Mudrooms: Making Your Home a Safe Place for Dry Socks

As summer slips from our grasp, we try to look to the light: boot season is upon us. All the glory of riding boots, rain boots and Uggs is ahead of us. Rejoice! 

However this glorious time is not without consequence. With boots comes the rain, mud, snow and sneaky piles of wetness into our homes. 

As Autumn creeps in our Pinterest boards fill with Mudroom Inspiration pages. I challenge you to take action: bring your dreams into your home and organize a mudroom once and for all. 

When finding a place for your mudroom it's important to be practical. It's not going to be of much use if it isn't near the door you use the most. It will require storage but with a little bit of thought it's pretty easy to find storage that will add to the decor and style of your home. Think nice looking bins and quality hardware. In an ideal world your mudroom would be located close to the laundry so that wet and muddy items can go straight to the washer or dryer. Minimizing the distance the sloppy items have to travel is key. 

Take into account your lifestyle and what your hobbies are. Think about exactly what types of things you will be storing whether it's golf clubs, hockey bags, skis/snowboards, garden clippings or other. 

Not everyone has separate entryways or space to for a whole room, that's ok. Try a hall tree (below) —with hooks for hanging jackets, a bench (with shoe cubbies underneath). 

A regular bench with storage underneath and a few coat hooks above can go a long way too. If you don't have a lot of space then creativity is your friend. Cabinets are a great way to create storage and style anywhere in the home. 

The down side of boots is that they have a tendency to sneak snow and mud into your home. Try a boot tray, like this one from Apartment Therapy. Keeps the water out of your homes and looks good while doing it. A place to sit and take shoes off is an ideal and benches can double as extra storage. This will help keep the clutter out of your home and keep your things accessible. The phrase "I don't want to put this away because I'm going to use it again," is the enemy of organization. 

Cubbies or shelving are also a great touch. Designated spaces for items can help prevent your mudroom from turning into a catch-all for everything that enters your home. If you are only working with one wall consider hanging hooks for keys or a wall shelf. Bare floors are better than rugs that stain and soak up the mess. Sinks and laundry are a great touch but may not be practical for your situation. Whatever it takes to get your mudroom set up do it. It can help de clutter your home and keep you cozy through the cold winter months. 

Make your home a safe place for dry socks.