Garage space might sometimes seem like a virtue and crux at the same time, so much potential, yet somehow everything ends up cluttering in any given corner. Wanting to make the most of your space is always a good idea, since the bigger your family gets, the more storage you will need, and even if your space is limited, any corner you can spare and organize is a victory and a step closer to getting every item a home, in the long run making your home all the comfier.
A great space to have for example, is a mudroom, but some houses do not include such spaces in their architecture or the designated space for a mudroom is limited, making it not so comfortable for a big family to organize their belongings when entering or exiting the house. For this reason, many homeowners have turned to “DIY” projects and turned some of their garage space into mudrooms.
You may be thinking if it is even possible and even how to make a mudroom in your garage with everything lying about. The idea might not be there just yet, but we assure you, with a little bit of planning, your garage can be turned into a functional, roomy and quite elegant or trendy mudroom with just a few touches.
Mudrooms are basically informal entry areas anyway, so customizing your garage to your unique liking or style that matches your overall home aesthetics is certainly doable when engaging in a DIY. Home storage made easy is also a plus when finding productive solutions to placing all the items your family may use when coming or going.
To successfully turn a garage into a mudroom you do not really have to be an interior designer or decorator. Since every project might be unique, it is possible that a few cabinets and hooks might do the trick for your particular set up, but if at any given time you feel the need for a professional opinion, consult first with a friend before shelling out money on an interior decor consultation.
Starting the project.
Because this will be mostly a customized project, we will break down some tips and tricks to make the most of your spaces and organize it in a way that makes sense to you and your family. In order to effectively learn how to make a mudroom in your garage, you need to clean out the garage to the best of your ability in order to clearly see the working space you’ll want to revamp. If you cannot or do not want to clear it out beforehand, make sure to at least measure the area where you want the mudroom to go, so you have a concise dimension layout that will be useful when buying furniture or constructing shelving space.
It is best to prepare some ideas and maybe a mood board with the main items you would like to include in your mudroom, such as to create a base from where you can build up and gather inspiration when buying furniture or deciding which spacing solution to apply to your designated area. Getting ideas online in articles such as this one is a good way to pair up items that go well with your current decor or that will provide you with a solid image of the finished project.
Once you have the image in mind, start sourcing your elements and materials from local shops, furniture stores like Ikea and Home Depot or any similar store available in your area. Keep a list of items and the amounts you are estimating will be needed to create your space, considering it will be unique, you can use as many items as needed and mold it to your specific sizing too.
Key Items.
There are four main areas to include in turning a garage into a successful mudroom and we will go over them one by one. Keep in mind that all these elements are the common denominator on most mudroom designs or layouts and you can choose to keep, replace, enlarge or minimize these elements to your liking so it will better suit your specific needs.
Sitting area.
Many mudroom designs include benches, chairs or some type of sitting area destined to comfortably take off your shoes or double up as storage and shelving when not in use. Including a sitting area in your mudroom will provide winding down space and a comfortable solution for any member that needs a bit of stability when putting on or taking off shoes.
Shelves and hooks.
Shelves are a great way to keep many items organized and even out of sight. With the right methods, you can turn a couple of shelving units into shoe racks, toy storage, space for bins or baskets to hold seasonal clothing not in use and even elements you currently have in your garage that don’t seem to have a designated space yet.
Hooks are another way to solve this issue of keeping stuff off the floors to allow this space to be used in many other forms. Sturdy hooks now come in very particular and stylish options, so choose one that will allow for double use or that goes well with the decor you are trying to create. Storing Backpacks, coats, hats, keys and many more items is possible with a pair of well-placed hooks.
Extra storage.
When deciding where all the stuff currently in the garage will go in order for you to actually have a bigger and organized mudroom, adding extra storage becomes crucial to achieve this task. Anything from baskets to bins, to storage boxes from Ikea might come in handy to give every item a home. Think vertically as well as horizontally when planning for storage, any space not used for shelving (that will already be used for this purpose) or wall decor, can potentially hold some type of storage unit, if that extra space should be used.
Last tips.
Since the space you’ll be creating when you learn how to make a mudroom in your garage will mostly be a buffering area where your family members will transition from and to the outside, make it as useful and essential as possible. Simple solutions work best when you just want an unwinding area to leave your stuff handy for the next trip to the mall or so.
If storage is your main concern, making this your main feature is always a possibility to consider. You may turn your mudroom into a storage cabinet if the space allows for it, to keep all those odds at bay. This solution will not only provide lots of flooring space to use for other purposes but will also keep everything in one reachable and organized space.
