Dual Purpose Laundry Room/Mudroom Design

 If you are designing a new home or are undergoing a remodeling project and can fit in a laundry room, I highly recommend it.  Having more than just a closet area to do laundry is a huge help especially for a large family.  It's imperative to have the space for hampers, folding counters, ironing board and baskets to efficiently get the job done.

Allowing even more space for a mudroom purpose is also beneficial.  Combining the two spaces makes sense since they both require a tile or vinyl floor, a large sink and counter space. 

A good location for a dual purpose laundry/mudroom is on the main floor close to your back door entrance.  The mudroom should be here for obvious reasons but having the laundry room located here is convenient too.  It's a great reminder, as you are coming and going, as to what laundry needs to be done!

 A good laundry room design should have some cupboard space.  You will need storage for detergents, cleaning supplies, rags, spare light bulbs and maybe household tools depending on how much space you have.

Large utility sinks come in handy for hand washing clothes or cleaning out paint brushes.  I am amazed at how many times I need that sink!  Not to mention cleaning dirty boots and pet dishes.  A sink is a must have item in a laundry room and mudroom.

I like to keep out cat's feeding dishes in here as well.  It is convenient and out of the way.  There is room for food storage in the cabinet under the sink.

A folding counter right next to the dryer makes folding and stacking a breeze. There is plenty of space to put a full load of clothes or more. I like having a window right there to let the sunlight in and would recommend that if you have the space.  It's nice to be able to look outside while folding clothes and it's nice to let fresh air in when the weather is nice.

I left the area underneath the counter open to store a multi-section hamper, a drying rack and a litter box cabinet for our cat. This would be a good spot to put some more cabinets if you didn't need the open space.

The ironing board cabinet is a great space saver and super convenient. When I want to iron...when I have to iron, I just open the door and flip down the board! There is space inside to store the iron and spray starch too.

The other half of this laundry room is the designated mudroom area. There are plenty of coat hooks on the wall and attached to the boot box cabinet. There is also a coat closet in the entrance to the room with additional shoe rack storage. Our son uses the boot box for all of his shoes, since he is more of a thrower, while my husband and I use the coat closet shoe rack.

Rugs on the floor or boot trays are a good idea for wet and dirty shoes or boots, especially during the winter time.  Another good reason for having the laundry room and mudroom combined is for Winter time wet clothes.  It's very handy having kids come right into the mudroom and hang there wet snowpants and mittens on a drying rack or throw them in the dryer.

To store all of those mittens and gloves you will need cabinet space or baskets.  Cabinet space on this side of the room is used for hats and gloves. The large drawers give ample room for plenty of pairs. Another option would be to have a large shelf with bins or baskets.  You could even have a basket for each family member.

The bulletin board holds all of our pertinent notes about upcoming events or school information. This is also where we keep restaurants coupons for a quick glance as we are heading out the door.

Here are some options that you could purchase for some mudroom organization.

The mission style shelf with hooks is a nice and sturdy wall unit.  It is good for a space that is somewhat limited, although you could still fit some small baskets on top of the shelf for further organization. Just hang the shelf low enough for easy access.  This shelf also has a variety of stain choices to fit your decor needs.

If you have a little more room, the hooks with cubbies is convenient for storage and is ready made for a square basket or bin for neater storage. Leaving them open for a few stacked items is good for easy visibility as well.  This is a great option for families with older kids who can easily access a raised shelf.

The best way to go for families with small children is the third option.  Instead of storing baskets overhead, the easy to access bench storage unit works like a charm. This would be a great place to store shoes. The bench also allows a place to sit while putting on the shoes.