Built-In Mudroom Design Plans For Our Family of Four
We’re transforming an underused area of our home into a hardworking mud room for our family of four. In this post, I’m sharing our must-haves, custom built-in plans, and all the details behind the design.
As our kids get older and life gets busier, we’ve noticed just how much stuff comes in and out of our home every day. We have backpacks, school bags, sports equipment, and dirty shoes everywhere. We’ve always dreamed of having a functional mudroom, but living in a city home means we don’t have separate rooms to dedicate to one.
So we decided to create our own mudroom space by reimagining an existing room right off our living room—essentially turning it into a buffer zone between the entry door and the rest of the home.
Our Living Room in 2019
When we first bought our house, the living room was actually two separate rooms. You’d walk in the front door and immediately be greeted by a wall. It was not exactly the most welcoming entry.
So we took the wall down and added a steel beam (a whole $25,000 saga that I documented in this post), creating one big open space.
The Living Room Now
While we love how open and airy it feels now, the area behind the couch has never really worked as hard as it could. It became a landing spot for our full-length mirror and a chaise for our couch, but it hasn’t functioned very well for us and seems like wasted space.
With two school-aged kids and a busy household, we needed a better system. Our coat closet was doing the most work. It was housing internet equipment, the vacuum, shoes, coats for the entire family, and trying to squeeze in guest items when needed.
Meanwhile, backpacks and school gear were ending up on the kitchen counters or by the dining table. We knew it was time to invest in a space that worked better for our daily routines.
Mudroom Must-Haves
Before finalizing the design, I asked my Instagram community what they considered must-haves for a well-designed mudroom. Here are the top answers…
- Closed storage – This was the number one response, and I couldn’t agree more. While open cubbies and hooks look adorable on Pinterest, they just aren’t practical for our family. Since this space opens directly into our living room, I need everything to be hidden away. I know myself, and seeing coats and backpacks spilling out every day would drive me nuts. Closed doors help keep the visual clutter to a minimum and make the space feel more like part of the rest of our home.
- Lots of electrical outlets – A charging spot for every family member is key. We plan to include outlets inside each locker, so the kids can charge their someday devices (They don’t own anything yet.) outside of their bedrooms.
- Hooks for bags, hats, and random extras – Hooks at various heights are great for grabbing things on the go. Whether it’s a backpack, reusable shopping bag, or baseball cap, we wanted everyone to have a place to stash the little things.
- A spot for the vacuum – We still need to store our Dyson and the charging dock, so one of the tall cabinets is dedicated solely to that. It’s one of those functional needs that’s easy to overlook, but it makes a huge difference in keeping the rest of the house tidy.
- Bench seating – A built-in bench makes it easier to take shoes on and off, and it’s also a convenient place to drop things when you walk in. We added drawers underneath for extra storage—because you can never have too many spots to stash things.
- Hidden shoe storage – Shoes are the one thing that always seem to multiply at the door. Instead of a pile by the entry, we designed deep drawers under the bench and inside the lockers for easy shoe compartments. That way, everything stays out of sight but is still easy to access.
All of these details add up to a space that doesn’t just look good, but actually works for our daily life.
Working with AI to Visualize the Plan
One thing that made the design process easier was using ChatGPT. I used it to help bring my mudroom design ideas to life. I created a mood board in Canva and uploaded photos of the space, and ChatGPT helped me visualize everything and even draft the layout plan.
This detailed blog post shows how to use AI to create your floor plans or built-in designs. I walk you through my entire process to create realistic renderings.
The Design Plan
My first thought was to work around the existing closet, but after looking at the space more closely, I realized that removing the closet would give us a lot more flexibility. Our contractor confirmed that taking down that wall and dealing with the electrical wouldn’t be a big deal. We would just need to patch the flooring underneath, and luckily, we have plenty of extra wood flooring in our crawlspace.
I considered DIY options (we created our office built-ins ourselves), using IKEA frames as we did in our laundry room, and even repurposing kitchen cabinets. But between the fall calendar, my writing schedule, and wanting a professional finish, I decided to hire a carpenter.
He drew up custom mudroom cabinets that maximize every inch of the space, and they’ll be ready in just two weeks. Reach out if you’re in the Chicagoland area and want his info. He is great!
Layout Details & Storage Breakdown
Below is my carpenter’s drawing, along with all of the measurements. It’s a big wall, so we will have much more storage space.
- Left Section: Tall cabinets (built-in lockers) with closed storage for each family member. The far left has extra space for vacuum storage and guest items. This will be a mix of coat racks, for the adults, and hooks, for kids.
- Middle Section: A built-in bench with cushioned seating, drawers underneath for shoes or seasonal items like gloves, hats, etc.
- Right Section: A cabinet housing all of our internet and speaker equipment. These mudroom cabinets will have vented cane fronts to allow airflow and add a decorative touch.
- Above the Right Cabinet: A slab of marble, open wood shelves, a picture light, and space for decorative accents and a bowl for keys or sunglasses. It will be a nice drop zone as we head in and out of the front door.
Each mudroom locker will have adjustable shelves, an outlet for charging devices, and space for shoe storage. The kids will have their own space with lots of hooks at their height. We plan to store small bags, school papers, and outdoor gear in the top shelves.
Color, Style & Finishing Touches
To tie it into the rest of the home, we’re painting everything the same sage green as our kitchen island and the built-ins in Rory’s room. We’re also repeating the same brass hardware for a cohesive look.
The overall aesthetic is a mix of function and warmth. Incorporating wood tones, rattan texture with the cane fronts, and cushioned bench seating – possibly linen – make this mudroom combination both practical and welcoming.
What’s Next?
Demo is already underway, and I’m sharing behind-the-scenes progress over on Instagram Stories, so make sure you’re following along there.
While demo is happening, our carpenter is hard at work building all of the custom cabinets off-site. Once demo is complete, he’ll come in to install everything. After that, a painter will come in to prime and paint the built-ins, and then it’s time for finishing touches and styling! I honestly can’t believe how fast it’s all happening.
Here’s a closer look at the demo process, including the cost.
This mudroom has been a long time coming, and I can already feel how much easier it’s going to make our daily life. Creating a designated space that works hard for our family of four—and looks good doing it—feels like such a win. I hope our plans spark some ideas for your own home!
