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35 Ideas for a More Stylish and Functional Mudroom, According to Designers
The back-to-school influx is real, y’all.
Maybe it’s the freshly sharpened No. 2 pencils or the tidy intact boxes of crayons, but there’s something about this time of year that feels like a fresh start for getting your act together, even for the non-backpack set. And if there’s any room in your home that could use some organizational oomph this fall, it’s likely the mudroom. Of all the rooms in a home, no space, not even the humble pantry, better showcases the beautifully collected chaos of life like this designated drop zone.
Providing a barrier between the indoors and out, work and family, school and home, this great in-between provides a spot to shake off the daily detritus, both mental and material. Featuring a seasonal rotation of odds and ends, the mudroom provides a snapshot of life at this very moment. And given our busy, hyper-scheduled lives, this practical space is proving more popular than ever.
“Millennials make up the largest share of home buyers, and those with young children are increasingly competing for homes with family-friendly features like mudrooms,” says Amanda Pendleton, Zillow’s Home Trends Expert. Michigan-based realtor Kristina Tanner has also seen a spike in demand. “Mudrooms have become an essential part of all new-builds,” she says. “And in homes without mudrooms, it’s at the top of the priority list when it comes to an addition.” Georgia-based designer Alexa Stevenson adds: “We have been carving out spots or adding on square footage just for this purpose. The sheer amount of stuff a lot of families have—sports equipment, school laptops, art supplies—it’s nice to have a place that's a designated drop zone.”
Still, despite your obsessive need to get organized, avoid getting so caught up in the clutter that you lose sight of its significance. Someday you’ll crave the sight of those tiny muddied soccer cleats, the chewed-up toy of your beloved beagle, or the piled-on peg rails that hint at the hubbub of friends in the fold. This is the stuff of life, after all. It just needs a little wrangling.
What is a mudroom, exactly?
Typically situated by a side entrance or back door, the mudroom is essentially the architectural equivalent of a junk drawer—a practical space to store those odds and ends that family members need to reach for on the regular. If the foyer or entry is a place to put your best, most well-heeled, foot forward, a mudroom is where the fancy shoes come off and get tossed in a cubby or basket. Of course, that doesn’t mean a mudroom can’t be aesthetically pleasing. “Mudrooms offer a fun opportunity to mix style and function,” says Nashville-based designer Caroline Hill Shanks. “I love installing a built-in bench with wide drawers for storing shoes and topping it with a custom seat cushion in a pretty laminated fabric. It’s easily wiped down and still adds interest to the space.”
What is typically kept in a mudroom?
The contents of a mudroom vary based on need, but generally speaking you’re likely to find school-day staples (backpacks, lunch boxes), sports equipment, pet gear, weather-related necessities (fleeces, scarves), and shoes—so many shoes. If you’re strategizing a home addition or renovation, consider establishing a temporary drop zone and keep tabs on everything left there over a period of weeks. That way, you’ll have a better sense of what you'll need to accommodate (60-inch-long hockey sticks? 16 pairs of shoes?) and can spec out cubbies or cabinetry accordingly.
On the fancier end of the spectrum, mudrooms may also include utility sinks, flower arranging areas, pet feeding stations, and even pet showers. Designer Alexa Stevenson also makes a strong case for closed-door cabinetry. “Those hooks on the wall are not going to cut it,” she insists. “You want to be able to close a door on the mess.”
Does a mudroom add value to your home?
“Today’s buyers are willing to pay more for a home with a well-designed mudroom because it adds functionality,” says Amanda. In fact, Zillow research finds homes with a mudroom can sell for 0.6% more than similar homes without one. That adds up to more than $2,100 on a typical U.S. home, and the demand is growing. According to Zillow, sale price premiums for homes with mudrooms have inched up over the last three years—from 0.5% in 2022 to 0.6% in 2024. “We attribute these small increases to the viral home organization trend, combined with larger generational trends,” says Amanda.
Features that maximize the space, and add functionality typically deliver the best return on investment. In other words, prioritize closed door storage and bench seating over purely aesthetic picks. Amanda also notes that most recent home buyers have a pet, so “features that accommodate four-legged family members like a pet washing station, built-in pet bed or a pet door are also increasingly appealing in a mudroom.”
What is a good paint color for a mudroom?
While paint color is more of a personal preference, we fully endorse choosing a color that brings you joy and counter-balances the occasionally thankless day-to-day task of corralling household items. If you’re looking for color inspiration, this guide to our 100 favorite paint colors is a good starting point. Color aside, you should give consideration to the best paint finish. For example, a semi- or high-gloss paint finish tends to stand up to heavy traffic better than a matte finish. Designer Alexa Stevenson suggests an eggshell finish on walls and semi-gloss on any cabinets so they can easily be wiped down.
What is the best flooring for a mudroom?
Durability and water-resistance are both a must for this heavily trafficked space, which means porcelain and ceramic tile, luxury vinyl planks, laminate, stone, and brick are all good bets. Sealed hardwoods can stand up to the job, too, but consider a stronger wood, such as oak or maple. Also consider the color of your pet’s hair—will it blend in? And remember: “If doing a tile, a dark grout is the way to go,” says Kristina.
Below, these 35 mudrooms are packed with practical and stylish ideas to get you started planning your own project.
Set a Cheerful Tone
First impressions matter, which is why a mudroom should be as fun and welcoming as it is functional. In the entry of a Michigan new build, designer Cameron Ruppert brought the whimsy with a clover wallcovering, purple window shade, and patterned rug. A wooden bench helps offset all of the pattern play.
RELATED: How to Embrace Color in a Country House
Bring the Outdoors In
Bridge the gap between the indoors and out with a seasonal plant to both liven up the space and freshen up the air. Here, Matt Albiani cozied up his 1940s cottage by the sea with a red geranium.
Corral Boots with a Tray
The owners of this Texas farmhouse used rustic finds—an enamel pail, a weathered tray—to corral farm life necessities including hand brooms and cowboy boots. Northerners, take note: A tray with a tall rim will also make for a good landing area for snowy boots, because the melting snow won’t seep into hardwoods.
Embrace the Power of the Peg
Designer Cameron Ruppert infused every inch of a historic Maryland farmhouse with period-friendly charm. Case in point: This compact mudroom that works overtime courtesy of custom pegs, shelving, and paneling in a rich and refined blue.
Get the Look:
Wainscoting and Trim Paint Color: Inchyra Blue by Farrow & Ball
RELATED: These are the 20+ Dreamiest Blue-Gray Paint Colors for Any Room in the House
Get a Little Rustic
In Bone Lake, Wisconsin, old-fashioned chinking adds early American charm to an entry designed by O’Hara Interiors. A rustic bench softened with plaid pillows provides a spot for the family of five to boot up.
RELATED: Tour More of This Cabin Equivalent of a Cozy Sweater
Get Muddy
It is a mudroom, after all. But seriously: When choosing a paint color for a country house, consider hues with slightly muddy undertones, like a mossy olive green or dusty rose, which tend to feel more at home in a country setting than bolder, more saturated hues. For example, in this Lowcountry house designed by Barbara Westbrook and Historical Concepts, mossy green shiplap walls feel right at home and mimic the surrounding landscape.To continue the earth tones, handmade bricks are laid in a handsome herringbone pattern with white mortar showcasing their irregular edges.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint Color: For similar, Olive Moss by Benjamin Moore
Install Old-School Lockers
Set on 12 acres in Rhode Island’s “snow belt,” this cozy post-and-beam saltbox remains prepared for a wintry mix of coats, scarves, mittens, and snow boots thanks to a row of vintage-style lockers topped with paintings and thrifted baskets. The custom red barn-style Dutch door and antique Kazak rug brighten up the space, while the antique-looking brick flooring gives a nod to the reclaimed brick in the home's living room.
Get the Look:
Dutch Door: Classic Dutch Door by Rustica
Brick Flooring: Thin Brick by Old Mill
RELATED: Tour More of This Rhode Island Saltbox is Chock Full of Charm
Pull Up a Church Pew
Bambi Constanzo’s well-loved bungalow is chock full of vintage charm, and her treasure trove of thrifted pieces and antique finds spills over to the mudroom in an ever-rotating display. The pine corner cabinet—a Facebook Marketplace score—came from a Pennsylvania farmhouse that had been boarded up for decades; it now holds Bambi’s quilts and pitchers. At $300, it’s the most expensive “found” piece in the house, but the accompanying church pew was a $20 steal. Above it, the chippy shelf holds additional finds, including a fishing creel. Her cane collection is corralled in a thrifted blue-and-white umbrella holder.
RELATED: Tour More of This Tiny West Virginia Cottage That is Filled with Big Personality
Bring on the Baskets
As regularly documented on her inspiring Instagram feed, the mudroom of designer Leah Matkin stays filled with a seasonal rotation of hats, jackets, rugby gear, and more—much of which gets placed into beautiful woven antique baskets.
RELATED: 100 Great Places to Shop for Antiques Online
Try a Makeshift Mudroom
Short on space? You don’t need a dedicated room to reap mudroom-ish benefits. In this upstate New York cabin on Copake Lake, the homeowners simply turned a living room wall into a functional drop zone courtesy of four clean-lined hooks and a live-edge bench.
Borrow from the “Boot Room”
To bring a sense of English manor houses to the Mississippi Delta, these homeowners embraced materials and motifs more typically seen in the ubiquitous “boot rooms” across the pond. (Think walking sticks, wool hats, Barbour jackets, and pheasant taxidermy.) Besides concealing clutter (just tuck unsightly items underneath!), a table skirted in a heavy linen fabric provides a dedicated spot for mail and other incoming ephemera. The high-gloss black ceiling and trim reinforce the refinement.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint Color: Natural Choice by Sherwin-Williams
Ceiling and Trim Paint Color: Tricorn Black by Sherwin-Williams
Table Skirt Fabric: “Pointers” by Schumacher
RELATED: Tour More of This Foreclosed Mississippi Hunting Lodge That Got One Heckuva Makeover
Tuck in a Corner Sink
Interior designer Dana Simpson outfitted the mudroom of her own Connecticut farmhouse with a space-saving vintage soapstone corner sink, scored on a fruitful antiquing excursion. The sink’s cool blue undertones play well with the airy blue-green paint color and an assortment of oil paintings, while a rugged metal-and-wood bench lends a little more patina to all of the pretty.
Get the Look:
Wall and Trim Paint Color: Green Blue by Farrow & Ball
RELATED: Tour More of This Connecticut Farmhouse That is Refreshingly Open and Airy
Embrace a Bamboo Hall Tree
Painted a rich charcoal brown that pairs well with the greenish-blue front door, this petite entryway offers a handy spot to drop keys and hang hats courtesy of a pretty antique bamboo hall tree.
Get the Look:
Wall Paint Color: London Clay by Farrow & Ball
RELATED: Brown Paint is Having a Moment! Here’s How to Get it Right
Paint a Chalkboard Calendar
For an easy at-a-glance guide to who needs to be where, and when, use painter’s tape to map out a grid of 35 squares, sized to your needs, then add a row across the top for the month name and days of the week and a column to the right for more general reminders and to-dos. Fill in squares with chalk paint and admire your home organization handiwork.
Look on the Bright Side
Country Living Design Director Maribeth Jones almost broke the internet with the debut of her sunny-disposition kitchen, which includes this welcoming space off the back door. After agonizing over finding the just-right happy hue, she landed on a buttery shade which pairs well with the William Morris “Fruit” wallcovering. Wooden screw-in pegs, popularized by the American Shakers, allow for easy customization and helped her turn the kitchen’s back entry dumping ground into a makeshift mudroom. (Tip: Space pegs at least six inches apart to maximize their pile-it-on capacity.)
Get the Look:
Cabinetry and Trim Paint Color: Sudbury Yellow by Farrow & Ball
Hang an Oversize Chalkboard
Designer Heather Chadduck Hillegas twirled up the back entrance of her Birmingham home with a large chalkboard (perfect for jotting down reminders and shopping lists!), large-scale ship lights, and a painted floor that extends into the kitchen. To get the look of the latter, try a floor stencil, then give it instant age by using a palm sander to remove some paint. Coat with polyurethane. (Psst: That creamy wall color is Shaded White by Farrow and Ball.)
RELATED: 25+ Ideas for Painted Floors, from Solid to Checkered to Stenciled
Wallpaper the Ceiling
Despite its small footprint, this mudroom packs in the style courtesy of mint green walls and trim, a bold wallpaper, and modern light fixture. "I love having a little fun in utility rooms," says designer Alexa Stevenson. "Mudrooms are a great place to use a wallpaper that may be too wild for a living space, and ceilings are a great place to put the 'wow' because you also don't have to worry about baseball bats dinging it."
Get the Look:
Paint Color: Sage Tint 458 by Benjamin Moore
Ceiling Wallcovering: "Bruno" by Tilton Fenwick for Hygge and West
RELATED: The 25 Best Green Paint Colors That'll Liven Up Any Room
Paint Your Paneling Green
In New York’s Hudson Valley, a reclaimed wood ceiling, a a collection of mounted German and Austrian antlers, and crisp green paneling evoke a handsome "hunt club" spirit without feeling overtly moody or cigar smoke-y.
Get the Look:
Wainscoting and Trim Paint Color: For similar, try Acid Drop by Farrow & Ball
RELATED: Try These Wood Ceiling Ideas To Bring Your Room Country Charm
Bring on the Brick
Aged brick flooring is a smart choice for a family lake house, as its texture helps prevent slippage. This Michigan mudroom also houses a vintage bluestone utility sink with exposed copper plumbing. “We found the sink first and then shaped the room around it,” says designer Amy Meier. The shelf is a display rack from a long-gone shoe store, so it’s more than fitting that it now holds wellies and boots.
RELATED: Tour More of This New-Build Michigan Lake House That Feels Like It's Been Around Forever
Use the Hallway
In this Michigan lake house, designer Amy Meier helped a hallway work harder as a practical pass-through. A narrow wall-mount peg rack/shelf is a convenient catch-all spot for jackets and lake house necessities. Tall custom cabinets hold fishing gear and other supplies.
Rachel Barrett is the Editor-in-Chief of Country Living. She can't pass up a vintage seascape, drives an '89 Woody Wagoneer (that is, when it'll start), and hopes to buy you a lemonade at a future Country Living Fair.
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