July 24, 2013 | CREBNow

Maintaining Mud Rooms

Your mudroom or entryway is the last space you see in your home when you leave in the morning and often the first when you return each day.

It's where your indoor and outdoor living meets up. And it can get messy. Mudrooms and entryways are the spaces you always rush to tidy when you know company is coming over. So, how does this space work for you? Do your kids dump their bags, shoes, coats or outdoor gear right by the door and head as far away as possible as you are yelling for them to hang up their jacket? Or maybe it's the dreaded "I can't find my other mitten!" dilemma.

It's important to feel a sense of peace in your mudroom or entryway, having the knowledge you will be returning home to an organized space opposed to something that causes you stress on a daily basis. If you can walk into your space without immediately feeling irritated or resentful that you'll be spending time tidying and cleaning, you will be able to spend more time doing the things you really want to do.

Easy steps to organizing your mudroom can be as simple as swapping out your summer and winter gear so you have more space each season — depending on space limitations of course. Locker style systems are great because it can give each family member a space for their own things.

Family members could have their own drawer or basket for winter mittens, hats and scarves; space to hang their jackets; an area dedicated for their shoes and boots and hooks for backpacks and purses. Having a designated section also helps you clear out pieces that don't fit anymore or that you no longer wear.

Building your mudroom storage to the ceiling is a bonus if possible. Think of all the extra space you are currently not using there, when this is an ideal area for all the extra things you don't use every day but need a place for.

Homeowners can typically customize their design to flow into the next visible space. It is very typical that your laundry room or pantry is connected to your entryway — especially if you enter in through the garage — so it's nice to have your spaces flow in colour or style. In Calgary, we have so many items we need in preparation for the weather changing on a dime and this means we need more storage; having one shelf and a rod simply do not cut it in this city. Every organized inch counts!

LiShelle Trembath is the Senior Design Consultant at California Closets where she designs custom storage solutions. LiShelle is a photographer who lives in Calgary, AB. www.lishelletphotography.com

Tagged: Uncategorized