A mud room is a necessity as it acts as a transition point in your home; the transition from the outdoors to the indoors. Mudrooms were originally the spot where the family deposited their dirty work clothes and shoes and washed up before they entered the home. Today a mudroom is situated near the primary entrance way off the family rooms. Due to the constant family traffic, the area has a tendency to be repository of clothes, coats, shoes, umbrellas, books bags and various other articles like sports equipment and rock collections to name a few. The entranceway area also collects a lot of dirt. Designing a mud room takes the multipurpose function of the room into consideration and provides for its many uses.

There are many advantages of having mudrooms as they keep the clutter out of the kitchen. A well organized mudroom can manage the clutter. A well designed mudroom should have seemingly unlimited storage areas for purses, back packs, coats and shoes. Not only should there be storage areas but there should be organization. To achieve this there should be some furniture in mudrooms includes storage cabinets, coat racks, closets, cubby holes and sitting benches.

When shopping for home furniture for use in a large family's mudroom, it is important to look for functionality. During the winter months one of the most used piece of home furniture in our home are the coat racks. There are two coat racks in our mudroom and two coat racks at the main entrance way into the house. The children's coat racks are shorter than the adult coat rackfor practicality purposes. They have had a foot section removed from them to make them shorter and more accessible to the children. The coat racks hold the coats, sweaters, gloves and winter hats. In the spring time coat racks hold raincoats and umbrellas

Another piece of useful home furniture in the mudroom, in addition to a coat rack, is a bench where family members can sit on when removing their shoes. This piece of home furniture has drawers in which children store their shoes and boots. Each drawer is labeled with a child's name to avoid any confusion.

A good sturdy doormat is also important to wipe off muddy or wet shoes. Purchase a recessed mat, as these are easily cleaned and effectively trap dirt and moisture. They are also recommended because they are safe; not a tripping hazard. Another neat piece of home furniture for you mudroom can be the versatile armoire, complete with shelves and hooks. Backpacks, bags and purses can be stored in here.

When shopping for home furniture for your mudroom, purchase a wall mirror, some extra hooks and also a trash receptacle. Remember that the mudroom holds mostly seasonal items, once winter is over keep coats and boots away in storage. Constantly revisit the room and remove items that do not belong thus keeping the clutter to a minimum.

With a limited budget and a small time investment, a mudroom can be turned into a well organized space by using a few home furniture pieces. A well organized mudroom can save you the headache of looking for shoes and coats in the morning rush.