Ultimate Utility: Getting the Most of Your Mudroom/Laundry Combo

by

Home & Garden

As homeowners, we ask a lot of our homes, and rightly so; it’s our biggest investment. From the practicality of our kitchens to the convenience of our main level primary suites, our homes, in a way, help us cope with the frenetic world outside by being the best “nests” inside that they can be.

To that end, every space needs to fit the bill for utility right down to our home’s utility rooms. The essential spaces being the laundry room and the mudroom. While you may already have two separate rooms for these, many homeowners are actually finding life becomes a bit more convenient when the two are combined. 

Not sure if this is the right option for you? Here are some of the finer points to consider as you work toward achieving ultimate utility. 

Let’s go to the mood board!

This is the crucial first step to efficient design because it provides a detailed jumping off point for your ideas, your must-haves, and even your style. Once you have spent some time online curating the look and logistics of your dream space, you will have something to show to your interior design professional or take to the home store when it’s time to get the goods. 

Let’s get organized

When you consider that one of the most common complaints homeowners have about their laundry rooms is wasted space, it may make sense to combine these two important, hardworking areas (and sometimes three, if you need to include your secondary entry in your plan for the home). 

A smart way to determine a floorplan and the amount and types of storage that you need, is to account for who will be using this combined space. If you have young children at home, including practical lower-level storage space in the form of open cubes or easy-to-pull drawers accomplishes much and helps keep you from being a space waster. It also helps foster a sense of responsibility and independence with young children who will be able access more of what they need on their own and establish a pride of place for their things. Hooks that can be easily reached may make more sense for their outdoor apparel which often ends in a heap on the floor when placed in a standard closet. 

What about your partner? Does he or she have outdoor hobbies and pastimes with equipment that will make their way into the mudroom/laundry room? Lucky you if these hobbies and pastimes include removing dirty clothing because in this scenario your washing machine is located conveniently nearby. 

Here’s where you will need and want to add standard closets to store any wearables associated with the sporting enthusiast in your life.  If space allows, tall, locker-like cabinets can be employed to store grab-and-go equipment that you would prefer not to stow in the garage. Balls, netting, baseball gloves, etc., can all find a comfortable home inside the No. 1 essential for your combo space, comfortable bench seating. 

And much like your kitchen, a certain amount of countertop space should be available to you for spot-treating clothing, and retractable rack space is essential for the hanging and steaming of clothing. 

Of course, a combination of open and cabinet-enclosed shelving will be needed for all the products you use for your laundry, pets, and accessories that will call this room home. Try using clever, stylish decanters for some of the products on the open shelves to provide a cohesive, uncluttered look. Adding in a live plant here and there on the shelves creates a clean, curated look. Your utility sink—your No. 2 essential for the space—will help keep those plants happily watered. 

If your list of must-haves is getting long and you haven’t even accounted for where the washer and dryer will fit yet, you can always opt for a space-saving, stack-able washer and dryer. These units economize on space and have definitely improved in functionality over the years. They also offer an advantage, as they can be tucked inside a recessed wall with a closing door, so if your space is also a home entry, a washer and dryer isn’t the first thing people see when they access that entry. 

Finally, don’t forget about your fur babies! This is the most practical place to store your pup and cat stuff and provide a quiet corner for the napping they all seem to adore. Many homeowners are indeed considering pets when designing or upgrading these utility spaces by including built-in features like dog beds and feeding and bathing stations right into the design. 

Let’s get creative

By no means skimp on the style factor just because this is a utility room. Savvy homeowners are finding value in using this space to reinforce the personal style they have already envisioned in other areas of their homes. 

This no-limits approach to design, employs stylish fixtures, elements of decorative lighting, and even integrates softer elements of wallpaper and window coverings in the space so it looks less like an afterthought and more like the rest of your home. 

Fortunately, there are many smart material options that consumers can choose from that provide for the hard use this room requires without sacrificing style. These include integrated, easy-care furnishings, wall treatments like wainscotting, and durable matte cement floor tiles. 

By all means, personalize your space with performance fabrics that are beautiful, but also resist stains. This is especially true if you are using an upholstered storage bench. This is a great opportunity to show some flair and complement what you might have going on in adjacent rooms. 

Planning to have a window in this room if you’re in the design stage is also a bonus if you’re looking to soften the vibe of a utility room. Adding unexpected elements such as a decorative mirror, sconces, or even pendant lighting will also enhance the look of a room that we tend to spend more time in than we think. 

And while this room may produce a bit of humidity at times—we’re looking at you, fabric steamer—don’t let that deter you from adding a layer of chic paper to your walls. Just choose a waterproof wallpaper that works with modern adhesive compounds that create a barrier to protect the paper should it get wet. 

Fortunately, these papers come in so many patterns and colors, you may have a hard time choosing between traditional or even whimsical themes, which tend to work very well in a mudroom/laundry room combo. 

Perhaps, even a pattern with cozy birds’ nests on it will set just the right mood for your next missing sock search?