Mudroom Lockers and Cubbies

Get tips for using these two solutions to create designated storage and keep things organized.

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Photo courtesy of California Closets

Photo courtesy of California Closets
By: Jeannie Matteucci

Lockers and cubbies create designated storage that keeps clutter from building up on the floor or around the doorway. When used correctly, cubbies and lockers can bring order to all the bags, coats and accessories you use on a daily basis.

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Mudroom Cubby Systems

Cubbies are perfect for items like galoshes, flip-flops and toys.

"You can use them at different heights and they're good for kids," says designer Stephanie Marsh Fillbrandt of Marsh & Clark Design. "For our clients here in San Francisco, we have lots of families who do sailing and have lots of gear, so having cubbies in a mudroom gives them the storage they need."

Open cubbies might not be the best storage solution for a mudroom fully visible from an adjacent space (like a formal kitchen) or for a homeowner driven mostly by aesthetics. If you don't mind spending the money, you can add cabinet doors to the cubby holes to provide more hidden storage. Just make sure to consider what you need to store.

"The big mistake with cubbies is not thinking about scale and size," says Fillbrandt. "You don't want cubbies that are too big and wasteful, but you also don't want cubbies so small that you can't fit much in there." Cubbies work best when used in combination with other storage solutions.

"Your cubbies can't do everything," says designer Joanne Sanders of Easy Closets. "You don't want an entire mudroom space made just from cubbies, because they eat up your horizontal and vertical space because you're dividing that space so many times over."

Mudroom Lockers

For those who like that classic schoolhouse look or have lots of sports uniforms, equipment or bulky coats, open and closed lockers are a natural for mudroom organization.

"I think the best thing about lockers is that they give each family member their own space," says Fillbrandt. "We have done lockers before where each child can hang their own schedule on the back of their locker door. I think lockers are fun because you can personalize them really easily, like putting wallpaper on the back inside wall. Making it fun and personalizing the locker will make your kids want to use it."

Depending on your personal taste and the style of your mudroom, you might prefer open lockers that offer visual access to items. Open lockers also allow good ventilation for wet coats, jackets and swimwear. But for those who like a clean and streamlined look, closed lockers are the best solution.

"You can actually do a combination of open and closed lockers," says Sanders. "You can have ones with frosted glass doors, flat doors or raised panel doors. You can go for a driftwood look if you live near the beach, or go for a crisp white or textured-grain look. There are many options available these days."

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