A Look at the Mudroom

THE DEXTER HOUSE One space that we haven't looked at in the Dexter House yet is the mudroom. It is only 28 square feet, but I have big plans for this space! The mudroom sits just off the kitchen with the main door to the back yard, so the space will serve as a catching ground for muddy boots and wet jackets, not to mention a place to wipe dirty paws before they encounter the freshly finished wood floors in the kitchen.

In case you're wondering, the sign on the door says: This house has new owners. Please don't break into property, instead, take a cookie! We had a problem with squatters when we first bought the house and I'm a firm believer that chocolate-chip cookies can fix all problems!

Here's a look at the mudroom from the outside:

Adorable, right?! Can you believe the amount of original character in these 28 square feet? Original exterior dutch door with skeleton-key handle, an old electrical panel, brick walls with the curved relight over the back door, wood ceilings, and a giant south-facing window.

Yikes on that electrical panel. We got permission to change over to the brand new panel when we passed the rough-in inspection, thank goodness! I've said it before, and I'll say it again, it's quite a blessing that Papa is an electrician!

Okay, so let's talk about my plans for the mudroom. The biggest item will be converting it to conditioned, interior space. See originally this room was an exterior porch and not heated, but we've decided to open it up to the house by removing the door between the kitchen and mudroom. The dutch door on the outside of the room will remain as the house's back door. Here are the other tasks I hope to accomplish in here:

Install a new energy-efficient window
Convert the old panel box to a spot for keys
Add hooks for coats
Lighten the space! Adding curtains and throw pillows should help with this
Paint the trim and door (black, white...not sure yet)
Add a modern lock to the back door
Refresh the old screen door (I didn't get a picture of it, but it's super cute)
Retile the floors with the same cement tiles I'm putting on the fireplace and range backsplash. It's yet to be seen if this is in the budget, but covering the terra-cotta with an outdoor rug is my cheaper backup plan. I think this will really help lighten the space.
Storage for hats/mittens/any number of things kids throw around when they get home from the park
Provide seating which doubles as a spot for taking boots off and a cozy nook for the boys to hang out. I actually already bought an 1800's church pew from England on Craigslist for this very purpose, so this item can get checked off: