Quiz: Is Your Mudroom a High Octane Space?

Mudrooms are a place to make the final preparations to get out the door each morning.   They’re also the entryway that welcomes you and your family home at night.  Mudrooms of all types exist in homes today, but not all of them work.

A mudroom that doesn’t work for your family is almost worse than no mudroom at all.  By contrast a high octane mudroom can make your life simpler, easier and more organized.

Check Your Mudroom Style.   Choose the answer that best describes your family’s situation.

Coats:

1. My coats and all our family’s coats are hung in the mudroom.
2. I can find my coat but it’s folded over the sofa, my kids’ coats are on the floor of the mudroom and I have no clue where my spouse’s coat is.
3. Our coats never make it in the house.  They’re in the garage.

 Mittens, gloves, hats and scarves:

1. Mittens, gloves, hats and scarves are all stored in bins inside the storage bench in our mudroom.
2. I keep my kids mittens on strings through their coat sleeves so they don’t lose them.  Of course the teenagers don’t like it, but....  My gloves are with my purse and my husband’s are in his pocket but I haven’t seen any of our scarves lately and everyone’s wearing baseball caps again.
3. Mittens?  Gloves?  I just went shopping last week for more.  Scarves and Hats?   They won’t be on sale until next week.

 Keys:

1. They’re on the key rack right next to the door.
2. They’re in my purse, I think.  My husband’s – hey it’s his job to keep them where he can find them.
3. Keys?  I have several extra sets… if only I could remember where.

 Cell Phones:

A.    I put it on the charger as soon as I come in the door at night.   There’s a nice shelf by the door where I can plug it in and leave it.

B.     It’s always in my pocket.  Sometimes I even remember to charge it.

C.     Cellphone?  One of the kids dropped it in the fish tank.

Sunglasses:

1. I keep my sunglasses on the shelf by the door.
2. In a basket somewhere.
3. I’ll buy a new pair next summer.

Scoring:

If you answered with mostly A congratulations.  You have a high-octane mudroom and you’re using it the way it was meant to be used – to bring you joy, peace and harmony.

If you answered mostly B your mudroom could use some updating. 

If you answered mostly Cs it’s time for a total mudroom redo. 

If You Have Only One Home Improvement Goal This Year

Make it a well-organized, well-appointed mudroom that is you family’s entryway into the home.  A well designed and well organized mudroom can change your life and make getting out of the house in the morning so much simpler.

In my next blog I’ll talk about some of the things you can do to make your mudroom into a high octane space that functions for your family.

A Bench Adds to Mudroom Function, Bench Storage Adds Organization

A bench, especially one that offers bench storage, can make coming in out of the cold to your mudroom a distinct pleasure.   Benches offer a place to sit and remove boots.  Benches with storage provide a place to store hats, scarves, mittens and gloves – all the paraphernalia of a Northern Michigan winter.

Bench storage also makes it easier to get out of the house in the morning, minimizing the chaos and tears that go with lost scarves, hats and mittens.  Just open the bench storage lid, pull out what you need and you’re dressed and out the door.

I’m predicting that this decade’s prized home luxury will be a high octane mudroom.  The trend among families looking for homes today is to be very value conscious and to look for homes that offer only the space the family actually needs and make that space work spectacularly for their needs. 

Who is part of this trend?   Almost everyone.  The first baby boomers will turn 65 this year and with retirement comes a need for a smaller space.   Younger families who a few years ago may have wanted a McMansion – but who have seen friends lose their homes to foreclosure – are considering more modest properties.  

So why does this make mudrooms the prized luxury?  Because for busy people, the most precious luxury is time – and organized space is key to saving time.  Mudrooms can help your family be more organized and efficient.   Adding a mudroom or enhancing an existing one can make your travel in and out of the house each day easier and more enjoyable.  In future blogs we’ll talk about the elements that will make your mudroom high octane – a space that works effectively for you and your family.