Cloudy with a chance of backpacks
Nine neat ideas in three mudrooms prove you can stamp off and stay organized in style.
1. Storage cubbies and a bench built from tough quarter-sawn oak are left natural. “The owners don’t have to worry about the nicks and chips you get with a painted finish,” says Sally DeGan of Spacecraft Architecture.
2. An extra-long bench that is integrated into the staircase gives the space a sculptural look and ensures plenty of room for the family’s three children.
3. In this mudroom, the slate floor echoes the path to the house, connecting outdoors to in.
4. This mudroom’s tiny window seat doesn’t collect junk, says the owner, so it gets used more than the bench for putting on shoes. Its round shape is for improved circulation and to avoid sharp edges, explains Chris Brown of Amory Architects.
5. The tile floor is fitted with toasty radiant heating.
6. Low hooks let the littlest family members hang up their own coats and backpacks.
7. This home’s owners wanted freestanding furniture rather than built-in cabinetry, so architect Jan Gleysteen found an old armoire that fit into the niche next to the door.
8. The architect worked around the windows to find storage space; this room has three sets of hooks lined up on one wall.
9. Bead board and utilitarian furniture give the room a casual feel, so under-the-bench storage for shoes and boots fits in.
Marni Elyse Katz blogs about design at stylecarrot.com. Send comments to designing@globe.com. 
