Few things will go further towards taming the chaos of family living than a well-organized mud room or mud zone.
Here individual cubbies are provided for each member of the family with separate compartments for boots, shoes, and sports equipment. Nearby is a place to sort mail as well as a niche for the answering machine with cabinets above and below for phone books, take out menus and stationery supplies.
The mudroom is an entry portal into the kitchen after dealing with day to day activities which cause clutter.
Sometimes there is not enough space for a separate mud room. As soon as we enter this kitchen we create at one end of the room a mud zone by building in tall cabinets which serve as closets and lockers for sports gear and coats. In addition, there is a window seat with drawers below for boots, gloves, and scarves.
A simple change in cabinet finish can differentiate the mud zone from the balance of the kitchen.
