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Designing Your Home - The Best Place To Put A Mudroom

Designing Your Home – The Best Place To Put A Mudroom

Did you know that you don’t have to place your mudroom at your front door? When you’re designing your home, it’s up to you to decide on the best place to put a mudroom.

Depending on your needs, an entryway mudroom might not work best for you. You could even have it as a separate room from your home.

To get the mudroom you dream about, make sure you put it in a place that’ll be the most beneficial and easy to use for everyone.

Front/Back Exits

These are obviously the most popular options as they’re where most people might want to kick off their shoes or hang up a coat. After all, you wouldn’t want your kids or spouse stomping through the house with muddy boots on right? Plus, you don’t want them to leave their shoes scattered in the doorway for everyone to trip over.

A small or medium-sized mudroom at either or both entryways is ideal. Think of it as a catch-all room for daily needs, such as coats, hats, shoes and daily outdoor supplies. Just make sure you have a way to organize everything so it doesn’t become a cluttered mess.

One thing to keep in mind is that the best place to put a mudroom doesn’t have to be just your front or back door. If you use a side door more often, put the mudroom there instead.

Near The Laundry Room

No one wants to have to lug dirty clothes from the mudroom all the way to the laundry room. If your mudroom will often have clothes stored in it, such as gym or sports clothing, you may want to place the mudroom near the laundry room. This will reduce any unpleasant smells at your entryways and make it much easier to clean any clothes that get stored there.

In Hall Closets

If your home wasn’t built with a mudroom, it might not seem like there’s any space for one. However, if you have a hall closet that you can spare, this can easily be the best place to put a mudroom. Usually, a hall closet is central to your home or near bedrooms. As a place to store everyday shoes, sports gear, toys and coats, it’s an easy place for everyone to access.

If you have multiple floors, you might consider having a small mudroom in a hall closet on each floor. This makes it even easier for everyone to have access and keep your home more organized.

If you’re worried about dirty shoes or wet coats and hats, add a boot mat and a drying rack near your entryway. This keeps the mess off your floors and lets wet coats drip dry in the mat.

Near Guest Entrances

Perhaps you use the door in your garage the most, but your guests will likely use another entrance. Considering placing at least a small mudroom near your guest entrance for them to store their belongings. A small bench with a coat rack and drawer for shoes is all that’s necessary.

In Your Garage

Speaking of garages, it’s common to use your garage entrance to go from your car to inside your home. In this case, the best place to put a mudroom is either in your garage or in your home at this entrance. However, keeping it in the garage keeps any smelly shoes and equipment out of your house, such as fishing equipment.

If space is tight, have a thin line of cabinets with a built-in bench. It’s easy to give everyone their own cabinet or shelf. Remember, your mudroom doesn’t need to be huge. It just needs to be easy to use with room to organize everything.

Outside Your Home

This might sound crazy, but having a mudroom outside your home ensures all the mess stays outside. This is often the case when a home isn’t built with space for a mudroom. You might add a small closed-in porch at your front or back door that includes a small mudroom. It can also be detached with a short covered walkway to your door. This is a great way to add on and get the mudroom you want.

Interested in customizing a mudroom for your home? Contact us today to learn how we can help.

Image: Pxhere

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Budget Advice for Kitchen Remodels: Three General Tips

Many people want to renovate their kitchens, but what usually holds them back is the idea of how much it would cost.
While it’s true that kitchen renovations can often get quite expensive, they don’t have to be.  There are ways to cut down on the amount of money you spend on kitchen remodeling, without cutting down on quality.
The following budget advice for kitchen remodels will give you some ideas on how to save money as you give yourself your dream kitchen.
Make the best use of the space you have.  If you want a larger kitchen, expanding the size of the room isn’t the only solution to giving yourself more space.  Any remodeling project that involves tearing down walls and extending the kitchen’s size is going to put a significant dent in your budget.  To save thousands of dollars, you can keep your kitchen at its current size, but just maximize the space.  For instance, installing custom-made cabinets, tailored to your kitchen, allows you to use the existing space without wasting any of it.  The result will be a lovelier and less cluttered kitchen with more room in it.
Don’t cut corners by going for low-quality material.  As you search for materials for cabinets, tiles, and other basic kitchen components, you’ll come across an array of cheap options.  These might seem attractive, especially if you’re trying to save money.  However, they’ll wind up costing you more money in the long run.  Within a short amount of time, they’ll be more likely to fall apart, crack, or disintegrate, and you’ll just need to replace them.  For items in your kitchen that get regular use, such as faucets and cabinets, you want durability to be a prime consideration, along with a pleasing aesthetic appearance (which is also something you won’t get with cheaper products).
Keep your remodeling more simple.  Remodeling your kitchen doesn’t necessarily mean changing everything about it.  For instance, if you don’t absolutely need to move the kitchen sink, keep it where it is; moving a sink to a new location and redoing the plumbing would just pile on the costs.  For a fresher look, what your kitchen may need are just a few smaller-scale changes.  Replacing some of the worn out cabinetry and changing the color scheme to something lighter and more airy could be enough to give your kitchen more space and a bright new look.
To discuss strategies for remodeling your kitchen, contact us.  We offer high-quality designs that aren’t exorbitant in cost, allowing you to enjoy a beautiful kitchen while saving on money.

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