The idea of a room for galoshes and snow boots may seem silly in a part of the country with mild winters and little rain, but DFW homeowners have taken the concept of the mud room and turned into a home organizational center. Sure, you’ll find muddy boots stowed away in a Metroplex mud room from time to time, but with the right design, this room can become place for everything your family needs as you head out to start your day.

Storage Is a Must

Whether your room redesign includes rustic chic furniture or contemporary built-ins, storage should be the focus. The optimally designed mud room cuts down on the frantic search for book bags, earphones, gym bags, and all the others things you need before you head out the door.

How you design your room depends, of course, where it’s located. If you have an exit to the house that includes the laundry room, you’ll want to add shelving for laundry supplies. Consider rescuing some old lockers and painting them a bright color, or simply go with some pretty hooks on the wall and a bench with storage baskets.

If you want to create a beautiful space in your entryway, go with a style with lots of drawers to keep the clutter at bay. Elegant wooden wardrobes or custom built-ins with a Texas rustic chic make a great first impression.

Don’t Forget the Critters

DFW homeowners love their pets, and some have created space in their mud rooms for their dogs and cats. This keeps the food bowls and litter boxes out of sight, and gives your animals a place to call their own. Consider adding a cat door to the garage if you want to keep the litter box out of the house entirely.

The Smaller Room

Even smaller spaces can stay organized and clutter-free with hooks for jackets, caps, and bags; cubbies for shoes; and drawers for sunglasses and sunscreen. Consider putting a charging station on a shelf so that your cell phone, tablet, and MP3 players are ready to go when you walk out the door.

Share the Space

If you’re considering a remodel, think about adding a door to the outside of an unused bedroom to create your mud room so that you can share the space with a bill-paying center or a craft area. Like to garden? You can turn part of a larger mud room into a potting or flower-arranging station simply by adding a small table.

Mud rooms help you keep your home clutter-free. If your motto is: “A place for everything and everything in its place,” you’ll find it essential!

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