When you come home with muddy boots, an armful of bags and a coat you can’t wait to take off, it’s nice to have somewhere to put it all. With a mudroom, you can leave the outdoor mess at the door instead of carrying it through the house. Traditionally, you’d set aside a separate room, but you can just as easily use a hallway, an entryway closet, a laundry-room corner or a stretch of wall near the entrance.
You’ll get the most out of your mudroom when you plan around your everyday routine. Give yourself an easy place to hang coats and bags, keep your shoes close by and leave room to dry wet gear without making a mess. Start with what you and your household use most, then choose storage that suits your space and the way you come and go.
Here are 25 mudroom storage ideas to help you put together an entry that feels organized, welcoming and easy to look after.
Find the right place for your mudroom
You don’t necessarily need a dedicated room to make a mudroom work. Look for the door your household uses most, then build around the space you already have.
1. Create a one-wall drop zone
Start with a free wall near the entrance and set yourself up with the basics: a bench to sit on, hooks above it for coats and bags and somewhere underneath to tuck your shoes. If you need a little more room for gloves, keys or other everyday bits and pieces, add a narrow shelf or a small upper cabinet.
Before you buy anything, open the door all the way and walk through the space. Leave yourself enough room to get past comfortably, even when you’ve hung up bulky coats and full backpacks.
2. Turn an unused corner into storage
If you have an awkward corner to work with, try arranging your mudroom storage in an L shape. Place a bench along one wall, add hooks and shelves above it and use the adjoining wall for shoes, baskets or a tall cabinet.
Keep the corner itself simple. You’ll need room to open drawers and cabinet doors, so you may find it easier to use an open cubby or a continuous bench than to squeeze storage into every last inch.
3. Use three walls in a larger mudroom
If you have a whole room at your disposal, you can plan a bespoke U-shaped mudroom that makes coming home feel a little more welcoming and may even add to your home’s value. Use the three walls to give coats, shoes, bags and seasonal gear their own places.
Add a bench along the back wall so you have somewhere to sit, then fit lockers or cabinets along the sides to give everyone their own section. You don’t have to fill every wall, though. Leave yourself room to pull on your boots and walk past someone who’s already sitting down.
4. Convert an entryway closet
If you have a whole room at your disposal, you can plan a bespoke U-shaped mudroom that makes coming home feel a little more welcoming and may even add to your home’s value. Use the three walls to give coats, shoes, bags and seasonal gear their own places.
Add a bench along the back wall so you have somewhere to sit, then fit lockers or cabinets along the sides to give everyone their own section. You don’t have to fill every wall, though. Leave yourself room to pull on your boots and walk past someone who’s already sitting down.
5. Share space with the laundry room
If you come into the house near your laundry room, borrow a little space for coats, shoes and bags. Put your hooks and shoe storage close to the entrance, then add a hamper so you can drop muddy socks and sports clothes straight into the wash pile.
Leave yourself clear access to the washer and dryer. If you’re planning a bigger renovation, ask a contractor about adding a utility sink so you have somewhere to handle muddy cleanups.
6. Make a drop zone by the garage door
Short on indoor space? Set up a landing area on the garage side of the door into your home. With a bench, a few hooks and a shoe shelf, you can take off your outdoor gear before bringing it into the rest of the house.
Keep enough space to walk through the garage and open your car doors comfortably. You may want to keep delicate accessories and everyday coats indoors, rather than leave them exposed to the garage’s temperature swings.
7. Use the space beneath the stairs
Make use of the space under your stairs with low cubbies, pull-out drawers and baskets, then save the taller sections for coats or bags. Keep whatever you reach for most near the front so you don’t have to crouch down or rummage around to find it. Also, be careful with deep compartments: you don’t want to reach past half your belongings every time you need something. For more inspiration, explore our under-stairs storage ideas(opens in new tab).
If you’re planning structural changes or custom construction, get professional help with the layout and installation.
Choose storage around your everyday items
Before you start choosing furniture, think about what you bring through the door on a normal day. You’ll need different kinds of space for school bags, sports equipment, dog-walking supplies and your work laptop, so plan around what you actually carry.
8. Add a bench that earns its space
With a storage bench, you get somewhere to sit while putting on your shoes and a handy place underneath for the pairs you wear most. Choose a freestanding bench if you’d like to move or replace it easily, or go for a built-in version if you want to make the most of a long wall or an awkward nook.
If you can, try sitting on it before you buy. You should be able to rest your feet comfortably on the floor and reach nearby storage without stretching.
9. Make under-bench storage easy to use
Use drawers for dry accessories and open cubbies for shoes, baskets and bags you grab often. If you choose a bench with a lift-up seat, save the space inside for things you don’t need every day (you probably won’t want to lift the lid whenever you’re heading out).
Measure your tallest boots and bulkiest bags before deciding on compartment sizes. For damp footwear, leave an open section with a removable tray so you don’t have to set wet shoes directly against the cabinetry.
10. Try a hall tree for an all-in-one solution
If you like the idea of coordinating your hooks, seating and storage without commissioning a custom build, try a hall tree(opens in new tab) . You can get everything in one freestanding piece and take it with you more easily if you move.
Look beyond the style before you commit, though. Check the dimensions and compare the compartments with what you need to store. You might have plenty of room to hang coats but not quite enough for larger bags or your everyday shoes.
11. Give everyone their own section
Give each person their own hooks, baskets, cubbies or locker so you can all see where to put your coats, bags and shoes. If you have a larger mudroom, you could fit full lockers. In a smaller entry, keep it simple with a row of hooks and a few labeled baskets.
12. Hang hooks at more than one height
Hang some hooks low enough for your children to reach, so they can put away their own coats and backpacks. Use higher hooks for adult outerwear, and add a few smaller ones near the door for keys, hats, leashes or reusable bags.
Space them out so you’re not squeezing coats and bags together. Make sure you mount everything securely, especially if you’ll be hanging heavy winter coats and full backpacks.
13. Balance open and closed storage
Keep the things you use every day on hooks or in open cubbies, and tuck whatever you’d rather not see into drawers or cabinets. That way, you can grab what you need quickly without leaving everything on display.
If you can see the mudroom from your kitchen or living room, use closed storage for gloves, pet supplies and other small items you’d like to keep out of sight. Just leave an open spot where you can hang wet coats and set out boots to dry.
14. Use shelves and baskets for small accessories
Add a few floating shelves above your hooks when you want more storage without giving up floor space (and a slightly more polished look). Use baskets to keep gloves, scarves, hats and other small accessories together, rather than searching for them around the entry.
Choose baskets you can pull out comfortably even when they’re full. Label them by person or by category, depending on what you and your household will find easiest to keep up with.
Give shoes, wet gear and essentials a clear home
You’ll find it much easier to keep your entry organized when you know where to put everything, including the less glamorous stuff. Think wet boots, dripping umbrellas, dog towels and the keys you somehow always misplace.
15. Match shoe storage to your footwear
Use open cubbies or under-bench shelves to store your everyday shoes(opens in new tab) near the door without leaving them in your walking path. If you’d prefer a flip-down shoe cabinet, check the internal dimensions before buying, especially if you wear larger sizes or need to store boots.
For everyone’s sake, keep the everyday selection manageable. You can often get by with one or two frequently worn pairs per person and store off-season or rarely worn footwear elsewhere.
16. Set up a boot tray and umbrella spot
Put a boot tray with raised edges near the entrance so you can leave wet shoes to drip without soaking the floor or cabinetry. Set aside a nearby spot where you can leave umbrellas open or hanging to dry, too.
Choose a tray you can lift, empty and clean without a struggle. Rather than squeezing it into a tight compartment, leave yourself enough room to reach any water or dirt that collects around it.
17. Let damp gear dry properly
Leave a little space between wet coats when you hang them up, and wait until your shoes are dry before putting them into closed cabinets. Choose open or slatted storage where you want better air circulation.
If you keep finding damp coats the next day, or you notice that the room feels humid, take a look at the ventilation. You may need to add an exhaust fan, a window or another way to improve airflow, particularly if you’re regularly coming home with wet gear.
18. Create a small station for keys and mail
Give yourself one reliable place to put keys, wallets and other small essentials near the door you use most. You could use a drawer, a tray or a wall-mounted organizer. Start with wherever you already tend to set things down, rather than trying to teach yourself a completely new habit.
Keep your mail setup simple, too. Set aside a few slots for incoming papers and things you need to take out, and clear them regularly. If you’d rather keep everything together, you can find organizers for both keys and mail.
19. Keep reminders where you’ll see them
Use a small calendar, dry-erase board or chalkboard to jot down tomorrow’s activities, school reminders and anything you need to take with you. Keep it compact so you can check it at a glance without adding too much visual clutter.
Where you can, put a reminder beside the thing it refers to. If you need to return a library book, for instance, leave yourself a note next to the bag you’ll carry it in.
20. Make room for pet supplies
Keep leashes, waste bags and a towel for muddy paws near the door so you can grab them when you need them. You can store pet food here, too, as long as you have a cool, dry spot; see our guide to storing dog food(opens in new tab).
You may only need a hook and a small washable basket to keep the basics together. If you’d like to add a pet bed or food bowls, put them outside the main walking path.
You could also consider a dog-wash station, but you’ll need to plan for more than the floor space. Think through the water supply, drainage and how you’ll clean the area before committing.
Make it easier to maintain (and nicer to come home to)
You’ll bring in a bit of everything on your shoes and coats: rain, snow, mud, sand and whatever else you’ve picked up along the way. Choose durable, easy-care finishes so you can spend less time cleaning and still enjoy coming home to the space.
21. Choose flooring that can handle real life
Look for flooring you can clean often without worrying about moisture. Consider porcelain or ceramic tile, suitable luxury vinyl plank or properly sealed stone.
If you’re choosing tile, check the slip-resistance information rather than judging by looks alone. You’ll need to be more careful with carpet and unsealed wood around wet boots and puddles.
For tiled floors, consider mid-tone grout if you’d like everyday dirt to be less noticeable. You’ll still need to clean it regularly, but you won’t see every mark quite so easily.
22. Use washable rugs and wipeable seats
Lay a washable, low-pile or flat-weave rug near the door so you can catch some of the dirt before tracking it farther into the house. Check that you can open the door over it and that it lies flat and stays in place.
For your bench, choose a finish you can wipe down or a cushion with a removable, washable cover. Picture yourself coming in with muddy hands, damp coats and dirty bags (beside just sitting down on a freshly tidied bench).
23. Protect the walls where bags and coats touch
Even when you hang everything on hooks, you’ll still end up brushing coats and bags against the wall. Choose washable paint made for frequent cleaning, and follow the manufacturer’s care instructions when you wipe away marks.
In a busy entry, you could protect the lower wall with beadboard, wall tile or suitable washable vinyl. If you love patterned wallpaper, use it away from splash zones unless you’ve chosen a product specifically suited to moisture.
24. Connect the mudroom to the rest of your home
Bring in a paint color, wood tone or hardware finish you’ve used nearby so you don’t feel as though you’ve stepped into a purely practical afterthought. Add a little personality with a painted bench, distinctive hooks, baskets or a framed print, without crowding the space.
Hang a mirror if you like to take one last look before leaving, and make sure you have enough light to see into dark corners and deep cabinets. Keep fragile décor out of reach of swinging bags and bulky coats, and leave yourself a little clear surface for whatever you’re carrying when you come in.
25. Give seasonal overflow a home elsewhere
Keep your mudroom for what you’re using now. When the seasons change, move off-season coats, extra shoes and bulky sports equipment to a closet, garage, attic, basement or storage unit.
If you’re considering self storage for seasonal or bulky belongings, you can limit their exposure to temperature changes and humidity by choosing climate-controlled storage(opens in new tab) Check the facility’s specific conditions, pack everything clean and dry and label your containers so you can find what you need later.
You can also find storage units near you(opens in new tab) and compare size(opens in new tab), amenities(opens in new tab) and prices(opens in new tab).
Keep whatever you reach for regularly at home. You want to make more room in your entry, not give yourself an extra trip every time you need something.
Avoid a few common mudroom mistakes
With a little planning, you can avoid the small frustrations that get in the way when you’re trying to leave the house (or finally getting home).
- Buying before measuring. Before you order anything, check your wall space, door swing and walkways, then measure the bags, boots and coats you’ll be storing.
- Putting every hook at adult height. Hang a few within your children’s reach so they can put away their own things without asking for help.
- Choosing finishes for looks alone. Pick flooring, wall finishes and furniture you’ll enjoy looking at, but make sure you can live with moisture, dirt and regular cleaning, too.
- Using one catch-all bin for everyone. Give each person their own hooks, baskets or cubbies so you can find what you need without sorting through everyone else’s things.
- Overlooking lighting. Check that you can see inside drawers, cabinets and corners, not just in the middle of the room.
- Planning for a picture-perfect household. Plan for the people, pets and gear you actually have, including somewhere to set down coats and bags when you don’t have a free hand (or a spare moment) to put them away.
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