I had to giggle last week when I was working with my Asian design team in Shanghai and I proposed putting a mudroom in one of the homes.
Despite my best efforts to explain it to my Chinese team, I'm not quite sure the concept made it across the cultural divide. But it got me thinking about the importance of a well-designed mudroom.
Once you and your family have lived in a home with a well-designed and -executed mudroom, you'll never want to be without one.
In today's home, the mudroom is usually the interior space between the garage and the home, a location we generally overlook, perhaps by merely including a large closet.
Architects often stash laundry facilities in the mudroom, proving that they don't do laundry on a regular basis. Personally, I prefer to keep the laundry as near to the bedrooms as possible for ease of use.
The idea of a mudroom is to keep dirt and clutter contained, so if mud does arrive there, it stays there.
So you'll need a way to contain and dispose of that mud. I love a mudroom with a wash facility, such as a shallow shower base and wash shower where you can clean muddy shoes, boots, paws, work clothes and even sports gear. Even if boots, umbrellas or clothing are simply wet, having a spot with a drain where stuff can drip dry is extremely handy.
And you can never have enough storage in a mudroom. Include lots of hooks to hang clothing, hats and even the dog's leash.
If everything has a permanent home, it's easily found when needed. Family members will eventually figure out that always replacing the leash on the same hook or stashing their gloves in the same drawer or bin will make them that much easier to track on the most rushed morning.
Include a bench to sit while you don your shoes or lace up boots, as well as a mirror for last-minute checks.
You should also have a bulletin board handy so you can attach letters or notes that need to be taken to school or work next day. I always have reminders and lists on mine.
Walls and floors should be finished with easy-to-clean, durable surfaces such as ceramic tile or marble. If the dog shakes off after having his paws washed or muddy-handed kids lean against the wall to doff their shoes, no harm done.
Sure, mudrooms can and will get dirty -- but they can be a terrific way to help keep the rest of your home clean, organized and beautiful.
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DESIGNER NOTES:
When designers cook up a great kitchen for a client, they usually includes a warming drawer or two.
Warming drawers are fabulous appliances that take up little space, but can be a lifesaver for a cook who loves to entertain or has family members with busy schedules and needs to keep meals warm.
A warming drawer lets you prepare food in advance and keep it ready to serve. No need to stress about getting everything ready at once -- just pop dishes in the warming drawer, then pull them out when you're ready to eat.
Dirty design:
Every party girl knows club soda can save a favourite dress when a spill happens while you're out for the evening.
But club soda also can help get a stain out of your carpet at home. The trick is to attack the mess right away. Lift off any solids, liberally pour on club soda, then blot with a rag.
The soda's carbonation will bring the spill to the surface, while dissolved salts thwart staining.
