Mudrooms are a versatile and fun way to organize your home! With plenty of options for storage, personalized decor, and the option to construct your mudroom to double as another functioning space, mudrooms are a great tool to utilize in homes, especially in the winter in the Midwest.

Since mudrooms can serve multiple purposes, one must take into account the needs of their storage space and family needs when constructing their mudroom. Good questions to ask yourself; “what aspects of my life need more organization?” or “how can I use this space to maximize its utility?” 

Not only are mudrooms great for organization, but for Midwesterners, they are extremely useful for keeping the house free of salt and slush, and let’s face it, mud! Incorporating a bench is a practical way to make taking off bulky winter boots less messy and more efficient. Say goodbye to trying to keep your balance while trying to take off one boot at a time and hello to easy and convenient boot removal that the incorporation of a stylish bench will bring. Benches are also an efficient way to organize the storage of shoes, but the options for shoe storage are endless. Many mudroom owners store shoes under their bench, in separate cubbies, in a shoe rack, or in built in shoe racks that are a part of the walls. 

More than just shoe storage is the convenience of jacket storage. Weather can be temperamental, and a mudroom allows for easy access to heavy winter jackets, water-repellant spring jackets, and light fall jackets. Mudrooms take away the painstaking requirement of digging through your crawlspace to find your bin labeled “winter.” This organization of outerwear can be achieved in the form of built-in closets, jacket hooks, or customized external storage spaces such as shelves or armoires. 

All of these options for storage leads to less clutter in the home. Kids will no longer have an excuse for throwing jackets on the couch, floor, or wherever they please. With a mudroom, everything has its rightful, easily accessible space. Another beneficial aspect of mudrooms is that storage spaces—such as cubbies—can be used for more than just jackets and shoes. They can be used for hats, gloves, scarves, children’s toys, tools, homework and whatever else you may need to store.

Perhaps the best thing about a mudroom is that many of them can double as an additional space or ‘drop-zone’ that is out of the way. Give your children a fun playroom that doubles as a mudroom; add a TV and a recliner for a relaxing space, man cave or she shed; perhaps design your mudroom to double as a laundry room, art space, or private room for your pet. 

Gerstad Builders recognizes the importance of mudrooms in the lives of homeowners to declutter and reorganize. Many of their floor plans have a mudroom incorporated. If you are looking for your dream home, contact Gerstad Builders today to get the process started. Call at (815) 385-4495 or visit the Central Sales Office / Design Center in McHenry.