. Thinking outside the box (or rather, outside this interior scheme), Houston-based interior designer Nicole Domercq Zarr, founder of Nicole Zarr Associates (opens in new tab) has chosen a gorgeous hallway wallpaper idea to create a sense of coordination between the two separate rooms. Though tiled flooring is quick to mop up, a runner rug can also stop you bringing dirt and debris being dragged into family spaces like the living room, bedroom and kitchen. Or, if you don't like cold, hard surfaces, use this runner to kneel on while you sort your whites, lights, darks and brights to pop in your washing machine. Whether you're feeding your pup in a separate room away from the family, keeping an excitable dog away from fearful guests, or hosing them down after a muddy forest walk, let's face it, your furry friend is going to spend a lot of time in your mudroom laundry area.
So when looking to design this room, pay homage to man or woman's best friend with a dog motif wall covering. Bathroom wallpaper ideas are best for this space, not only because they have washable benefits to wipe off mud, but also because it's the perfect material if you've installed a dog shower (hidden in the background in this picture). The sage green wall paneling on the ceiling and wooden shelves also reinforce this fresh forest feel. One of the benefits of houseplants is that they can oxygenate this space and purify the air, which is especially important if you're handling detergents which can sometimes have a strong and synthetic smell. 'The peel-and-stick wallpaper terracotta blooms are from Wall Blush (opens in new tab), wash and dry decals on the washing machines from Etsy (opens in new tab), my husband made the laundry pedestal from some wood sourced at Home Depot and my my tile wood floors and cabinets are from there too. In order to successfully remove dirty shoes before continuing onto the other areas of the home, good seating like an entryway bench or chair is a must.
Soggy coats, wet wellington boots and the dog shaking off residual mud after jumping into puddles are common scenes we're all used to. Dark brown, built-in storage can help to disguise fingerprints and flecks of debris pets and children bring in. Decorating with white or cream can help a mudroom laundry room combo appear bigger than it actually is, adding lightness to the space.
In this scheme by Alexis Andra Austin, a Missouri-based lifestyle blogger and founder of Curio Press (opens in new tab), cabinets have been painted in Hot Spring Stones (opens in new tab) by Benjamin Moore, giving this space a clean, calm and relaxing vibe to tackle your domestic duties. A jute indoor door mat catches and collects any water or debris that might fall from the sink too. 'A mudroom laundry combo is a double duty, transitional space that serves as a buffer between the outside environment and the comforting interior of your home,' says Caroline Harmon, trend strategy manager, Lowe’s (opens in new tab).
'It’s a place where you can shed layers and keep outside germs from the rest of your living space by immediately tossing them into the wash. This is an area in which you can store a laundry basket or bin for wet clothes and dirty shoes in addition to easily cleaning them within the same space. It is also great for storing seasonal items, as an extra closet for coats, scarves and gloves in the winter or pool towels and flip flops during the summer.'
'This is also a great space to infuse personality and style- some wallpaper, cool lighting or patterned tile floor can be the perfect welcome home. Don’t forget a few plants (faux, for easy maintenance or if the space doesn’t get a lot of light) to add some warmth to the room. 'It acts as an important gateway between the outdoors and your home, and is usually designed to withstand dirt, avoiding it being transferred into the main body of the house.'
And Harmon adds: 'For busy families, the mudroom is a great drop zone for school bags and sports equipment. Light, airy colors often trick the eye but otherwise, making the best use of space in a small laundry mudroom will naturally enhance the look and size of the room itself.
‘Bespoke joinery is a great way to make the most of these awkward spaces, allowing us to create storage solutions with in-built pigeon holes which hold wicker baskets, as well as drawers and pegs for coats.
