With more rainfall on average than elsewhere in the States, Atlanta is a city where hardworking mudrooms are a must. Mudrooms are the perfect way to keep your living area clutter-free of coats and shoes and your floors free of water and dirt. At the same time, everyone wants a mudroom that’s also visually clean enough to usher casual guests through and also affords enough storage spaces for clothing and household items. Here are six of our favorite practical mudroom ideas for your home renovation in Atlanta, GA.
1. One-Wall Built-In with a Bench
If you’re limited on space, the one-wall built-in cabinet is your best bet. Although there are many variations of this design, one classic arrangement is a central bench with cubbies for shoes below, upper cabinets for lesser-used items, floor-to-ceiling cabinets on one side of the bench to house winter coats/cleaning supplies, and hooks on the other for hanging hats and jackets that are constantly in use.
2. Open Shelving Unit
A popular variation on the one-wall built-in is a floor-to ceiling built-in with open shelving units. A great way to keep organized is to create compartments of various sizes to fit shoes, umbrellas, hats, and coats. Remember to design open shelving units with compartments that are deep enough to hold a coat rack.
3. Family Lockers
If you’d like to further customize your open shelving unit built-in, creating one cubby for each family member with customized name plates is a charming way to delineate spaces and create a sense of responsibility and ownership for kids to keep their cubbies tidy. Don’t forget to add a cubby for guests as well!
4. Galley Mudroom
If you have a bit more space in your mudroom, consider creating a galley with cabinets, shelving, shoe racks, etc. on either side. You may also want to incorporate a sink into one of the walls so you can wash up before entering your home’s main living area!
5. Double Duty Office
It’s becoming more and more the norm to take work home at the day’s end to check in on special projects. To accommodate this--or simply to give yourself space to keep your family’s busy schedule organized--you need a designated desk area. Often, there’s no better place for this than the mudroom since it’s a visually out-of-the-way area with some degree of privacy and quiet.
6. Mudroom/Laundry Room
Finally, the mudroom/laundry room combination is likely the single most popular mudroom design ever created, partially because, again, the mudroom is a visually secluded area, but also because incorporating the two spaces allows you to throw wet and dirty clothes directly into the wash rather than traipsing through the home to deposit them elsewhere.
The Best Flooring Materials
As you pick the right design for your mudroom, don’t forget to consider the best flooring options for your mudroom home renovation in Atlanta. You’ll want a material that’s both water resistant and easy to clean, especially since mudrooms are often used as pet stations for food and open-space kenneling. Our top recommendations are ceramic tile, stone, terra cotta tile, travertine tile, and sealed wood. Don’t forget to include a mat to wipe your feet on and keep you from slipping!
