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Mudroom bench in garage


Garage mudroom ideas – expert strategies for practical zones |

(Image credit: Neptune)

Looking for garage mudroom ideas? The garage can be a great place to locate a mudroom, providing the space the whole family needs to shed dirty or wet footwear and store outdoor items.

In fact, the garage can be the ideal venue for a mudroom if this is the way you usually come into your home, or one or more members of the household often spends time in a garage workshop or comes in from the backyard that way.

Mudroom ideas can help you keep your home cleaner, tidier and more organized and the garage mudroom ideas here will make the very best of your location – and ensure your mudroom looks good, too.

Garage mudroom ideas

Adding a mudroom to the garage needn’t mean a huge sacrifice of space, and it’s possible to realize your garage mudroom ideas without compromising the functionality of either garage or mudroom. 

1. Make the mudroom a buffering zone

(Image credit: Shannon Eddings Interior)

A mudroom in the garage can create a transitional space leading to and from the calm of the house.

‘Carving out a nook for a mudroom in the garage is a brilliant way to have a little buffering zone between the main house and the mess of the garage,’ says Shannon Eddings of Shannon Eddings Interior .  

‘In this particular space we have mudroom hooks (not pictured), a utility sink, laundry and plenty of storage. We gave this space some personality by adding in a vintage hanging lantern that we found at an antique store for about $100 and a beautiful backsplash by Cle Tile. 

‘We converted this corner of the garage in a client’s house into a full blown laundry and storage room.’

2. Go for a simple solution

(Image credit: Neptune)

It’s a fact that garage mudroom ideas don’t need to be elaborate to be highly practical. A garage mudroom can be created very easily near the door leading to the house. Follow this example with a storage box that doubles as a bench for changing footwear, and a peg rail above for hanging coats to fit it out in double-quick time. You could add a rug to the floor to make the space more hospitable, too.

Wall panelling isn’t a necessity, of course, but it can distinguish the different function of this part of the garage.

3. Select a store-it-all cabinet

(Image credit: Tom Howley)

One of our favorite garage mudroom storage ideas is fitting a cabinet that won’t monopolize floor space but can double as shoe and boot storage as well as a place to stash the items you don’t have room for in closets and cabinets in the house. 

‘Floating shelves store everyday items such as wash detergent or even a dog lead and treats,’ says Tom Howley, design director of Tom Howley of this design. 

Being able to close the doors on what you need to keep in the mudroom will ensure the finished effect is neat and tidy, particularly if yours is a smaller garage.

(Image credit: Daval)

If you’re coming in and out of your home through the garage accompanied by the four-legged members of the family, consider adding a shower to a garage mudroom to clean them of what they’ve picked up on their paws and coats.

‘Increasingly we are seeing clients ask for provisions to be made for their pets in their boot or mudrooms,’ says Emma Sims-Hilditch of London and Gloucestershire-based interior design practice Sims Hilditch . 

‘This often includes installing pet showers. A boot room in a garage is a great space in which to do this – we recommend using a minimally porous Dijon stone tile for the floor and the walls of the shower to make it easy to clean.’

5. Plan in a sink

(Image credit: Future / Jonathan Gooch)

A sink can be a valuable part of a garage mudroom layout, providing keen gardeners with a place to cut and arrange flowers without taking mud and leaves into the house. It’s also a great clean-up area for handwashing on the way in from outside. 

There’s one caveat, though. If you live in a northern state, the garage should be a well-insulated space if you want to have a sink in a mudroom located here.

6. Organize the whole family

(Image credit: Settled)

It’s possible to get both adults and kids organized when they go in and out of the house through the garage even if there’s only a limited space you can dedicate to the mudroom.

‘This small mudroom closet beside the garage needed to do some heavy lifting for a busy family of five,’ say Pamela Meluskey and Larisa Bright, founder of NYC-based luxury home organization brand Settled . 

‘Using the Elfa closet system from The Container Store, we transformed this closet from having a single hanging bar to serving as an out-the-door command center. The top shelves are outfitted with acrylic bins to store sunscreen, bug spray, lanterns, and pet accessories, while the drawers house winter accessories. 

‘To top it off, we added adhesive acrylic containers to the inside of the doors to categorize every family member’s face masks. With totes hanging on S hooks, this is the ultimate grab-and-go set-up.’

7. Make clean-up easy

(Image credit: Sims Hilditch)

Boots and shoes worn for gardening and hiking can drop plenty of dirt on to a garage mudroom floor. Store them on wall pegs like these, though, and sweeping up is easy as you don’t need to move them out of the way to clean up what they’ve dropped.

Wall pegs like these are great space-savers, too, leaving more of the floor free for the whole family to pass through the mudroom easily. 

8. Boost hanging capacity

(Image credit: Symphony Group)

Don’t stint on the number of hooks incorporated into a garage mudroom so there’s space for backpacks and sports bags along with coats. In this design they’re flanked by cabinets in a symmetrical arrangement that makes the mudroom look smart, and conceals the items that need to be kept in the space but are used less frequently.

‘We recommend homeowners install plenty of hooks for hanging coats and also shelves to store boots/shoes and baskets for smaller items like gloves/hats,’ says Simon Collyns, marketing and retail sales director at Symphony Group . ‘Today’s mudroom could also include a sanitizing station with a place to store masks and hand gel.’

9. Work with a corner

(Image credit: Polly Eltes)

Even the corner of a garage can provide sufficient space for a practical mudroom. In a limited space go for the mudroom essentials with a bench for swapping footwear that doubles as a place to tidy shoes so they don’t become a trip hazard, and hooks for coats. Here a shelf with a built-in drawer adds extra storage for items such as gloves.

10. Use a garage mudroom to free up upstairs closets 

(Image credit: Sims Hilditch)

Bedroom closets are easily filled and a garage mudroom can be a better place to keep many essentials, ensuring they are ready for any journey.

‘Incorporating bins into your mudroom can help keep seasonal items organized,’ says Kristiana Laugen, home expert at Handy . 

‘From gloves, mittens and hats to flip-flops and baseball caps, moving those smaller items into the mudroom will save you some upstairs closet space, and will make sure they’re easily accessible for any last minute trips.’

This mudroom is fitted with wicker baskets for a rustic appearance, but consider metal or clear versions if family members need a visual reminder of what goes where to stay tidy.  

Can a mudroom be in a garage?

The garage can be the ideal location for a mudroom. ‘Garage mudrooms are a great space to keep the things you’re using on a daily basis organized,’ says Handy expert Kristiana Laugen.

‘Especially for those moments when you’re rushing out the door to work, school or extracurricular activities, a garage mudroom keeps those grab-and-go items like your favorite jacket, everyday sneakers, rainboots or umbrellas easily accessible and organized for the daily hustle. 

‘Just as they can be the ideal solution for keeping these items organized, mudrooms can also become a pile of jackets and dirty shoes if they’re not properly set up. When looking to reorganize your mudroom, consider the ways you can make sure its organization will be maintained over time. One great way to keep it organized, especially for parents, is dividing the mudroom into sections for each family member. Having a designated hook, cubby or shelf for each person makes it easier for them to keep track of their items. It also holds everyone more accountable for putting their belongings in the right place.

‘You should also consider adding extra hooks for your little ones’ backpacks. Getting into the habit of keeping backpacks in the mudroom can resolve the morning shuffle of running around to find missing items. This makes the mudroom a kind of home base, where your little ones bring their school books and supplies the night before.’

Does a mudroom add value?

A mudroom can add value to your home. ‘People are always looking for more organizational space, and we do see more and more homeowners adding mudrooms to their renovation plans,’ says Justin Goldman, co-founder and CEO of RenoFI . 

‘In terms of value, you should never expect to get a 100 per cent return on investment for most renovation projects, including mudrooms. Mudrooms certainly will add value, but as for how much, it comes down to the individual renovation project. 

‘In certain markets where mudrooms are more popular, more valuable or more sought after you can get a higher ROI for sure. But this definitely varies based on your specific project, your home, and where you live. 

‘Mudrooms are custom and unique, and having one will give your home the potential to stand out on the housing market.’

Sarah is a freelance journalist and editor. Previously executive editor of Ideal Home, she’s specialized in interiors, property and gardens for over 20 years, and covers interior design, house design, gardens, and cleaning and organizing a home for H&G. She’s written for websites, including Houzz, Channel 4’s flagship website, 4Homes, and Future’s T3; national newspapers, including The Guardian; and magazines including Future’s Country Homes & Interiors, Homebuilding & Renovating, Period Living, and Style at Home, as well as House Beautiful, Good Homes, Grand Designs, Homes & Antiques, LandLove and The English Home among others. It’s no big surprise that she likes to put what she writes about into practice, and is a serial house renovator. 

How To Make a Great (Home) Entrance

Mudrooms come in various shapes and sizes. They can be located in several areas of the home since they’re commonly not traditional rooms, but designated areas of a living space.

Nowadays, you’ll find mudrooms in home entryways, hallways, nook spaces, large hall closets, paired with a laundry rooms, and anywhere else near an entrance. You’ll even find more and more homes that have garage mudrooms. 

Regardless of where a mudroom is in a home and what its design looks like, all mudrooms share one common purpose: to keep homes cleaner and more organized.

5 benefits of having a mudroom

High-traffic home entryway areas have a habit of becoming clutter hotspots. Not every family member is in the habit of always putting away their apparel or picking up things they’ve set down after bringing them into the house.

Entryways are also naturally harder to keep clean since they’re the first living space area we use after entering the home. All of that mud, rainwater, snow, and debris on the bottom of our footwear that gets brought in leaves a mess unless we diligently clean up after ourselves and others. The entryway only looks worse when clutter is added to the mix.

An entryway (especially one by the front door) should always look organized because it’s the area guests to your home see first. Visitors judge your home within 38 seconds of entering it, according to a survey by The Independent Network powered by VEKA.

A well-designed, strategically located mudroom has lots of benefits, especially for busy families with kids. Here are five of the benefits of having a valuable “home buffer zone” like a mudroom:

  1. Prevents entryways from getting overwhelmed by clutter: mudrooms “corral” apparel and footwear as soon they enter the home by providing easy-to-use storage space.
  2. Immediately captures messes brought in from outdoors: containing things like mud, dirt, sand, leaves, rainwater, and snow in one area by a point of entry results in less cleaning work on hardwood floors, carpets, and rugs.
  3. Provides a tidy, comfortable home landing zone: after arriving home from work, school, and recreational activities, it’s nice entering a cozy, clean space where you can decompress as you remove your outerwear. Home is our comfort zone. Being greeted by a messy space as soon as you come home can sour a good mood quickly.
  4. Frees up space in closets and other entryways: a mudroom spreads out the workload of your entryway closets. It also eliminates items like footwear and coats from hallways and foyers and helps keep them tidier.
  5. Makes your daily routine more efficient: a space that is designed to make entering and exiting the house more efficient and convenient is a time-saver. It eliminates or reduces the amount of time that gets wasted looking for misplaced items.  

Having organized garage mudroom storage for your apparel gets you in and out of the house more efficiently.

Why a garage mudroom is so practical

The garage is supposed to be a multipurpose storage space where we keep everything from cars to rakes to sports equipment. Why not extend that functionality to the items you wear outside every day?

If you have space to spare in an attached garage, creating a garage mudroom is likely easier than finding space in your main living area to create one. It’s certainly easier and less expensive than adding a new room to your home, too.

A great thing about mudrooms is that they don’t require a lot of space. A well-designed mudroom with the right storage systems is capable of packing a lot of functionality into a relatively small area to help resolve a home’s entryway organization issues.

The garage access door has replaced the front door as the main entry and exit point for most homeowners, according to a Chamberlain Group study. The frequency with which the garage is being used as the main home access point makes it very practical for a mudroom setup.

One factor that can affect how often a garage mudroom is used is cold temperatures. Depending on your location, it may be more practical to use a mudroom in the garage for only the warmer months of the year. Another option for homeowners in cold-weather climates is to make their garage climate-controlled or add heating in just the mudroom area.

Another reason the garage makes so much sense to use for a mudroom is that a remodeled garage’s wall and floor materials are durable and tailor-made for a mudroom.

A high-quality floor coating like Garage Living’s Floortex™ protects garage floors with a waterproof seal. Our PVC slatwall panels for a mudroom’s hanging accessories have a durable cellular PVC construction. Both products also have the one quality that is essential for any mudroom’s design materials – they’re super-easy to clean!

5 essential garage mudroom features

There are many ways to design and set up a garage mudroom. Doing it properly will encourage better organization, improve your home’s organizational efficiency, help you avoid (or at least cut down) arguments over clutter, and leave you with less cleaning work. What’s not to love?

Productivity expert Audrey Thomas tells Real Simple magazine, “If you don’t define exactly how you use your spaces, you’ll end up with a mess. Maybe not the day after decluttering, but certainly in the weeks to follow.”

With that wisdom in mind, let’s look at the essential features a garage mudroom should have.

1.
Effective storage systems

Wall hooks and hangers are essential for a garage mudroom to keep jackets, hoodies, hats, backpacks, and other clothing accessories organized. Hooks and hangers also come in handy for non-apparel items that are ideal for mudroom storage, such as reusable grocery bags and dog leashes.

Shelving is another mudroom staple, along with bins and baskets to keep small items organized. Cabinets are also practical for mudroom storage, which we’ll get into further down.

A tried-and-true method of ensuring a mudroom being used by families with kids stays tidy is to designate wall, shelf, and floor space for each family member. Labeling these storage areas is optional. Not only does having designated spaces make it easier for everyone to find and put away their belongings, but it also makes it easier to hold everyone accountable for keeping their areas organized.

Shoes and boots can be stored in a variety of ways in a mudroom. Some households have their footwear stored side-by-side on the mudroom floor, some prefer to use space-saving shoe racks, and others have individual bins for each family member’s footwear. Boot trays are another mudroom essential to contain the water from wet and snowy shoes and boots.

Some helpful extra accessories to add to a garage mudroom are an umbrella holder and small recycling and trash bins.

Slatwall-mounted hooks, shelves, and racks and cabinets fulfill most of your garage mudroom storage needs.

2. Slatwall

The walls of a garage are its most useful and effective storage area. They’re commonly not used to their full potential, however. Most garages have hooks and storage racks installed on the upper part of the wall, but the middle and lower wall space are underutilized. Slatwall’s design creates ample hanging storage space from the garage floor to the ceiling for easy grab-and-go functionality.

A major benefit of using slatwall storage as your primary mudroom storage system is its versatility. Slatwall panels allow hanging accessories like hooks, hangers, and shelves to be configured in lots of different ways. You don’t have the limitations that come with having hooks and hangers permanently anchored in one spot.

A mudroom’s storage layout can be rearranged from season to season for more efficient storage. The heights of hooks, shelves, and other hanging accessories can be easily adjusted as your kids grow.

The damp and muddy apparel that ends up in a busy mudroom is taxing on the walls. The walls of a mudroom (especially ones without a bench) are also prone to hand-touching since they get leaned on for support when things are being put on and taken off.

Slatwall is ideal for a garage mudroom because of its high durability and low-maintenance nature. Scuff and stain marks left by water from wet coats and body oils can be quickly wiped down.

3. Durable floors

The floor of a mudroom also requires durability and should be water-resistant. It should be easy to clean and visually appealing as well.

Ceramic or porcelain tiles are one option to consider if you live in a warmer climate. Vinyl or PVC floor tiles are another low-maintenance garage mudroom floor option. While tile is a viable option, your best choice for a garage mudroom floor surface is a polyaspartic floor coating.

A polyaspartic floor coating is the highest-quality garage floor protection product available and is superior to epoxy floor coatings. Here’s why Garage Living’s Floortex™ floor coating is perfect for a garage mudroom:

Resilient floors are a must for any mudroom area. Floortex™ polyaspartic floor coatings protect concrete garage floors from water and chemical damage. They’re also low-maintenance and easy to clean. 

4. Storage cabinets

Most of your apparel is fine being stored on shelves and hooks in a garage mudroom. Having everything nice and visible has its benefits. Things are likelier to get worn and not ignored, misplaced, or forgotten about.

Having the option to store some things in a hidden space is always nice, too. Hidden storage reduces visible clutter and may be preferred for storing certain items and things you use less regularly.

The best solution for hidden storage in the garage is storage cabinets. Add one or two tall, locker-style cabinets to your mudroom area. Use the tall enclosed space to hang jackets and the shelves are perfect for shoes, boots, and other items.

5. A bench with storage

One thing most mudrooms have is something to sit on. Typically, it’s a bench. A garage mudroom bench functions as a practical “landing and launch” spot.

You can use it to set down things you’re bringing in or out and use the perch when you’re putting on and taking off footwear.

A mudroom bench provides a convenient seating area and extra storage space.

Whether you get a built-in or freestanding mudroom bench, make it as comfy as possible. Try to choose one with resilient and removable fabrics that are easy to wash. Accessorize the bench with some pillows for a decorative touch and extra back support.

A must-have feature for a mudroom bench is storage space beneath the seating area, either with drawers, a lift-up seat, cubbies, or the cabinet doors you see pictured above. The extra storage area in the bench is another way to maximize a garage mudroom’s storage space.

6. Nice aesthetics

Nowadays, it’s understood that even utilitarian home spaces like closets, laundry rooms, garages, and mudrooms should look nice. 

Updating the appearance of a garage makes it feel more comfortable in any way it’s being used. Feeling comfort in any home space is important for activities where you’ll be spending extended periods of leisure time. Comfort matters even when we’re in a room for a brief time, too, such as when the garage is being used as a pass-through space.

Premium aesthetics will already be top of mind for a garage designer doing a complete garage remodel. Making the small part of that redesigned space that you’re using for a mudroom look nicer becomes much easier with a cohesive decorative vision.

Garage mudrooms are typically situated close to an access door, which often includes a step or two. Garage Living wants to make every inch of a garage look amazing. We can apply a coating to the steps that match the one on your floor to create an attractive, more consistent design aesthetic.

Mudroom add-ons like an outdoor rug or runner and bench pillows offer functionality and ways to add style and a homier feel. Another mudroom decorating idea is to hang a sign or artwork to personalize the space and add some charm.  

3 additional garage mudroom ideas

If you’re still not sold on why a garage mudroom is such a good investment, here are a few more garage mudroom ideas:

1. Washing-up space

We’re all much more conscious of hand hygiene nowadays, not just as a way to prevent the spreading of a virus, but as a good practice to eliminate the germs we encounter from our everyday activities while we’re out and about. Why not use a cabinet system’s built-in sink as a washing-up space?

Custom garage cabinet designs can include stylish sinks and faucets with a nicer look than the utility sinks that some mudrooms and garages have. Having a cabinet sink also provides a handy place to wash up after working on cars, using a workshop, or working in the yard.

Coated entryway steps create an attractive, more consistent design aesthetic. The small section in the corner is perfect for upper and lower cabinets with a handy sink.

2. Dog-washing station

Mudrooms are designed to handle getting water on the floors and walls. If you wash and groom your own dog(s), why not do it in a space that is already built to handle messes?

A garage dog-washing station requires a bathing tub or shower. To avoid having to lift big dogs into a waist-high bathing tub, you’ll want to invest in a model with steps or an electrical scissor lift design. Future-proof your dog-washing station by going with a tub or shower that is slightly bigger than what you think you’ll need.

Slatwall accessories and cabinets can also be used to store all your mini dog spa supplies including:

Garage mudrooms are designed to handle messes, which is why they’re ideal for a dog-washing station.

3. Dog-walking station

A garage mudroom is ideal for a dog-walking station. It makes perfect sense to have everything you need for dog walks located right where your outerwear is stored.

Slatwall hooks can hold your dog’s leash, harness, and coat. Use shelves or baskets for supplies like doggy treats, waste bags, and towels for wiping off muddy dog feet. Another option is to set up a dog-walking station in one of your cabinets.

Improve your home’s functionality with a garage mudroom

Create a garage that has it all – a high-end appearance, ample room to park, lots of storage space, and useful things like a mudroom that add value to your home.

Garage Living has customizable solutions to bring out your garage’s best look and maximize its functionality.

Schedule a free design consultation with us to get your garage makeover project started.

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