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Humble mudroom a necessity during snowy winters

There may not be a room in America more adored at this moment than the humble mudroom. Many older homes in regions where snow falls have been built with at least one such space, either at the back of the house or near a front entry.

Even in new construction, mudrooms are a geographical amenity. I know because I live in an area that gets little rain and no snow, so few homes feature them here. But for those of you who have or want one, there are creative ideas to think about.

In the Midwest, Northwest, East and Northeast, these amazing spaces abound. In some layouts the “room” may simply be a recessed place on the floor by the front door for the wet to fall into off a mat. Other floor plans include a proper room designed to prepare residents for harsh weather conditions.

Mudrooms often feature a bench for putting on and pulling off dirty boots, gloves and coats.

My adult children live in Seattle and their mudroom features two drawers stuffed with a variety of children's and adult size shoes, a bench, plenty of coat hooks and cupboards. Still, the sloppiest boots are kept outside the door on the covered porch and during the summer there are Crocs and flip-flops for everyone, along with umbrellas.

If you are considering a remodel, but cannot imagine how to allocate space to gain a mudroom, consider pulling the entry further out towards the street. Study your exterior to see if it's possible. Often, it is not that difficult to pull the front door 4 to 6 feet out, thereby gaining interior room. Be sure to study your roof line to assess the difficulty and expense.

Here we see wonderful covered storage in the form of a sliding door, modern armoire. Made of walnut, this piece is 60 by 20 by 65 inches. Something like this dresses up the space by using a rich wood while offering hanging storage and a drawer.

One has the option of sticking to a purely utilitarian look with cabinets that match the rest of the house or of dressing up a mudroom with furniture pieces. These might range from accent antique pieces to simple modern storage units.

Whether your mudroom is a part of your foyer or back porch, you have two choices: Keep all elements the same color as your home's wood trim or introduce an accent color. For example, if your trim is white throughout your home, you might consider painting the furniture or the built-in cabinetry in the mudroom red or forest green. A mudroom is the perfect place for accent wall paper or to paint all the walls an accent color.

Mudrooms often double as an electronic charging station. Stand up docking stations might be recessed into the wall or a flip-down station for iPads, smartphones and other devices. Message boards and chalk boards are popular, too. When there is enough space, consider the idea of creating cubby storage for each member of the family. Even in a single-person household it is wonderful to have a designated go-to spot for car keys, headphones, cellphones and wallets. Tack surfaces can display school artwork, permission slips, family calendars and photos. This is a wonderful space for word art and whimsical artwork of all types.

Remember, too, that large mirrors can brighten up a foyer or back porch. Be sure to review lighting and add a ceiling mounted central fixture if there is not one. You could also bring in a standing lamp or add wall sconces. Good lighting will brighten the serviceable area and lift it from being merely practical to a cozy space with personality.

• Christine Brun is a San Diego-based interior designer and the author of “Small Space Living.” Send questions and comments to her by email at christinebrun@sbcglobal.net.

© 2015, Creators.com

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