The big draw with farmhouse style is its simple and functional design. It’s inspired by the lifestyle of the humble farmer, which is busy and—at times—messy. After a day of working from sunrise to sunset, it’s nice to walk through the door, shed those muddy boots, hang that hat, and relax. That’s where the mudroom comes in.

If you want to add or upgrade a mudroom, check out these farmhouse-style tips.

Lockers and Cubbies

Open lockers make for a very organized mudroom. Each family member gets a locker with a hook for hanging coats as well as a cubby located above for tossing mittens, scarves, hats, etc.

Closed Storage

We all have random stuff that needs to be hidden. If the ceiling is high enough, consider squeezing in a few cabinets for closed storage as we did in this colorful custom home project.

A Place for Shoes

At the very bottom, beneath the bench, make a place to store shoes. The height of the bench should be around 18 inches tall to achieve a comfortable sitting area for bending over and tying laces. Check to ensure your boots and sneakers fit underneath the seat with some room to spare. For this whole-home remodel and addition, our pet-loving client also designed a specialized space to accommodate the cat's litter box.

Flooring

Continue the flooring underneath the bench for easy maintenance. When the flooring is continuous, it’s easier to access for sweeping and mopping. For this custom home project we used eco-friendly Marmoleum flooring for it's durability and easy maintenance.

Wainscoting

In farmhouse style, the goal is to design surroundings that are low maintenance, which is especially true in the mudroom. Try a bead board wainscoting to protect the walls from nicks and scratches. Nothing says farmhouse like bead board paneling painted white. The white color provides a nice clean palette in this mudroom/drop zone we carved out of a hallway closet in this remodel project.

Beyond the Basics

The simplicity of farmhouse style is all about sticking to the basics. When the basics are covered, jazz things up with fancy iron coat hooks or a herringbone tile pattern on the floor. It’s the special touches that make it feel like home. Thinking about updating your mudroom or making some changes at your house?  We’d love to start the conversation with you.