Styling Your Mudroom for Every Season
Mudrooms are the perfect space for storing winter coats and boots, gloves, hats, and other winter gear, so you know exactly where everything is when you need it. But now that spring is in full swing (minus our recent April snowstorm), it’s time to start putting away all that winter stuff you have hanging around in your mudroom or breezeway.
Some things will have to move to the back of the garage or the basement, like snow shovels and ice melt, and maybe your warmest winter jacket and boots. However, with the right fixtures and containers, you can simply shift where you store most things for each season, rather than having to move everything to another room.
5 Essentials to Make Your Mudroom Look Great Year-Round
As we get into the heart of spring, here are some ideas for how to create a mudroom or breezeway that looks great and is easy to transition from one season to the next. You’ll need:
A Place to Hang Your Hat (and Everything Else)
No matter the season or the weather, there will always be coats, weather protection accessories, and other outdoor gear that needs someplace to hang when not in use. Hooks are great for hanging just about anything that doesn’t fit neatly into a drawer, a bin, or a shelf.
The cool thing about hooks is that there are so many styles to choose from. You can install metal hooks directly to the wall, or you can place preconstructed hook racks at different heights, depending on what you’re hanging and how much room your space allows for.
You can also find or build combination shelves with hooks underneath, creating space for both things that do fit on a shelf, and for all the other stuff. And, if you want to get more creative, you can also find some fun hook designs at Hobby Lobby or JOANN Fabric to go with whatever theme you choose.
From rain jackets and hoodies to hats, bags, gardening gloves, leashes, and umbrellas, hooks provide the perfect solution for hanging all of the stuff we use throughout spring and summer whenever we go outside.
A Bench for Sitting (and Extra Storage)
Does your mudroom have a lot of cubbies and shelving, but nowhere to sit? Benches are the obvious choice and can either be made of wood or strong plastic and can even have a cushion on top for added comfort.
With a hollow bench, there’s plenty of room for storing spring footwear like muck boots, sandals, and sneakers, underneath. Or, you can opt for a bench or chest with hinged openings, doubling as a space to sit while you put on your shoes, and somewhere to hide them when you’re not wearing them.
Different Types (and Heights) of Shelving
When it comes to shelving, it’s important to have varying types and heights, so you have places for all of the different things you’re trying to store. Standard, connected shelves are great for things that fit neatly in open spaces, but many of the things we put in the mudroom don’t fit neatly anywhere, so having different options is key. Plus, be sure to have at least one floating shelf (or two) at chest height, for those items you need in plain view or that won’t fit anywhere else.
A Mix of Baskets, Buckets, and Other Storage Containers (for Smaller Items)
Shelves are a must for your breezeway or mudroom and work well for items that are flat, foldable, or otherwise easy to keep on a shelf, but what about everything else? Having a mix of storage options for all the different shapes and sizes of your stuff will make tidying up much easier.
Baskets come in all shapes and sizes, so you can set them on a shelf, stuff them in a cubby, or hang them on the wall, depending on what makes them most easily accessible.
Cubbies are a great way to further compartmentalize shelving, while still allowing you to see what’s inside.
Crates are a fun way to store toys (for humans and pets). They are easy to grab and are available in many different sizes and colors.
Jars and buckets are great for keeping smaller items, like screws, flashlights, gardening tools, and other miscellaneous items that need somewhere to live.
Fun Decor to Brighten the Room (and Match the Season)
Because there are typically already so many “things” in this room, we often forget to decorate it beyond the necessary fixtures and furnishings. Adding an Inspirational sign, a decorative shoe mat, a frilly throw rug, or a framed family photo are all great ways to make this room feel a little more personal and a little more you!
You don’t want to decorate with lots of knick-knacks or anything that will take up valuable storage space, but adding something simple and personal can help bring this room to life. Having a piece or two for each season is a good idea, so you can change the feel of the room, even if only slightly, with the change of the weather.
Make Way for the Next Season
Now that you know what you need to start styling your mudroom for every season, it’s time to get to work. Need help styling your mudroom or breezeway so it’s easier to switch from one season to the next? Let’s chat today.