a functional mudroom

02 March 2016

Hello! I’ve been gradually putting together our mudroom to make it work for our family. It is the most used room in our home because it goes out to the garage, it’s the way we head out every day, and then come home, it’s the drop zone and quickly becomes a disaster, but everyone is at school/work right now so it looks like this:

a functional mudroom


Here are the components that make it work for us:

* tons of hooks and a place for shoes. Taller ones for adults and teenagers, lower ones for the little ones. The black iron ones are from Hobby Lobby ($2 each with coupon!) I’m so ready to send winter coats to the hall closet, but I know the second I do, there will be a blizzard…

* baskets above for off season sports accessories, hats & gloves, etc.

* dirt & water catching rugs: this one is a Waterhog rug and is worth every penny – and we also have this one outside the door in the garage. They are a huge help with catching most of the dirt before it comes in.

The other side: (the door goes into the laundry room)
mudroom ideas


command center calendar

* a family calendar. I use google calendar on my phone/computer as well, but I still love having a visual it in front of me to write on and to see the whole month at one time. My sister Kerri makes one for our extended family each year with important dates, birthdays, etc. for a fantastic Christmas gift.

* a place for keys. I got this calendar holder from a friend’s yard sale over 10 years ago and the hooks are the perfect place for keys so you aren’t spending precious minutes searching. I haven’t seen the same one in a long time, but here is one with hooks, and another that is wood that you could add hooks to.

* daily chores for my kids, after dinner chores, and family night assignments. (one of the after dinner chores is to tidy the mud room!)

* a quote to begin each day with

* an old clipboard that holds a piece of cork for party invitations, wedding announcements, reading charts for church, etc.

* a cute wreath – just because.

* a clipboard holding paper for an ongoing shopping list that I just snap a pic of on my way out to the store or tear the sheet off and go.
command center

* I found these awesome hanging wall baskets at World Market, they hold hats & gloves and will be switched out to baseball & swim gear for the summer. The cage holds our pet gerbil, Smartie!
wall baskets

There are two of the smaller wall baskets by the door that hold scout stuff and sunglasses/goggles.
hanging wall baskets

The light! It was a floor model from Home Depot that I got 4 years ago in Virginia for $18 and moved to Utah with us because it’s just a classic design and I knew I would use it somewhere. I finally spray painted it black and hung it up last week. When we were building and I was too overwhelmed by light fixtures and prices, so I had them just install a standard light until I got to something to switch it out.
light in mudroom

The hat holder is one of the first things I made when we moved in, and the paper holder was an old office organizer I bought at the thrift store and painted. It holds all of the papers and forms, practice records, homework folder, etc.  we need to keep on hand but doesn’t go with them every day to school.
mudroom storage
So, that is our mud room! It works for us and is not the prettiest, but is my favorite room of the house because it helps contain the craziness! Also, here are some mudrooms I loved when we were building. What is/would be your “musts” in a mudroom?

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