With the onset of the winter months, rain and snow, the mudroom gains importance for the home. Most homes today have a transition area from the outside. Some are great and some are not. But today’s wardrobe is very different from its predecessor. Now it functions as the organizational hub for busy families. Often this area is also a laundry room, pet center, and craft area.

The lobby is a permanent, full-featured part of new home construction and remodeling. It is estimated that 3% of the useful surface of the house is dedicated to the lobby. A full room, while nice, is not essential for it to work for you. The essential is a design to store things such as: backpacks and briefcases, hats and gloves, sports equipment and small toys, dog leashes and towels to clean dirty feet, messages, schedules, appointments.

How to design for so many functions? Home improvement stores and specialty stores sell DIY supplies, or a designer can come up with ideas for storage and organization. Before beginning, evaluate the existing space. Who uses the area and what do they bring and need on a daily basis? Start with precise measurements, and then draw the area to scale.

Plan your hall as a multipurpose room and consider these 7 options:

1. With in-space laundry, add a cabinet with counter tops and upper cabinets for storage of cleaning supplies or general household items.
2. A designated storage center is ideal for pet food, potting soil, small outdoor toys, as well as a recycling spot for cans, paper, and glass.
3. A pantry cabinet can provide overflow storage for dry kitchen goods or easy access to snacks for kids. Use labeled bins inside cabinets to keep things tidy.
4. Vary the height of the hooks to allow for custom spacing and easy access. Young children cannot reach the high shelves, but will use baskets, low shelves, and hooks.
5. Place the dog’s leash and towel near the door.
6. For adults, keys and phones must have their designated area eliminating a search when you are ready to go out. Locate a message center for easy viewing for the whole family.
7. For floors, consider textured ceramic or porcelain stone tile. Vinyl can be slippery; wood and laminate do poorly in damp areas.