DIY Small mudroom idea: A little space with a lot of heart
The mudroom is arguably the hardest working zone in the home. Make the most of a tiny space with this DIY small mudroom idea.
I’m not joking when I say our Mudroom is small. I mean it’s tiny!! Actually it’s just a part of a wall shared with the laundry room, garage door and a half functional closet, which was fine…until it wasn’t.
Mudroom Makeover: Small Space-Big Needs
Because not everyone has a designated “drop off” area at the entry (let alone a whole room for it!), getting creative with the space you do have is more important than ever.
In the beginning, when our kids were little, their coats and shoes were small too. In order for them to be able to access what they needed, everything was openly displayed and hooks and benches were as low as possible.
As the kids grow, so too does the mudroom need to evolve. However, the 4 core requirements usually stay the same.
The 4 things you need in a functional mudroom :
1. Hooks for hanging:
These are key for things like jackets, snow pants, schoolbags and purses. As for style, there are countless options like these pretty wood wall hooks or modern black metal hooks, depending on the look you want. We positioned our coat hooks lower when the boys were little. Then, when they grew taller than me (which didn’t take long lol), we moved them back up and patched the holes.
2. Open storage:
This is perfect for quick grab items like shoes and boots. Also, for small things like sunglasses, an open upper shelf can be a handy addition.
3. Closed storage:
Here’s where you want baskets to hide things like mitts, hats and maybe even extra shoes in bins on the bottom. In the summer, I switch out the toques (yay!) for pool towels and sunscreen.
4. Seating area:
Any type of bench or small seat is needed to put on shoes. Cushions are optional but always a comfy touch.
Bonus tip: If you are a “no sew” girl like me, try using a pillow case to recover an existing cushion. It’s affordable, easy to wash and change up quickly if needed.
The Small Mudroom design plan:
When you only have about 52″ of width to play with, you’ve got to keep your chin up, way up! and and think vertically. Furthermore, since our laundry is on the adjacent well, we had to make the best use of the space we had left. See details here on our budget friendly DIY Laundry room makeover.
Starting with a plan to build upwards, I sketched out a simple design including bookshelf cabinets for closed storage, a centre section to hang stuff along with a spot to sit and put on shoes.
The DIY bookcase build:
Starting with the bookshelves, my husband cut pieces of plywood as per my sketch, which he then assembled into the 2 bookshelf towers.
Next, he used 3 longer pieces of plywood for the seat and shelves above and beneath and anchored the seat to wall studs for extra strength and support.
Finally, he attached the 2 cubby towers to the sides of the centre piece and used L brackets to secure everything together as well as to the wall.
Where else could you use a bookcase? Check out our DIY Wall unit idea for stylish family room storage.
Equally important for safety, was covering up the rough front plywood edges all around the built in. For this, we used iron on wood banding, which you can find online or at most home improvement stores.
To finish it off, I painted it the same colour as the built in (Benjamin Moore Steam white). See details on How to build a DIY bookshelf here.
Got leftover DIY supplies? Get creative in the mudroom
Left over wallpaper: Because you can see the mudroom/laundry room from the hallway, I used some leftover brick wallpaper to add a fun finishing detail.
This is an easy and cost effective way to elevate a plywood project.
If you missed it, check out the complete DIY Laundry room makeover details.
The mudroom decor details:
The fun is in the finishing, am I right?
Once everything was painted, then it was time for some silver tri-leg coat hooks (to maximize how many things I could hang) and some pretty fabric storage cubes. Every family member gets 2 bins to fill.
Since there are no windows in here, faux florals are perfect in a room that has no source of natural light. Browse the Dollar store and HomeSense for a good selection of affordable flowers that can be changed up seasonally.
DIY welcome sign:
Because I like the idea of be welcomed home as you walk in the door, I scouted around for the perfect sign. I couldn’t find it, however, I did find this “Welcome” sign at HomeSense/Winners and I knew it could be personalized.
Using a pencil, I carefully wrote on the word “home” as scrawly as I could to match the ‘Welcome’ font, then traced it out with a black sharpie marker. It’s not perfect but I’m happy with it.
Q: What else can I use for a DIY small mudroom build?
If you’d rather a simpler hex key assembly, take a peak through Pinterest and Youtube for tons of creative Ikea mudroom hacks combining billy bookcases and hemnes benches.
Remember that when you paint everything the same colour and add some trim, it looks like a custom built in!
In the end, this was a weekend project that was the learning curve for our bigger Wall unit build. Proof that you don’t need a large space to create a functional and stylish “drop zone” for the whole family.
Time to put away the toques and get ready for “Pool Towel” season 🙂
Here are some other great small mudroom ideas from Better homes and gardens.
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