Mudroom Shoe Storage
Choose the right mudroom shoe storage solution to keep your family's footwear corralled.
ANNIE SCHLECHTER
Your mudroom will be the place where you'll store galoshes for a rainy day. But it's also very likely this space will end up with an accumulation of shoes of various kinds, from cleats and sneakers for your kids' sports to everyday shoes that get kicked off the second your family members walk in the door. Providing enough storage for these shoes will be key to keeping the floor in your mudroom from becoming cluttered.
22 Mudroom Storage and Decorating Ideas
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Your first step in determining the best shoe storage system for your mudroom is to think about your family's habits. Some families prefer to take off their shoes as soon as they walk through the door. You may decide to establish that rule yourself as a way of keeping your floors cleaner. If so, determine a spot for shoe storage, as well as a place to keep slippers you and your family members can slip on, particularly during cold weather, for short trips outdoors. Shoe racks are available in a wide range of sizes that can keep shoes organized and off the floor. Feel free to borrow ideas from closet storage systems, particularly if your mudroom or entry space is small.
If your space is a little larger, try placing a free-standing rack to tuck into a corner, or place the rack in an open mudroom locker. For a small space, a dresser-sized shoe cabinet with fold-out shelves will hold a dozen or more pairs of shoes out of sight. Place pretty baskets on top of the cabinet to hold keys, gloves and other items.
You can also buy or build a shoe cubby that's tall enough or long enough for a couple dozen pairs of shoes. Choose a tall bookshelf-style cubby or one that can double as a sitting bench. One of the most popular furniture designs used to keep a mudroom organized is a hall tree with a sitting bench, a back panel with hooks for hanging jackets, and shoe cubbies in the space under the bench. If you need more space for shoes and are having your hall tree custom-designed, you can incorporate more spaces for shoes and boots up the side, next to a tall locker. Many hall trees also have cubbies at or above eye level; storing shoes here will keep you from having to bend down to slip your shoes out of storage, a plus for people with back trouble.
If your budget is limited, you can build shoe cubbies yourself to stack or mount on a wall. For a cute DIY project, hang storage crates on your mudroom wall by drilling into studs so they'll hold the weight of your shoes. You can paint the crates or leave them natural.
See also: Mudroom Planning Ideas
