Installing mud room cabinets is an easy, cost effective way to improve your home's appearance and functionality.
Mud rooms are rooms typically found in homes in the Northeast where coats, hats, mittens and boots are removed and stored. Sometimes, household pets have their food and beds in the mud room too. These entryways keep mud, snow and leaves from being tracked into your home thereby keeping your interior cleaner and protecting your floors and carpets. Adding cabinets to your mud room allows you to organize unsightly messes and keep your home's entrance neat. Plus they free up indoor closet and storage space because coats, hats, boots, cleats and golf equipment can be left in the mudroom.
Types of Mud Room Cabinets
There are many different options for mud room cabinets. On the high end you can install custom cabinets and on the low end you can just add baskets for storing shoes and hats.
Custom Cabinets
Custom cabinets allow you to create any kind of look and configuration you want. You can design cabinets to match your home interior: French Country, Shaker, Modern or High Tech. You can also design custom size spaces to store anything from sports equipment to gardening tools to snow boots. Custom cabinets, however, can be very expensive. They can run anywhere from $6,000 to $15,000 depending on the size of the cabinets and the choice of materials.
Pre-made Wooden Cabinets
For a quick fix and for much less money than custom cabinetry, you can purchase attractive cabinets from stores like Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel and Ikea.
Metal Lockers
Metal lockers, similar to those found in high school gyms, can make great cabinets for the mud room.
Where to Buy Mud Room Cabinets
In addition to Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel and Ikea, you can also find options for your mudroom at these locations.
- Dura Supreme specializes in custom cabinetry.
- Kraftmaid sells a great beadboard entryway cabinet that has a built-in bench. This makes putting on and taking off boots easy.
- Sawdust City sells inexpemsive modular systems and boot benches.
- California Closets, the well-known interior company has solutions for the residential entryway too.
- Discount Lockers sells metal lockers ideal for storing sports equipment.
- Do it yourself. Building your own cabinetry for the mudroom is an inexpensive way to get the perfect design for your home.
- Rubbermaid has a wide variety of bins and storage containers to organize a mud room on a very tight budget.
Cabinet Considerations
Keep the following in mind when considering cabinets for your mud room:
- Cost. Depending on your budget, you can build custom cabinets specific to meet your tastes or purchase prefab, ready-made items.
- Floor plan. If you live in a house with an open floor plan, closed, neat cabinets may be a priority to keep your home looking tidy and finished. If the mudroom is just part of a private entrance, you may be able to get away with less formal cabinetry.
- Functionality. Consider cabinets with roll-out compartments so you can take advantage of every inch of space. You can also add a dry erase board or bulletin board so you and your family can keep track of appointments, games and meetings.
