We are finally getting around to creating a mudroom in our basement. Our basement is a walkout since our house is built into a hill. We have had this terrible utility room in the basement where the actual entry door to the basement is located. We like to use this entrance in the winter since it helps us with snow management....so to speak. Anyway, it is basically a blank slate and our 'reno' guy is coming in two days to start the work. I need help in deciding how to design the space.
Basically I need lots of shelves, coat racks, more shelves, bench for sitting on etc. I am putting in double french pocket doors in the wall leading from the new mudroom into the future TV and hangout room. The utility room turn mudroom is 15 feet long and only 9 feet wide. I also have to deal with closing in the hotwater tank and the tank for our well water.(closet) I thought about creating a long closet on the far wall you see when you enter the space. Since it is 9 feet wide I had thought about dividing it into three closets, each 3 feet wide with the middle closet being a double coat rack (upper and lower) and the two side closet being shelving. The problem is that if I close in the tanks on the right hand wall when you come into the space then I will end up with an awkward space after the tank and before the wall of closet/shelving. Since there is so much wiring and plumbing in the ceiling I figure I have to go with a drop ceiling.
Any suggestions for how I can maximize my space. I have already dealt with the issue of ski storage... we are going to attach a very large PVC pipe under our deck so that we can slide our skis and snowboards in there and lock them up outdoors. So really it is now down to snowboots, coats, camping gear etc.
I included photos so you can see how the room looks. The first one is when you enter and then it follow the room from right to left. The big hole in the wall is where the pocket french doors are going.
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Thanks. You know what we are dealing with...chalet living year-round!!! Reality is that the kids need a space to get away from us adults.
Great article. She actually mentions things that we have done already. We put in the lighting and OMG does it make a difference!
I would love to get that Osler look that I saw in the ARIDO design winners.
Here's an article with Candice Olson discussing basements. She mentions being a big fan of vinyl that looks like wood -- that could work nicely with the chalet style that you're going for:
[url]http://realestate.sympatico.msn.ca/Decorating/ContentPosting_CG?newsitemid=245169&feedname=TRANS_MKSOFA&show=False&number=0&showbyline=True&subtitle=&detect=&abc=abc&date=False[/url]
Candice Olsen has used used some really nice drop ceiling tiles. Sorry, I can't remember which rooms she used them in :o But if you look on the Divine Design web site, you can go to some of the basement episodes, and I'm sure you'll come across a few where she used the tiles. She lists all her sources, which is handy.
Hildi installed a wood drop ceiling on Trading Spaces years ago. It actually looked really good, and didn't look hard to do. And hey, it's Trading Spaces so you know it had to be an inexpensive project!!
Rubber flooring in your mudroom is a great idea. It'll withstand pretty much anything you can throw at it :)
everybody treats the space like one large utility space and that is what I am trying to avoid. So, we now have drywall in all parts except this mudroom. And actually I put drywall in the closet space of the mudroom as well. Right now I think I will go with the drop ceiling in the mudroom opening area since I have seem some great alternatives to that cheesey/rice cake looking option. Actually it is kind of nice. The floor is coming along and apparently the uneven part of the floor is like that due to the drain in the floor. The water tank and the pump for our well is there so we need to keep a slight slope. Oh well, I am sure I will come up with a solution there too. I am off to look at alternative flooring solutions such as rubber tiles etc.
I am really pleased right now though with how this space is coming together. It is a walk-out basement so I feel it can actually look less basement-y given the natural light that floods into the space. The original homeowner was obviously not considering natural light back in the early 70's since he only put in two windows in a walk-out basement facing SOUTH-WEST!:rolleyes: So, we put in a door which is mainly window to help somewhat the situation.
Anyway, I am anxious to paint and then post pics of the final room.
I love dry walled ceilings in basements because they make it look like an upstairs space but whenever I suggest that every man balks at the mere suggestion. If there is a burst pipe the celing has to be pulled down to find the leak for example. So the job for a tradesman becomes much bigger and longer and it becomes more expensive for the customer. Nothing is impossible and if you want the drywalled celing and are prepared for the consequences should some catatrophe occur then go for it.
As for your floor, why can't it be levelled with cement? It's so easy to do. Then you can lay whatever flooring you want over top.
I have had that bench for a long time and I have a certain sentimental attachment since it was made by a friend of my family. But.....it is too big for the space!! I am really disappointed but I think I have another place that I am going to put it where it will work.
Now I am looking for two small bench/stools. I saw nice ones at HomeSense but they were more than I want to pay. I also have to be reasonable about costs for this space.
Next week it will be finished and I am going to start painting. My big question now is what colours. I am a real lover of white, beige, cream, ivory etc. but I kind of think I should add colour down there in the basement. I thought of doing the french doors in jet black with cream on the walls. My husband suggested painting the doors a deep red and the walls cream. Hmmmm...that sounds scarey to me!!
The attached photo is how the doors will look from the family room side. We took out the old "boob" light from the ceiling in the family room side and installed pot lights. What a difference they make to the space.
Love your bench in your original pics. i hope you incorporate it into the space.
So is it set into wood or something....seems to me like you would have to step over it somehow? Strange it was not included in the kit.
The track is just like an U for the door to glide through. They are in the door acc. department at HD.
they did not come with a plastic track but I feel like something is missing on the bottom. We are certainly going to put some type of stopper at the top but the bottom is what feels a bit wobbly. I love the space-saving effect of these doors though, they are great.
Do they normally have a track at the bottom?
Do your doors have little plastic track to follow it is just a small piece but that will kept them from being so wobbly. Also you may want to put something for a stop at the top or little fingers may get slammed between the two.
Yes, you absolutely could make your own panels. I can't remember what show did that. They pulled the ugly old white ceiling tiles out and just cut and stained something like a plywood and put those in place. I really think you should go check out a really good building store because there are so many options other than the traditional ceiling panels you may be thinking of. You aren't alone in not liking them so there are alternatives. You'd also be able to find out about painting the panels they do have.
Something else just dawned on me. If you are going to paint that floor, make sure you get a paint that won't be slippery. Some of those paints are like ice when wet but they do have them with additives to give feet a grip.
I like the idea of the rubber. This floor needs to be resilient given that it will be trampled on by kids and boots for a good part of the year. Rubber sounds easy to install which I like.
I know that we will have to go for the drop ceiling for that very reason DBD. I just do not like the sound of it. Talk about inexpensive. $125.00 to do that space. I was wondering if I could paint the traditional drop ceiling. I love the tin tiles idea but it does not really work in my space. I am dealing with the 'chalet' look that is slowly growing on me as I modernize it somewhat. I love the wood drop ceiling that they show on that site. Makes me think, couldn't I just install the system for holding the panels and make the panels myself with a light wood?? Okay, am I getting toooooo DIY???
I love the pocket doors but they feel a bit wobbly.
I think they recommend the drop ceiling so you have access to wiring and ducts and such so you may be better to use that if there are things you need to get to in those joists. Meanwhile what about some other material like tin tiles or panels that are nailed to the joists but easy to remove in spots if need be. It's not like you need access every season so I think you can look at something other than a drop or gyprock. check out these [url]http://acpideas.com[/url] You can get them at Home Depot and other places (they usually carry a few in stock or you can order them in).
As flooring goes, you are going to have to completely level that floor to use vinyl or you will end up with any little lump or bump telescoping up in a few years. I had two thoughts, my fav... cork (in click and lock because then the subfloor isn't an issue) or rubber. Both are more forgiving with uneven floors and both can withstand muck and water (the cork would have to be the type that is sealed probably and they do make it so it can be put in bathrooms and kitchens so I can't see why a mud room wouldn't be okay). Rubber would be really easy to deal with probably. You can buy squares that lock together or sheets because it's used a lot in industrial settings and they make the specificially for garage floors (and they are really decent coming in various colours and patterns). I bet a large flooring store could give you some options with products like that. The nice part of either of the ones I mentioned is they aren't slippery when wet.
There probably isn't any reason you can't paint that floor until you find the type of floor you want. It sure won't hurt as long as you use the appropriate paint and it comes in various colours so it may be the perfect solution.
never thought about that. Do you have to put anything down underneath. Is vinyl flooring that big roll of flooring that I have seen at the flooring centres? OMG that sounds dumb but I have no experience with vinyl. I had wanted to paint the floor and then give it a polished look.
The doors are pocket doors. Great deal!! Do you normally have to put some type of "stopper" at the top between the two doors, where they come together in the middle. I am worried that my kids are going to push them to far in either direction.
I agree laminate wouldn't do well with mud and snow as water is the worse enemy of laminate flooring. I would think you are better to put in a lino if you are trying to keep costs down. If the floor is uneven tile won't work as the floor has to be perfectly even for that.
I think it will peel up from the water. Your room is coming along nicely, how about vinyl flooring? In our old house we put it in our kitchen & it was very nice, I believe it was 2.99/sq & we installed it ourselves. You can get really nice vinyls & it will be easy maintenance.
This is the view into the family room. You can see the flooring. I think it will look better probably to carry it through.
So we have been working hard at turning this little room into a functioning mudroom. I have some pics and some questions. I had planned on putting in a gyprock (sp?) ceiling but it looks like we will have to put in a drop ceiling.
Has anybody done this? When I hear drop-ceiling I immediately think "YUCK". But, I am told it is the only solution. I also have been working around this incredibly un-even floor. Part of me is thinking that I should just paint the cement and then the other part of me is thinking to carry through the laminate flooring from the room that will be used as the family room. I did not necessarily want that flooring in this space given all the water....ski boots....skis etc. Has anybody used this flooring in a mudroom?
The pics show the double doors going into the new family room and the single door which goes into a large storage closet with shelving and extra closets.
Great photos Joanna and Smoodgie. My only problem is....I need a lot of space for shelving. The room is rectangular and basically it seems to me that the wall where the doors are going will take up 6 feet of the space. I also have to give DH a wood storage space to the left of the entrance. My reno guy wants me to do a "walk-in" at the end of the room. He is suggesting that I have one more pocket door that opens up to another small walk-in closet where the shelving and extra coats can go. I think the space is too small for that.
Smoodgie I have drawn a pathetic outline.....what do people use for that??
Anyway, maybe it will help.
Oooh, that third pic Joanna posted is fab!!!! Clean, bright, lots of storage space... can you incorporate something like this into your mudroom??
I also like the mudroom Sarah R. did on the first season of Sarah's House. She used basic wardrobe units from Ikea and customized them with trim and feet. A bench is a good place to sit and put on/take off boots, and also store stuff (similar to the idea in Joanna's pic).
Flooring should be water-resistant, easy to clean, and not slippy.
Is there room for a wine fridge?? ;) Sorry, I still can't grasp the concept of Sarah R putting a wine fridge/bar right next to the laundry room!!
Can you post a quick outline of the room from above?? That'll make it easier to envision the potentially awkward space after the tank.
I always find that pictures speak louder than words, so I have attached some inspirational pics to give you some ideas.....