It’s time for Part VIII of my DIY Ranch Design Series, and I’ll be talking about the most important room in every ranch—the mudroom. As you can imagine, it gets a little dirty being out in the elements, and the last thing anybody wants is to track mud throughout the house. So, it came as a surprise when I realized our 1970s ranch house was lacking one.
Nothing bugs me more than people coming inside and tossing their keys, shoes, and whatnot on the kitchen counter. It’s a hot button for me. I need my counter space to be clean and clutter-free while cooking, and a good-sized mudroom is the answer. In my opinion, you don’t have to have a ranch to have a mudroom.
The first step was to find a space close to the front door that would work as both the mudroom and the laundry room. Lucky for us, there was a tiny bedroom that would suffice. Like the rest of the house, it had wood paneling and it needed to be taken down to the studs for the proper plumbing and electrical work.
On one of my trips to my favorite salvage yards, I found some old fire doors. I thought they’d make great sliding doors and become a fun feature for this particular room since it’d be one of the very first things people see as they came through the front door.
Some other things I found before taking the room down to the studs were the washer and dryer and the sink. RULE #1: Whenever you’re renovating or building a project, decide on the electrical and plumbing first. That way, the people you hire don’t have to go into the walls after the fact, and change orders can be avoided.
Now, the room is starting to take shape.
Every mudroom needs lockers to store soiled work clothes and rubber boots. I made sure that all the bathrooms and this mudroom had concrete flooring. It’s so much easier to keep clean. Another element I used throughout the house was the color of the custom cabinets and window trim. I wanted a color that said classy and at the same time masculine. This dark navy is the perfect combination, and I love the stark comparison to the whitewashed knotty pine floors.
To have the fire doors make sense, I had them trimmed in wood and polished up. And since there weren’t any handles, I thought it would be a great idea to use some of Dan’s old guns and have them welded into handles. This turned out to be one of my favorite features because it really adds character to this space. Another fun element is the chicken wire/mesh used on the cabinets. Now, this is beginning to look like a ranch!
Tune in next time for Part IX of our DIY Ranch Design Series. And as always, I’d love to see what you’re working on, or if you have any questions, just hit me up.
Until next time,
Toni
