Expanded Mudroom Offers Plenty of Storage and Style

Open and closed storage solutions boost style and efficiency for a family of five in Monmouth County

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Built-in cabinetry painted in a high-impact shade of blue creates a seamless organization system in a style as inviting as the rest of house. To ease comings and goings, designer Rachel Stellar outfitted this transition area off the kitchen with a chic bench and coordinating lacquered woven desk where keys, mail and miscellaneous items can be stashed in the hideaway drawer.

This dedicated mudroom space, expanded during construction of a two-story addition off the kitchen in a Monmouth County, New Jersey, home, corrals clutter coming in from the garage, side door and backyard entry points.

“Since we primarily come into the house from the garage or side door, the mudroom became the place where everything got dropped,” from grocery bags to Amazon deliveries, the husband says. “We needed more storage. Like any family, our three girls have a lot of stuff” — schoolbags, laptops, jackets, shoes and swim bags. “We wanted each of them to have their own space while still leaving plenty of room for guests.”

After relocating the laundry zone elsewhere, the dedicated mudroom tripled in size with storage allocated for every family member. Slate gray chevron ceramic tile flooring is “great for hiding dirt coming in and out of the house,” Stellar says.

Designed by Rachel Stellar, principal of Fair Haven-based Rachel Stellar Interiors, the stylish, functional space incorporates built-in floor-to-ceiling cabinetry along the length of the room. “One has closed cubbies to hide coats and things,” Stellar notes, while the other has two large storage cabinets for household and sports equipment. A sizable built-in bench at the center of one wall unit provides ample space to remove or lace up shoes or to grab a coat or bag from one of the wall hooks.

To ensure visual flow to the rest of the house, Stellar chose a rich shade of blue for the custom cabinetry with hardware in brushed brass. “We love it…now we have plenty of room to organize things,” the husband says. Plus, the new “rear door off the mudroom hallway leads directly to the patio and pool so folks can get to the yard without walking through the kitchen sliders.”

Editor’s Note: For more of this home remodel, visit “Shared Vision.”