Mudrooms, bootility rooms, in-between rooms, whatever you call them, there’s no denying that they’re a highly practical room for any home. That place that acts as a transitional space between the inside and outside.
If a mudroom is on your horizon in the next year, we share 11 real life examples, along with expert advice from an interior designer on how to style yours to perfection.
What Is A Mudroom?
Mudrooms are a dedicated space in the home, usually placed near the front or back door to act as a practical area where you can remove muddy boots, hence the name! This avoids general living spaces becoming cluttered and untidy and keeps the functional items all in one place.
Interior designer at Neutral Home Design Kelly Marohl explains that ‘mudrooms are a modern-day essential to any home, they serve as a drop zone for the entire family’. If you’re wondering how to create your very own mudroom, we’ve got some real life examples to inspire you below.
11 Real Life Mudroom Examples
1.Embrace Baby Blue & Unexpected Plaid
Keep a mudroom feeling light and bright by choosing to paint the cabinets in a cheery pastel shade.
If you love that traditional countryside feel then opting for plaid fabric to create an upholstered seating area is the way to go.
2. Add A Coastal Feel With Navy Blue & Brass
Pay homage to the nautical trend by choosing a navy blue colour palette and brass details. Incorporating wall shelves and cabinets is a great idea for housing trendy storage baskets.
Star motif tiles are a super stylish option and will add pattern and visual interest to any bootility room.
3. Use Tongue & Groove For A Classic Look
Tongue and groove panelling is a popular wall covering for any vintage-inspired home. Add panelling to the walls of your mud room and display multiple hooks, which are ideal for hanging up hats and coats.
Modernise tongue and groove panelling by painting it a dark contemporary colour such as Railings by Farrow & Ball.
4. Create A Multi Purpose Laundry Come Mud Room
A clever use of space is combining a mud room with a utility area. Both of these spaces are designed to be functional, so putting them together makes total sense.
Be inspired by the mud room pictured below courtesy of Oslo Design Co. Interior designer Kelly claims ‘neutral colour trends are very popular right now. We are seeing colour combinations like taupe cabinetry, crisp white walls and warm brass hardware’.
5. Use Statement Floor Tiles For Visual Interest (And Easy Cleaning)!
Deliberating on what type of flooring to have in your mud room? Floor tiles are a fantastic option as they come in lots of different styles and patterns and they are very easy to keep clean!
Keep your cabinetry simple and choose a loud and proud patterned floor to make a statement. Geometric designs are popular for contemporary homes, or choose a Victorian-inspired patterned floor for a timeless feel.
6. Create A Wrap-Around Space
Invest in the design of your mud room and hire a carpenter to build you a bespoke storage unit that fits in perfectly with the space you already have.
This way you will be able to make the most out of every inch of the space and the carpenter will be able to suggest some design elements that you may not have considered previously. For example, a wrap-around seating area.
7. Lean Into Earthy Neutrals
Earthy neutrals are going to be big in 2024, so consider these when designing a mud room. The darker neutral tones such as khaki, rusty reds and browns are also fantastic for disguising any dirt or marks that may arise, so it’s a practical choice too.
It’s always a good idea to include hidden storage in a bootility room to avoid muddy boots being on show. Kelly says ‘we highly recommend installing closed mudroom lockers. Closed doors hide all of the unsightly, potentially disorganised mess! Another must-have is large, pull-out drawers for hidden shoe storage’.
8. Go Bold With A Lime Green Space
Mud rooms tend to boast a darker colour palette due to the nature of their purpose. However, if you feel like you can keep yours from looking too muddy then opt for a bold colour to make the space stand out.
A lime green mud room is perfect for a colourful home and will add a pop of colour to either your front or back entrance.
9. Combine Teal & Wood For A Warm, Rustic Mud Room
Mud rooms are naturally quite a rustic space so they suit that kind of styling. Include raw wood finishes in your mud room design for a warm and rustic feel.
Lots of colours pair beautifully with timber but a muted teal shade is effortlessly stylish. Alternatively, if you want to go bold, go for a really dark shade of green or even black for added drama!
10. Finish With Black Accents To Tie The Space Together
For a sophisticated home, black accents are the perfect finishing touch. Rather than traditional metallic fixtures and fittings opt for matt black options instead.
If your mud room has windows, invest in Crittall-style designs for a sleek and stylish look.
11. Baby Blue Is Seriously In and On-Trend
For something totally different, style your mud room in a soft and feminine way by painting it a pastel blue colour.
Gold handles and hooks add a luxurious touch and complementary wallpaper adds even more detail and elegance.
