Inspired Home Ideas

Mudroom Ideas Featuring Storage Areas & Benches


Mudroom ideas

Mudroom ideas in a home offer such practical usable space for the whole family. The image above is of a lovely semi combined laundry mudroom with the laundry room being an annex that sits off to the side of the mud room where there hangs horse blankets and other items and has a rich timber floor. 

A mudroom is one of those ‘must haves’ when we look to build a new house and our ideas of a great mudroom often feature copious storage areas & benches. A mudroom happens to be one of those hardworking rooms in the house that also often receives little thought. 

Its not until we end up not having one, that we really appreciate just how much we valued it. As one of the main entrances to the home (but not as visible as the main front entrance) it has a practical purpose of ensuring the outside items, such as clothing, hats, raincoats, shoes, etc are kept in a place where they will be well organized  and not get lost. These rooms also  help to keep the house clean and tidy

The key features a mudroom should have in order to be optimally used are (in no particular order);

  • Space for those ‘non house’ items that we all need to grab on our way out. Usually umbrellas, scarves, hats, rain coats, jackets and the like, and most often the use of hooks, hangers, and racks will meet this need
  • Having a piece of furniture with cupboards, cubby holes, drawers, or even locker-type space will really help keeping things organized. Whether these spaces are closed or open is really up to the home owner, but having a space for each family member will also give each person somewhere they store their own items in an organized fashion
  • A low height bench can prove useful as well for a place to sit and take off your shoes. Making space within this for boots and shoes would be a great idea also.
  • Think to provide a cupboard or closet for storing items that are perhaps seasonal and won’t be used for several months. At least that way, when the new season rolls around, you’ll at least know where to look for it first.
  • Having a practical storage area or closet (whether separate or not s up to you) for storing household chemicals, cleaning items, mops, brooms, etc and other miscellaneous utility items
  • Some like to make the laundry and the mud room a combined room and thats up to you. There are advantages and disadvantages of both. Having them combined in a single space enables you to quickly throw dirty clothes into the washer without having to traipse them through the house
  • The last items to consider for the mudroom would be a wash up sink or large tub for quick wash-ups, cleanups, and the like. If you decide on including one of these, (and you should) then you’d want to make sure the floor in the mudroom is suitably impervious, for example a tile floor will help make it durable, impervious to water and easy to keep clean.

Mudroom with padded seat and cubby hole storage cabinets

Mudroom with padded seat and cubby hole storage cabinets – Source www.gildayrenovations.com. 

Nice white mudroom with kids sports gear Nice white mudroom with grey tile flooring and ice hockey sports gear – Source www.apartmenttherapy.com

Mudroom with white and brown cabinety and matching timber flooring

Mudroom with white and brown cabinetry and matching timber flooring – Source www.houseofturquoise.com

Utility room doubling up as a Mud room and laundryUtility room doubling up as a Mud room and laundry – Source  Flickr.com

Traditional American home interior with old half cut 'barn like' door with mud room and white wall molded panellingTraditional American home interior with old half cut ‘barn like’ door with mud room and white wall molded panelling

Mudroom in suburban home with side entry door and large wooden cabinetry

Mudroom in suburban home with side entry door and large wooden cabinetry

Mudroom in newly constructed home with plenty of storage cupboards & a nice light paint finishMudroom in newly constructed home with plenty of storage cupboards & a nice light paint finish

Mudroom in luxury home with timber joinery, tiled floor and green wallsMudroom in luxury home with timber joinery, tiled floor and green walls

Mudroom off front entry with classical styling and grey slate tile flooring

Mudroom off front entry with classical styling and grey slate tile flooring – Source www.beneathmyheart.net

Modern mud room in newly renovated house with white furniture, ceiling and door and olive colored wallsModern mud room in newly renovated house with white furniture, ceiling and door and olive colored walls

Mud room in newly built home with oak cabinetry and tiled floorMud room in newly built home with oak cabinetry and tiled floor

This is a combination laundry mudroom at the rear of a home with grey and yellow carpet squares

This is a combination laundry mudroom at the rear of a home with grey and yellow carpet squares – Source Flickr.com

Fresh lime green eclectic mud room with sink lots of lightFresh lime green eclectic mud room with a wash up sink and lots of light through the window and door

Entrance hallway mud room with tile floor and storage cabinetEntrance hallway mud room with tile floor and storage cabinet – Source Flickr.com

Entrance hallway mudroom with mirror, storage cabinet and adjoining laundry room with steel appliances

Entrance hallway mudroom with mirror, storage cabinet and adjoining laundry room with steel appliances

Beautiful combination mudroom, laundry and office all in oneBeautiful combination mudroom, laundry and office all in one – Source www.creeklinehouse.com

Garage mudroom storage area adjacent to garage house entrance doorGarage mudroom storage area adjacent to garage house entrance door – Source www.creeklinehouse.com

Awesome entranceway mudroom with storage cabinetry and timber floor

Awesome entranceway mudroom with storage cabinetry and timber floor – Source www.creeklinehouse.com

Related Galleries and Rooms You May Also Like:

 

Loft Room Decorating Ideas for Unused Ceiling Attic Space

Loft Room Decorating Ideas showing a modern living room with fireplace and sofa in the atticLoft room decorating ideas, like the one In the picture above, can end up with a very modern living room with a contemporary fireplace, sofa, white chair and white painted timber rafter ceiling in what was previously a waste of space in the attic. 

Attics and lofts often create an abundance of additional home space that many home owners never take full advantage of. Usually left as a place to store old boxes of things we no longer need or use but can’t bear to throw out however a loft or an attic can be so much more than that, especially if you take into account the many loft room decorating ideas open to you.

Whilst access can be an issue, you can always overcome these minor challenges with the right focus, dedication and determination, create simple (or even not so simple) access by using either a retracting ladder, a spiral staircase, or go all the way and develop a real set of stairs and make it a feature room in your home.

The next thing for consideration is usually the head height in the space. If you can’t stand up anywhere in the area, then you do have an area that probably isn’t practically usable as an attic or loft space. On the other hand, if you could feasibly walk the length of the room and the roof or ceiling isn’t making you crouch or squat, then you are onto a winner. The rest is up to your imagination and your potential budget. Remember that usually anything is possible with the right funds, it just comes down to how much you’re willing to spend and how much you need the room. Whatever the situation, creating an attic or loft in your home and decorating it in innovative and creative ways will not only add additional usable areas for your family, but is also likely to add additional value to your home as well.

Take a look through our gallery of attic and loft room decorating ideas and see if doesn’t inspire your creative desire to make the most of that waste of space in your ceiling. You might even surprise yourself with what could be possible.

beautiful modern attic interior


Here is a beautiful modern attic interior, with stained and polished timber tongue and groove flooring, a modern sofa set, plenty of light and a stunning cathedral style timber ceiling

Entresol with relaxing armchair and easelEntresol with relaxing armchair and painting easel. An attic area that has made into a useful area to relax with plenty of natural lighting coming through the skylight windows. 

Interior of designed bedroom in the atticThis attic area has been converted into a modern designed bedroom with plenty of light and a study desk and large screen TV

Modern house atticWhat a fantastic large open attic space this family has. The floor has been tiled beautifully. There’s an abundance of windows to let in natural light, the white painted T&G ceiling and the living room furniture make this a place to chill and relax and bask in the sun

Bedroom attic interior with carpet and tableA large bedroom in an attic with a massive carpet rug, sofa, coffee table and well thought out ceiling skylight windows. 

Interior of an attic conference meeting roomThis attic Interior has been turned into a conference meeting room for business purposes. A great idea if you have an abundance of space to hold meetings

interior of mansard with glass table and white armchairs


Here we have an interior of a mansard roof space with a small glass table and a number of single white covered armchairs on  a tongue and groove timber floor

Living room attic wood interior with carpetA very large attic space that has been set up as a living room, with timber flooring, massive turkish style floor rug, leopard style seating and study desk next to the soft elegant curtains

bathroom of a flat in attic with basin, mirror, light, window, toilet, bathtub, cabinets and wooden ceilingA modern bathroom in the attic of an apartment with basin, mirror, light, window, toilet, bathtub, cabinets, tiled floor and wooden ceiling

Urban apartment - modern luxury oval bath in bathroomAnother example of simple use of a limited space. A modern luxury bathroom with oval bath and toilet pan on a tiled floor with double skylight windows bathe the bath in sun and natural light

Urban apartment - cute pink girl's room on the atticA cute pink girl’s bedroom setup in the attic. The pink painted color room is complete with rocking chair, small bed, and desk and chair.

interior view of a rustic bedroom in the attic room with wooden panelinginterior view of a rustic bedroom in a smallish attic room with wooden paneling, simple desk and chair and double bed

modern kitchen interior with island in the attic


A rustic open plan kitchen interior in the attic with timber flooring, simple bench space, and windows for lots of natural light

Interior nice loft, domestic kitchenA simple loft area with a compact domestic kitchen opening out onto a larger open plan living area. Practical skylight windows provide the natural lighting

Home Office Design Ideas


Contemporary Home Office Design Ideas interior with large white bookcase, white desk and chair, grey carpet and wall mounted screenThis home office design ideas example shows an interior with a large designer white bookcase, white desk and chair, grey carpet and wall mounted screen. 

I adore home offices. They can be lots of different things to different people. They might be a professional client meeting room for some, or they may be a creative room where ideas are hatched. To others, they may be where they can conduct calls and conferences in peace away from the rest of the family and to others they may be where they catch up on some much needed study or academic demands.

A home office can be setup in practically any room of the home. In fact it needn’t even be a separate room, there’s no reason why you can’t include it within an existing room like a bedroom, or perhaps even in the space under the stairs. Where you create your office room is really wherever you feel most comfortable and feel you can work best. The next point to consider, is what do you need to outfit your office room? Well that will all depend on the purpose of the room to you. Many people can create an home office with simply a chair and a desk. Other people may require, filing cabinets, book shelves and storage. Give it some thought, and you’ll develop an environment where you feel you can achieve what you need to.

The following gallery of images show a variety of different types of home offices, from the casual and relaxed through to the professional and sophisticated. Hopefully, they will provide some insight to you that will help or assist you to create that little piece of your home where you can retire to and get sone work done.

Modern interior of a woman's home office with timber table, cane chair, white cupboard shelf unit and big plantModern interior of a woman’s home office with timber table, cane chair, white cupboard shelf unit and big plant

Dedicated home office room with green/blue walls, off white door and desk furniture, tan floor tiles and dark wooden book standDedicated home office room with green/blue walls, off white door and desk furniture, tan floor tiles and dark wooden book stand. 

An example of an office and spare bedroom co-existing in a luxury mansionAn example of an office and spare bedroom co-existing in a luxury mansion

Luxury home office with a hardwood desk, black leather executive chair, yellow walls, timber floor and large carpet rugLuxury home office with a hardwood desk, black leather executive chair, yellow walls, timber floor and large carpet rug

Funky interior design of a cozy American attic home office space with timber floor, skylight window and cream and olive green wallFunky interior design of a cozy American attic home office space with timber floor, skylight window and cream and olive green wall

Home office with wall of French style windows around room, timber furniture, and comfortable black leather chairHome office with wall of French style windows around room, timber furniture, and comfortable black leather chair

Professional looking home office room with rich timber furnishings, fireplace, beautiful desk with globe and three chairsProfessional looking home office room with rich timber furnishings, fireplace, beautiful desk with globe and three chairs

Office in wing of a classic luxury home surrounded by windows, brown walls, white sills, ornate desk and two classical chairsOffice in wing of a classic luxury home surrounded by windows, brown walls, white sills, ornate desk and two classical chairs

Stunning soft blue modern home office interior design with dark brown timber furniture with built-in desk, chair and TVStunning soft blue modern home office interior design with dark brown timber furniture with built-in desk, chair and TV

Bright red painted office study room with wooden office desk and leather chair, wall shelves and beige carpetingBright red painted office study room with wooden office desk and leather chair, wall shelves and beige carpeting

Beautiful modern simplistic office desk and chair in open plan home office room adjoining the living room with room divider and sitting chairBeautiful modern simplistic office desk and chair in open plan home office room adjoining the living room with room divider and sitting chair

Very modern contemporary home office with timber flooring, white desk, blonded timber bookcase, table, chair and footstoolVery modern contemporary home office with timber flooring, white desk, blonded timber bookcase, table, chair and footstool

A relaxed home office room with solid wooden office table, side table, and chair, an upholstered sitting chair with lamp and ladder style shelf unitA relaxed home office room with solid wooden office table, side table, and chair, an upholstered sitting chair with lamp and ladder style shelf unit

Executive setup in home office with polished dark wooden table, office chair, a wooden cupboards, drawer unit, timber floor and extra large windowExecutive setup in home office with polished dark wooden table, office chair, a wooden cupboards, drawer unit, timber floor and extra large window

Unusually decorated home office room with multi colored striped wallpaper offset against rustic floorboards and light wooden desk and black office chairUnusually decorated home office room with multi colored striped wallpaper offset against rustic floorboards and light wooden desk and black office chair

Open plan modern home office in upstairs mezzanine space featuring glass topped trestle table, office chair, and relaxing sofaOpen plan modern home office in upstairs mezzanine space featuring glass topped trestle table, office chair, and relaxing sofa

Rich golden colored home office with butterscotch colored walls matched with honey colored timber bookcase, office desk and chair, and tiled flooringRich golden colored home office with butterscotch colored walls matched with honey colored timber bookcase, office desk and chair, and tiled flooring

Classical styled home office with delicately carved office desk, and bookcase, timber chest, and office chairClassical styled home office with delicately carved office desk, and bookcase, timber chest, and office chair

Very modern apartment style office area with white bookcase and shelves, glass top desk and modern wire chairVery modern apartment style office area with white bookcase and shelves, glass top desk and modern wire chair

A modern woman's home office room with white walls, white desk, white shelves and floral chairA modern woman’s home office room with white walls, white desk, white shelves and floral chair

Modern Home office with large dark timber bookcase, dark timber floors and desk and two modern office chairsModern Home office with large dark timber bookcase, dark timber floors and desk and two modern office chairs

Home office interior with terracotta colored walls, magnificent old fireplace, timber desk and classic furnitureHome office interior with terracotta colored walls, magnificent old fireplace, timber desk and classic furniture

Home office interior with dark yellow walls and wooden corner bookshelves, green curtains, old leather chair and solid timber deskHome office interior with dark yellow walls and wooden corner bookshelves, green curtains, old leather chair and solid timber desk

Home office adjacent to other rooms in the home and with large expansive ceiling space and windows. A half height wall provides separation from the rest of the homeHome office adjacent to other rooms in the home and with large expansive ceiling space and windows. A half height wall provides separation from the rest of the home

Home Cinema and Media Room Design Ideas

Media Room Design Ideas showing an Interior of luxury dedicated home theater with stepped chair seating area and surround soundThe interior of this luxury dedicated home theater room is a fine example of media room design ideas at their best. With its own real cinema like effect with step down luxury chair seating area and full surround sound system. You’d swear you were at the movies. 

A home theatre system is basically a room where you can enjoy a movie or sport experience on television without having to worry about disturbing other areas of the home. Typically these rooms are separate from other areas of the home, consequently, they may be set up in a basement area, a spare bedroom, an unused garage, or any other room that you feel may be suitable. 

The setup usually involves the wiring and installation of a surround sound home entertainment system which can include typically about 5 separate speakers as well as a ‘base rich’ sub woofer (this is the sound that vibrates everything, when you get the explosions and crashes). Really comfortable seating is obligatory as is darkening blinds and curtains so that the room is exactly like a cinema. Ideally (and this is something some people add) you would have the room sound proofed as well.

This gallery of home cinema’s, home theatres, and media room designs should help to give you some ideas as to how other people lay out their own home entertainment areas. Hopefully, it will inspire you into creating your very own chill out place.

Spacious luxury lounge with big movie theater on timber wall panel, full surround sound speakers and warming fireplaceSpacious luxury lounge with big movie theater on timber wall panel, full surround sound speakers and warming fireplace

Beautiful theatre room with exposed brick wall, large projector TV screen, extra long relaxing sofa and massive floor rugBeautiful theatre room with exposed brick wall, large projector TV screen, extra long relaxing sofa and massive floor rug. 

Big new home cinema room in luxury lounge with big floor rug on timber floorBig new home cinema room in luxury lounge with big floor rug on timber floor

Media room with a surround sound stereo and lighting system, large TV and focused recliner relaxation chairMedia room with a surround sound stereo and lighting system, large TV and focused recliner relaxation chair

Luxurious dedicated theatre room in a modern home with olive colored wall, timber entertainment unit and cinema style leather chairsLuxurious dedicated theatre room in a modern home with olive colored wall, timber entertainment unit and cinema style leather chairs. 

Very modern media living space with relaxed leather chairs , large TV and surround sound home entertainmentVery modern media living space with relaxed leather chairs , large TV and surround sound home entertainment

Bright modern media room with large TV and surround sound set in timber floor room with comfortable seatingBright modern media room with large TV and surround sound set in timber floor room with comfortable seating

Home theater in upscale house in a dedicated windowless room, specialized seating and large TV screenHome theater in upscale house in a dedicated windowless room, specialized seating and large TV screen

Luxurious theater setup in upscale luxury home with red walls and carpet and authentic cinema style seatingLuxurious theater setup in upscale luxury home with red walls and carpet and authentic cinema style seating

Theater room in luxury home with wide curved display and screen, ornate rear pillars and rich cream carpetingTheater room in luxury home with wide curved display and screen, ornate rear pillars and rich cream carpeting. 

Media room in luxury home with step up cove, fancy blinds, classic lounge furnishings and warm wooden wall panelsMedia room in luxury home with step up cove, fancy blinds, classic lounge furnishings and warm wooden wall panels

Elegantly designed media living room with home surround sound theatre system, relaxing chairs and timber flooringElegantly designed media living room with home surround sound theatre system, relaxing chairs and timber flooring

Home theatre room with luxurious cinema like leather chairs and large TV projector screen and surround soundHome theatre room with luxurious cinema like leather chairs and large TV projector screen and surround sound

A theatre room interior in the basement of a house featuring cinema like step down seating and massive projection screenA theatre room interior in the basement of a house featuring cinema like step down seating and massive projection screen

A dedicated windowless theatre room interior of a home with large luxurious leather seating and lots of media shelf storageA dedicated windowless theatre room interior of a home with large luxurious leather seating and lots of media shelf storage. 

Amazing modern interior room with home theater setup, timber floor, big white floor rug and relaxing furnitureAmazing modern interior room with home theater setup, timber floor, big white floor rug and relaxing furniture

Modern interior of media room, where movies can be enjoyed with surround soundModern interior of media room, where movies can be enjoyed with surround sound

A home theater with an adjacent wine tasting room, big screen, wood cabinets, and comfortable relaxed seatingA home theater with an adjacent wine tasting room, big screen, wood cabinets, and comfortable relaxed seating

This is a sensational theatre room in a modern house in Florida, with true cinema like seating, and massive projector screenThis is a sensational theatre room in a modern house in Florida, with true cinema like seating, and massive projector screen

Sensational Bookcase Display Units and Home Libraries

bookcase display units in a contemporary private home library

Having large beautiful bookcase display units in your home to display the abundance of books many of us collect over the years can be a real centerpiece in your home’s overall decor. 

Bookcases come in many style, shapes and sizes and this gallery is to show off just a few of the many types you can select from. When buying a bookcase, you often have a lot of ‘off the shelf’ (excuse the pun) choice meaning you can go to just about any furniture store and buy a standard (boring) bookcase. However, if you seek something a lot more sophisticated and custom built, then its worth spending the time and the money to investigate the options. 

If you do desire a quality bespoke bookcase, whether its for your lounge, living or sitting room or for your dedicated library, study, office or reading room, you should understand exactly what it is you want built. By this, we mean knowing what type of finish you want, for example, do you want it finished in high gloss white lacquer, or perhaps in solid oak? The finish and the material used to make it are two of the main considerations. Then the next most important decision you need is what size and dimensions do you want it?

Bespoke bookcases, display cabinets, library shelves, or whatever you decide to get built, will become a big feature for your home. In the scheme of things, they will be expensive to create, and could even cost you two or three times the cost of a good quality lounge suite, but the investment will be worth it. Just ensure you factor into your decision making whether or not you want to be able to take it with you should you ever sell your home.

The image at the top of this page is of a custom built series of bookcases built to the dimensions of the room and finished with a tile floor. A contemporary lounging chair and footstool provide the total ambiance for reading

Beautiful big bookcase in open plan modern atticIn the roof space of this home, a whole open plan sitting, relaxing, living area has been developed and at the end is a vast bookcase (see the ladder to the right) that gives you an abundance of reading choice. Nicely contrasted against the brown timber floors.

Spacious Library and sitting area with wood paneling

This bookcase display almost reminds you of the old ‘gentlemen’s libraries’ where older chaps would gather and smoke cigars. The dark stained wood and burgundian colored walls add to the ambiance of aristocracy. 

Big brown bookcase in modern apartmentA very big beautiful mahogany brown colored bookcase in modern townhouse shaped into the angle of the ceiling and offset with wheat and cream colored walls and a honey rich timber floor, with open display cubby holes as well as drawers and doors for the ‘non displayables’

Bookcase library in a new construction homeA brand new home build where the new owner decided to have this fantastic dark stained bookcase library included in the new home construction. A blank slate for creating something that will be richly rewarding 

Modern apartment bookcase display unit

A modern apartment with a bespoke bookcase display unit. High gloss rich red drawers lift the visual impact of the unit with the high gloss off-white balancing the look. Glass panels at mid height add to the quality finish of this unit

View into home library and sitting areaThis shot is of a view looking along the top of a stairway into a large home library and sitting area. The open doorway, emerald green sofa, off white chairs and rich dark chocolate colored flooring create an inviting ambiance

Office study with sofa and vast bookcaseThe beige colored walls of this office study are adequately matched and contrasted with the terracotta colors of the sofa, the table and the chair. A beautiful bespoke bookcase fills the wall and a rich cream rug adds a warmth to the room

Office area with massive bookcase unit

This office study area has an abundance of quality timber furniture. From the massive oak bookcase and antique table to the coffee table unit, this room is both sophisticated and opulent. If you love timber finishes like this, then you’ll love this room

Book lovers library hideaway with chair and TVThis is a book lovers library hideaway with relaxing white chair, simple coffee table, TV and even a ladder to scale the bookshelf heights to grab the book you want.

New office study with modern bookshelfA new office study with timber tongue and groove flooring, built in desk and a simple chair. The modern bookshelf is designed more as a display unit and library for larger scale books

Luxuriate on the seat with a book next to massive display unitAn internal modern room with a lot of thought as to how to make it both luxurious and relaxing. Contemporary full wall length brown leather squabs and colorful cushions provide that ‘spread out’ and relax mindset, whilst others can chill in one of the two chairs and timber block footstools.