22 Clever Mudroom Ideas to Keep Your Entryway Organized
Transform your drop zone with stylish storage solutions.
The mudroom can quickly become a jumble of backpacks, coats, shoes, hats, and other household items. If you feel weary every time you so much as look at your entryway, it’s time to try one of these mudroom design ideas. Designers shared their go-to fixes for keeping clutter corralled and making this practical area feel more stylish.
Before trying any of these design ideas, it’s a good idea to declutter the mudroom or entry area. Tossing or reorganizing out-of-season gear, toys, and that overflowing bag of tote bags can allow you to better see your space and think of practical solutions.
While most people think of this area as purely functional, designers say you can actually make some fun design choices in the mudroom. In many homes, it’s the first room you see when you come home, so why not add a cheerful wallpaper, a colorful rug, or a piece of art that makes you smile?
If you don’t have a dedicated mudroom, designers also shared several ideas for creating a makeshift one. You can repurpose a corner of the kitchen, laundry room, or garage to serve as your family’s mudroom.
Ahead, check out some of our favorite mudroom design ideas.
Create a Makeshift Mudroom
To cut down on clutter in your entryway, create a catchall space. Add a simple wooden bench so everyone can put on and take off shoes easily, and keep pairs organized in storage baskets underneath. To utilize wall space, install hooks to hang coats, hats and bags.
Designate Space for Everyone's Daily Go-Tos
There's a reason design pros favor symmetry. In this Erin Gates-designed mudroom for a family of four, a built-in cabinet system ensures that each person has a tidy spot for their things plus room for a few seasonal items that are best kept out of reach.
Pick One Color
In this mudroom, designer Emilie Munroe chose to carry one rich hue — Benjamin Moore's Webster Green — up to the molding to create the illusion of a higher ceiling. The color accentuates the built-in cabinet, featuring one side with rows of high and low hooks for kids to access and another set of hooks that are perfect for adults' bags and coats. Each family member also has a lower drawer for shoes to keep the floor clutter-free.
Utilize a Kitchen Corner
If you don't have a natural area for stowing shoes, jackets and sports equipment, add a storage cabinet in the corner of an open kitchen-dining space. A wooden bench, along with floating wood shelves to display books and decorative objects, can get the job done.
Hang Wallpaper Up High
Deck out your mudroom's upper walls with graphic wallpaper that can add contrast to vertical shiplap. Bring in even more pattern with a multicolored striped bench cushion.
Incorporate a Vintage Bench
Give your prized vintage find, like a wooden bench, the attention it deserves by placing it in your mudroom. Surround it with accessories like greenery and a patterned rug to add to its appeal.
Display Greenery
Styling a mudroom shelf is very much like arranging a living room mantel. Showcase a striking piece of art and add a dose of greenery to bring the outdoors in.
Add a Statement Door
A Dutch door will keep unwanted critters out while allowing the fresh air in. This one features a fun color that matches the airy wallpaper inside.
Choose a One-And-Done Piece of Furniture
The easiest way to create a mudroom (even if you don't technically have one) is to introduce a piece of furniture that does it all — like this bench and hook set.
Showcase the Kids' Art
Your mudroom is the perfect place to display the drawings your kids bring home from school. Put the pictures in frames to show just how proud you are of your tiny artists.
Create a Makeshift Mudroom
Just because you don't have space for a traditional mudroom doesn't mean you can't have one at all. Draw inspiration from this makeshift mudroom idea, which is simply a bench with storage and chalkboard set up against a wall near the door.
Display Art Up Top
Your mudroom doesn't have to be purely functional. If you'd like, build a shelf up top to showcase a few indoor plants and picture frames.
Use What You Have
Create the perfect rustic vibe simply by hanging some wire baskets for see-through grab-and-go storage. An old wood table can act as a landing spot for gardening tools.
Steal Space From the Laundry Room
Place a mini bench right in the laundry room with some hooks that can double as a place to hang clothes, bags, and hats.
Stack Up Wood Crates
All you have to do is clip them together with binder clips, no hammer or nails required. Position them however you desire, but be sure to keep heavier things stowed in lower crates.
Install a Message Board
Stick schedules, reminders, and to-dos to an oversized pin board and you won't believe how your family functioned without one.
Make Dedicated Cubbies
Create individual space for a busy family's belongings so nothing gets misplaced. Slip some baskets with handles beneath a bench to quickly store things that come and go from the house.
Make the Floors Eye-Catching
With a bright and unique tile underfoot, keep the walls a simple, crisp white so it doesn't overwhelm the space. Other than looking beautiful, patterned floor tiles will also hide dirt and dust like a champ.
DIY a Set of Lockers
This one is easier than it seems: Simply jazz up the cubbies of a ready-made locker set with a trio of rich colors and watch it naturally corral the clutter.
Skip Furniture
Sure, built-ins are great, but you can make a mudroom out of thin air just by taking advantage of some wall space. Simply put some bins on the ground, some wall-mounted file folders in the middle, and a series of hooks up high.
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Monique Valeris is the home design director for Good Housekeeping, where she oversees the brand's home decorating coverage across print and digital. Prior to joining GH in 2020, she was the digital editor at Elle Decor. In her current role, she explores everything from design trends and home tours to lifestyle product recommendations, including writing her monthly column, "What's in My Cart."
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