Mudrooms have been around since about the 1950s as it was a place to shed wet or dirty clothes and shoes so you didn’t track the dirt into the house. It was an architectural shift when the colonial-style home was introduced and the tract home was introduced with less formal entryways. This gave way for laundry rooms to be moved inside of the kitchen and mudroom. Now, mudrooms are not just a place for kids and adults alike to take off their muddy clothes, it is a catch-all for kids’ backpacks, dog leashes, purses, and a space for the organization you need and want.
History of Mudrooms
Most of the country needs a mudroom as a space for family members to shed their dirty and wet clothes and a spot for storage of botos, jackets, and even sports equipment. Today mudrooms have evolved into a trendy space that gets featured in lifestyle magazines and new home builders are making a point to focus on what their mudrooms have to offer. This is not how it has always been in the short history of mudrooms.
Mudrooms were designed literally for a place of mud when the ground around homes was often muddy for months at a time and there was little to no separation between home and the outside. Humans have not always been concerned about mud being tracked into the home. The first homes were made on dirt, so mudrooms are a newer addition. As homeowners gained wealth and homes were more than just a room or two and additional rooms were added on. Around the mid-1950s is when the term “mudroom” first came into play in architecture speak.
Along with the tract homes, a less formal entrance was designed on the side or back of the home. These spaces accommodate the new suburban families, who drove cars and desired a proper space between the garage/carport and the home. A tidy spot where kids and adults could leave their muddy boats, wet raincoats out of sight from the main living spaces. In less than 100 years mudrooms have evolved from a place for dirt that is out of site to a place that can help keep your life and home more organized.
Read More: Organizing The Garage With A Flow Wall Storage Solution
The Design of Modern Mudrooms
Modern mudrooms offer more than just a place for dirty items, they add an extra spot to organize items that are best kept out of the main living areas of the home. You can add a pet nook in your mudroom, the mudroom is not only a great place to store your pet’s food, as well as have their water and food dishes. It is also a place where you can create a space just for them. Whether you have a built-in crate or just a little nook for their bed. Dogs love to have a small space that emulates a cave and goes back to their roots, it helps them feel secure and at home.
When mudrooms were first introduced in modern architecture, they were meant to be a catch-all for dirty items that were kept out of sight from the formal entryway and living spaces in the home. Most homes are not as formal nowadays, with open floor plans that leave little space for clutter and hiding unsightly messes.
Modern mudrooms are a blend of space to leave your dirty shoes behind and offer storage solutions. You don’t need a big space in order to be effective, even just a closet that is turned into a mudroom can offer the storage space your family needs for a modern mudroom. The Spruce has many great ideas of how to make mudrooms with little to no space. From a garage mudroom to a makeshift mudroom and even ideas for your pets in mudrooms. The possibilities are endless with modern mudrooms.
Read More: Your Guide to the Best Garage Organization System
How to Create a Modern Mudroom
Mudrooms should add organization to your life, not create more messes or stress. A mudroom is a place that is not a formal entryway, a space that is created to be a transitional space between your living space and the outside world. This can be off the garage, side of the house, combined with a laundry room, off the garden, or even off the main entryway.
Now that modern mudrooms are as trendy as functional, you will want to make sure your mudroom incorporates the functionality that makes a mudroom efficient. Seating should be easily accessible and can double as a place to store sports equipment or other items that are not commonly used. Each family member should have a dedicated space for their shoes, coats, backpacks, or whatever else they use on a daily basis. By each person having their own space, it creates less of a haphazard mess.
Mudrooms need enough storage for year-round items as well as seasonal items. Adequate storage will help make your life easier and more organized. A sink is also very helpful as well, especially if the laundry room is combined or off the mudroom. Most importantly make sure that your mudroom is as out of sight as possible. Ideally in an area that you only see when you are going in or out of the house. Mudrooms were not meant to be super pretty all the time, they are a place to leave the dirty before entering your home.
Read More: 52 Effective Storage Solutions by Honey Can Do
Modern mudrooms can be functional, efficient, and can also be a space to add a little flair. All that artwork you don’t know what to do with that kids bring home, hang it in the mudroom! Store your pet’s food, winter gear, or even your summer essentials in the mudroom. Use a mudroom as the space for all the stuff that just doesn’t quite belong in the garage or a bedroom.
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Sources: whatitmeanstobeamerican.com
Photo Credits: Unsplash
