I’m practically giddy because tomorrow, demo starts in the old laundry room/Cricket’s room, so we can transform it into the mudroom! In our 2023 project list, we announced that we would transform this space into a pool bathroom… but that’s not happening anymore. Instead, the pool bathroom will eventually be added to the guest house and entered through the black door by the outdoor kitchen (see if you can spot it in this post here). But that’s a project for another day (….errrr, year).

Every project comes with bumps and delays, but somehow this mudroom feels like it was meant to be happening now because the plans for this space have changed SO much since moving in. And now that we have a clear vision, it’s full speed ahead, with hopefully, a quick turnaround. You all know I have the hardest time keeping secrets to myself, so sharing the mudroom plans with you feels more like a gift for both of us. Let’s get into it already!

Faux Planter | Faux Cedar Pine Tree | Faux Double Ball Topiary

Of course, to transform the old laundry room into a mudroom, we need an exterior entrance. So, you see that window through the archway? You’re looking at the new doorway into the mudroom! This is the perfect place for the mudroom door because every day after school, the girls come in through the back dining room doors, which are right around the corner. No more dumping backpacks on the dining table!

As seen in my inspiration post, we want this to be a Dutch door! Since this is a change to our exterior, we’ve submitted these plans to the HOA for approval, but we’re hopeful for a quick turnaround. Don’t worry though; we’re only demoing the interior until we get full approval.

Here’s what the inside looked like before.

Before

Ball Cabinet Knob

And here’s what you can expect to see!

The “current door” is the entrance from our back hallway into the mudroom. If you turn to the left, you’ll face the new exterior door, with walls of cabinets on either side. One side will be storage for all of Cricket’s belongings, and the other will serve as “lockers” for jackets, backpacks, shoes, and such. The goal (as always) is to functionalize the heck out of this mudroom. We’re working with a 7 ft x 8 ft space (so not the largest), but we’re maximizing storage, function, and of course, aesthetics.

At one point, we planned to build in a kennel for Cricket, but I’m so glad we’ve waited until she has grown a bit more before making such a permanent decision. Little by little, she’s graduating out of the “destroy everything” puppy phase, so we’re able to leave her kennel door open at night and while she sleeps. This is a big step! As time goes on, we anticipate leaving a dog bed in here for her to sleep on, and we’ll keep the door shut until she can be trusted to sleep where she would like around the house.

Other elements I’m excited about are:

• Adding a pocket door from the hallway (we’ll know if this is possible once they start demo)
• Lower metal grate cabinet fonts for shoe storage
• A built-in upholstered bench
• A large mirror
• Floor-to-ceiling cabinets (being locally made)
• Plenty of hooks
• A faucet to fill Cricket’s water bowl
• A drain under the dog filler for easy clean-up

I’m still deciding on which color to paint the cabinets (along with other design finishes), but right now, I’m toying with the idea of red or light blue! What do you think?