Renovating a small mudroom or adding one to a new build will make your home more functional and help you maintain a clutter-free entryway. Mix clever storage solutions tailored to your lifestyle with elevated decor touches to create an organized and stylish space.
Check out these before-and-after images of small mudroom makeovers for inspiration.
Before: Under Stairs Empty Space
Optimize the empty space under the stairs to create an open mudroom that is functional and will visually anchor the entryway.
After: Under-Stairs Mudroom
Install a freestanding or custom built-in bench with storage underneath to hide shoe clutter. Incorporate an upholstered bench seat cushion to provide a comfortable place to sit while you take off and put on shoes, and hang some vintage hooks on the wall to hang a hat or a market basket that double as decor.
Before: Messy Closet
If your home or apartment lacks a dedicated mudroom, consider transforming an entryway closet into a mini mudroom. Take everything out to reimagine storage and decor to give everything a dedicated place.
After: Colorful Mini Mudroom
For this DIY closet renovation, new electrical, paint, a decorative arch, bench, and simple storage solutions like a door rack for coats and under-bench baskets transform the space.
The result is a cheerful family-friendly mudroom that makes the most of a small footprint and turns a cluttered eyesore into a feature.
Before: Open Space
Make your back door entrance more functional by turning blank space into a mudroom. Crisp Architects created a mudroom addition to an old home in Sheffield, MA, a necessity in a climate where taking off boots and hanging up coats is an all-season affair.
After: Polished and Functional
Rather than a wall of built-ins, this small mudroom has a sleek stained wood bench with room for open shoe storage beneath it. Simple wall-mounted racks on either side of the window provide storage for coats and hats.
Before: Drab and Undone
Michelle Whitener from MW Designs turned a drab corner into a pretty and functional mini mudroom with DIY storage and decor accents.
After: Wallpaper Accent
A functional DIY bench with wall hooks, a new light fixture, and a bold wallpaper accent in a striking pattern give this modest entryway mudroom an elevated look that maximizes and defines the small space.
Before: Catch-All Room
Crisp Architects gutted a catch-all room filled with exercise equipment and underutilized built-ins to build a mudroom with storage solutions tailored to the family’s needs and hobbies.
After: Reorganized and Sleek
This mudroom was designed for a couple of avid horse riders and tennis players. Built-in cubbies were custom designed for tall riding boots, while a dedicated place to drop rackets keeps the space clutter-free.
Before: Blank Slate
When designing this small mudroom from scratch, interior designer Laura Brophy mixed practical and aesthetic considerations to make the everyday space feel special.
After: Pretty and Functional
Vertical wall paneling draws the eye upward, making the space feel taller. Draped window treatments add some flourish and color that softens the space, while black-and-white checkerboard tile adds a classic touch to a new build that is easy to clean.
Before: Dark and Dated
While adding storage is a common mudroom makeover solution, in this case the homeowner removed unused closets to integrate the entryway with the rest of the house. This DIY project transformed a dark and dated back hallway mudroom to match the rest of a farmhouse interior.
After: Whitewashed Farmhouse
Ripping out faux brick flooring and replacing it with painted pine floorboards to match the rest of the house opened up this space. In lieu of closets, peg rail painted the same color as the walls runs around the periphery of the room to store household items, bags, and coats.
Before: Lacking Storage
If your front entry doubles as a mudroom, trade improvised solutions like freestanding floor baskets and a smattering of wall hooks for purpose-built furniture. Consider sacrificing an unnecessary interior window in order to keep a family’s worth of gear organized in one spot.
After: Multi-Purpose Drop Zone
The addition of built-in cabinetry creates hidden storage and a central landing zone to sort mail and drop keys. Integrated benches with wall hooks and under-bench baskets offer a place to hang coats and hats and store shoes out of sight.