The dirt on mudrooms and we have a winner!

Good morning and Happy Friday,  normally I run my Things I am loving Thurs. post for two days but since I have a winner to congratulate, I changed it up a bit and am doing a new post today. If you want to see house updates, click here. In the meantime, using random picker, I am happy to say congrats to.....

Prize ID	Winner ID	Public Info	Private Info	Random Sorting ID	Weight
1: Bench	18	Alysse Jinete		c5b0e2ce-41e3-42a0-8ab8-003528f0ecfd

Please contact me ASAP so that we can arrange to have this beautiful table sent to you!

Perhaps one of them most overlooked but overused rooms in the entire house is that ubiquitous little room lurking in the back corner of the house, the infamous mudroom. Mudrooms have made progress by leaps and bounds however, and are finally getting the recognition they so deserve!! A mud room is there waiting as the first thing to greet us when we are coming in from the elements of extreme snow, nasty rain storms, sweat inducing sport games for the kids,a morning run,etc.....so they deserve some love too and I am glad to see mudrooms are being talked about and decorated like they matter!! As I am planning my own, I am starting to think a lot about this room!
 So...what makes up a good mud room? To me, storage, a good bench or two is a nice extra to have, plenty of space for shoes, boots and jackets and a backup storage compartment of some kind. If for some reason a phone is far away enough, its not a bad idea to have a phone on the wall too. Ditto a bulletin board to schedule a busy family, or a wipe it board/chalk board to leave each other messages. Plenty of hooks a definite.Good lighting is an absolute must and if you don't have a window with natural light, good overhead lighting is a must. Then to add a little personality, love seeing a great wallpaper in a mudroom, an indoor/outdoor rug is a wonderful idea. Framed prints if you want to feel like another room in the house can add a lot of charm. Even a wall of family pictures is a great idea.  The list goes on.....so lets take a look at some mudrooms that "work", rooms that are as utilitarian as they are gorgeous!

This is a really great mudroom, love the brown and white wallpaper, the herringbone all weather rug, the cubby idea...Charleigh Mims

This is good looking and affords good storage, like the bead board detail

Like the idea of separate "cubbies" feels like a pretty locker room!

This is clever and space saving for a family that has lots of boots!

Love all the baskets, looks great with the rich wood, Nest woodowrking

Love the separate chalkboards on this wall! Vallon Designs

Fun lighting, small cubbies and a bench in the middle is a great setup for a mudroom!

Love the stainless top, the shelves of baskets and floor to ceiling bulletin board, practical meets beauty

You can get creative with the hooks too, these cute leaf hooks add a little pizazz to a mudroom

A great example of how adding wallpaper and a fun light fixture can dress up even a laundry room, Elle Decor

Even when space is very limited, you can maximize by adding a pull up bench, coat hooks and extra shelving...this is great looking, the beadboard completes the space

Love the rich warm woods with the slate flooring, great rustic lantern is the crowning touch! Veranda

This is a beautiful laundry room, crisp, white and bright as well as ultra spacious with its own island which probably doubles as a folding table.....Decorpad

This mudroom even includes a narrow computer desk under the window...clever!

A great example of a fairly small storage unit that when laid out properly can fit a nice amount of clothing, shoes and equipment...baskets are a great idea!

Granted this mudroom is the size of many living rooms but I like how they warmed up the abundance of storage using rich warm woods, in white it might appear cold. 

A mirror is a very good idea for those last minute checkups as are the folder holders for odds and ends

This is like a mini epicenter where everything is obviously very organized, Martha Stewart

Love this idea of famiy pictures perched above this great looking bench in this mudroom, it adds such personality to the space!

Even if you don't have built ins, a wide chest with baskets underneath can do the trick, 

Pottery Barn

This is cute, each family member has their own "cubbie" and cubicle with storage

A chalk board is a fun and great idea especially for young kids, House and Bath ideas

Even when you dont' have floor to ceiling built ins, an extra  long shelf with plenty of hooks can afford great storage and keep the area not feeling cluttered, Skona Hem

Great looking...love the idea of adding a painted piece as an accent, House of Turquoise

Though this feels a little dark, I do love the dog bath in the corner....such a great perk!

If you can fit in a bench, its a very practical thing to have....this one is cute with the numbers, Working woman

Chinoiserie in a laundry room? Proves there are no limits! Draza Stamanich

How about stenciling a cute and whimsical message atop the mudroom door? Love it!

So what do you think? Do you have some proven tips that work in a mud room that you like to implement? Please share your ideas...what are the absolute necessities? Always enjoy hearing what you have to say. Wishing everyone an enchanted Friday!