You’re sitting in your car, waiting out the downpour. We’ve all been there. But the rain just isn’t letting up. You fling open your door fumble around with whatever’s in the back seat, run to your front door and if you’re lucky, you have a little protection from a porch. If not, you’re probably wiping the hair from your face or fumbling around with your keys as you try to get in the house. Once you’re finally in, there’s this moment where you don’t quite know where to go. You’re soaked and you want to create a path of least devastation to drop your bags. Once you make it to your destination, it is back to the front to clean. Sound exhausting? You need a mud room.
Mud rooms are versatile entry-ways inside your home used as a drop-spot or launching point. Think of it almost like garage meets grand hotel lobby. It’s a place to kick off dirty shoes, store equipment and jackets, but there’s also a place to sit, store your umbrella and begin to warm up or cool off from the elements. A mud room in a custom built home is a place to leave your muddy boots after working in the yard, or a place to have your kids stop and get out of their snow gear before you find your cozy socks soaking wet from puddles of melted snow. Mudrooms in an Oklahoma City custom home have the function of a garage with the warmth and style of the rest of your home.
If you are building a custom home, there are many factors that can determine the square footage and design of a mudroom. Consider how you’ll use it in your everyday life. Do you have kids? Do you have pets? On average, how is the weather in your location? For families, dedicated and spacious mudrooms built into a home are ideal. Mud rooms are highly trafficked areas, so having durable and floors that are easy to clean is ideal. What will you hold in your mud room? Hooks, cubbies and shelves can transform the space into a beautiful and functional area. Additionally, having a built-in bench or two with storage is also a way to add style and functionality.
Here are a few tips while considering a mud room in your custom built home:
- Size should depend on need and number of occupants in home
- Style should also have a function. While this is a common entry into your home, it still serves as a functional space to keep your house cleaner easier.
- Adequate storage space that is seamless to the design will help keep the area looking organized
- Designated location for everything that could end up there, shoes, jackets, dog leashes, you name it.
- Think of windows to help cut down on artificial lighting during the daytime. Windows also will help the room feel larger and more welcoming than, say, feeling like you’ve walked into a closet.
- Built-in benches provide style, function and help define purpose for the room
- Heavily trafficked floor should be durable and easily cleaned with a mop
- Entry door should be in an accessible area of your home as this will probably become your main entry-way.
When it comes down to a mud room in a home custom built for your lifestyle, it is a matter of creating a space that is functional, flexible, all while keeping dirt and the elements outside your home. Mud rooms can help simplify your life and create a stylish catchall. So the next time you’re caught in a downpour, you’ll have a room to run into, leave the jacket, kick off the shoes and decompress, all without tracking the elements through your home.
For this and more, be sure to check out weekly blog posts on the Christopher Lee and Company Fine Homes website.
