I think it depends on how you plan to use your desk, and how you like to do those tasks now. For example, I need a space in or by the kitchen for office supplies and my files for school and for my and my kids' activities and household information, but I like to work at a table with open space around me. And it would depend on how your mudroom is laid out in relation to the set of the house, and what you want to use your desk for. Can you elaborate?

We are planning a desk in our mudroom -- actually, we're calling ours a Back Hall. Here's a quick sketch (my proportions are awful) of our plans:

The house plan we're building doesn't include an office or even a desk spot anywhere, so we're enlarging the mudroom to look something like this. The ladder-looking thing is a staircase to the attic above the garage ... and it'll be nice and bright with a door to the kitchen, a glass door to the back yard, and a window on the far right.

I'm also thinking I'll like the office in this spot because it'll be convenient to walk in and access the work space ... but no one will walk through it passing to anyplace else.

We're thinking this'll work out nicely for us because we're about to retire, so the small space is fine for the two of us. My husband likes to play music on the computer loudly ... and talk on the phone loudly ... so we like the idea of placing this work space on the faaaar end of the house. We'll have a pocket door between the kitchen and this Back Hall.

What I have now is the worst: I have a desk in my kitchen ... but it's smack-dab in the middle of the kitchen. It breaks up the workspace. Major mistake. If you want a desk in your kitchen, it would be better placed at the END of a cabinet run, or -- better yet -- in an adjacent breakfast nook. I can't imagine what the original owner was thinking placing it in this spot.

Like bpathome said, I guess it depends on how you're going to use it. I've had a desk at the end of a cabinet run in a kitchen and in a guest bedroom. The home I'm building now will have one in the mudroom - and out of all three areas, I believe this is the best place for it - for us. No more waking people up with late at night printing, etc.

If you're just going to use it to sit once a month to pay bills, some other spot may work better. The small desk at the end of our kitchen wasn't bad..just too small of an area for our needs.

Honestly, if we weren't running a business out of our home, there are other wish items I would rather have in my mudroom than a desk. We will have about eight foot of counter, two base cabinets and three wall cabinets.- so it's going to take a chunk out of it. It is also the way everyone will enter the home, so it will be a drop zone- and that's ok. I do like how it's right off family room, but I can close the pocket door if I'm on the phone, etc.

Thanks for the input!

bpathome - my mudroom will be separate from the rest of the house, so if I put my desk there, it'll definitely be an "away spot." I think mrspete and I are similar on that--I desire a "back hall" feel as well. I've purposely moved the powder room out of the mudroom to minimize traffic and keep it private.

As far as use, I use a computer a lot for both work and personal reading. I like to be out in the open with space around me (although I'm not sure I would've put my thumb on that until reading your post). My preferred work space is our dining room table, but I do need an actual desk setup so I have a place to keep my papers, mail, supplies and stacks (I confess, I'm a paper stacker, not filer) in one place.

mrspete - I love your setup! I really like that traffic won't flow behind the desk and that there will be lots of books and a sunny window nearby.

MsLindley - that'll be a nice long desk and I like how you can connect with the great room if you want.

mrspete
- I love your setup! I really like that traffic won't flow behind the
desk and that there will be lots of books and a sunny window nearby.

I'm glad you like it! I've moved things around and around and around, but I feel confident that this layout will work for us. As you said, it'll be sunny, and no traffic flowing through the work area.

The room'll be narrow: just a bit more than 8' wide, but that'll allow a 2' desk (we're actually thinking of a piece of laminate countertop for durability) on one side and 1' bookshelves on the other, which will leave about 5' of space for the desk chair and human movement. Since that's the amount of "movement space" I have in my classroom desk, I'm sure I'm fine with it.

It wouldn't be a good set-up for anyone running a business or a family with children who all need to use a computer and printer, but for two retired people, it's "right sized" and "right placed".

although I'm not sure I would've put my thumb on that until reading your
post

I can't tell you how many things I've realized about my own preferences by reading other people's thoughts on home design. Things that were in the back of my mind, but things that weren't completely thought through or assumptions rather than actual plans.

(I confess, I'm a paper stacker, not filer) in one
place.

Perhaps you'd be better with bins instead of files -- something like the lovely paper trays in old-fashioned roll-top desks.

Here's my plan for the first floor. I'd welcome any suggestions on the floor plan. We've been working with architects for months and hope to break ground in March.

The desk is planned for the dining room now and is a 9' space. If I put it there, I'll probably have a 2' tall cabinet, 5' desk, 2' tall cabinet--sort of like in the inspiration photo below. If I put the desk in the mudroom, it'll be where it says coat hooks, which is 4'. The windows will be to my right as I sit at the desk and that's southern light, so it should be a nice sunny spot. (Side note: I once mentioned to the architects that I want enough room in the mudroom to bring in our dogs' beds when it gets cold, and they've drawn them in every draft since. The beds won't be built in; the architects are just showing me I have enough room for them. In reality, I'll probably have a bench there.)

Originally, we were going to have a small study between the dining room and living room, and my desk would've been there. But that area got smaller in the drafts, then I decided to move the powder room from the back hall area to where it is now, so we gave up the study in favor of a bathroom/closet setup and a book nook (I think our architects are still calling the nook a "study" so we don't feel the loss). So, that's how we got to where we are.

Scarsdale NY kitchen · More Info

I don't see the desk in the mud room but there are some problems with the plan.

Some of the furniture is drawn at about 2/3 size.

The space between the kitchen counters and the island should be 3-6 to 4-0 but it is drawn at about 6 ft.

To put chairs at the island it should be about 3-6 wide instead of 2-6.

The prep sink in the island is directly across from the main sink and there is another full sized labeled bar.

The main stair should be drawn with an open wall on the entry side.

These errors make me concerned about the ability and experience of your architect. Please tell me he/she is not licensed.

A number of thoughts, particularly dealing with the red circle areas:

- I'd remove the door between the mud room and the rest of the house. It's around a corner, so it's not going to be visible, and the washer/dryer noise is regulated to the far end -- shouldn't be a problem. This means that the door won't be in the way, even as it's left open /against the wall. Alternately, you could go with a pocket door in this rarely-closed spot.

- You definitely need to flip the bedroom door; note that when you walk into the room, you'd be squished against the wall.

- How wide is your master bath vanity? Two sinks in that area look cramped.

- Still on the subject of doors, I'd move the dining room exterior door up a bit so it's right by the desk area. Why? Because it would allow you to walk to the door in a straight shot. As it is now, you have to walk towards the back wall, then turn to reach the door -- a big deal? No, but not as comfortable as it could be.

- I like the little nook-study, but I don't like that bit of wall "indenting" in -- in fact, I don't like that whole wall. It seems to impede on the living room space, and it adds nothing to the room. Instead, I'd just place the two chairs near the bookshelves and let them be a separate seating area -- no wall dividing them off.

- The living room has problems. I agree with the above poster that the furniture looks small, and I suspect you're going to find that your real furniture requires more space -- but this is most pronounced in the living room. I think you'd hate being forced to walk all the way around the sectional -- in one direction or the other -- and then scooting through that bitty space to reach the seating area ... and why should you, given that all that empty space is left between the seating area and the wall of windows? The problem here is one of proportion; you have more space devoted to the empty spot that to the cozy reading nook.

- Finally, yes, the kitchen island is placed poorly. You have a world of space between the counter and the island, and then the space between the island and the table ( a major thoroughfare through the house) is cramped.

- The kitchen looks "off" to me -- way off, in fact -- and I can't really say why. The storage is at the wrong end: That I can see. Ideally you'd want your pantry and refrigerator located near your garage entrance ... so you'd be able to come in and put our things away without traversing the length of the kitchen ... and you'd probably rather have the bar on the end nearer the living room. But there's something else, and I think it's tied into the being too far towards one end ... and most of the empty counter space, which would be good work space, being crammed towards the L -- not a space where anyone wants to work. I suggest you take the kitchen to the kitchens thread.

- As for the original question, Should you place a desk in the mudroom? You could. You could place it where you currently have the folding table ... and the desk could double as a folding area. Of course, that'd mean you'd have to put clothes away promptly, and you couldn't leave papers out all the time. My biggest concern, however, is that the mudroom is fairy narrow, and you appear to have something like 3' between the washer/dryer and the folding table. That's enough for a person who's standing and folding ... but it's kind of skimpy for rolling a chair back and sitting in it comfortably.

- I do like the dining room desk layout -- I like your inspiration picture -- and you can't argue its efficiency, but you'll have to keep it neat all the time since it's by the table. Could you add doors to the desk so you could hide things?

my desk is in the kitchen and i love it, use it many times a day it is out of the traffic pattern and only about 3 feet wide we have open shelving above the desk area we have laptop computers and usually one is there, it's also the "plug in place" for cell phones, nooks etc i have not found it to be a catch all as we enter through the mud room and have cabinets with very large drawers and hooks to hang things on there i like having the desk in a visible out of the way place, not too sure i'd use it in a mud room we had a lovely office in our last home, now that room was a bit of a catch all lovely as in my favorite room in the house, but it was a bit of a waste of space

I really wanted a desk in my mudroom (as opposed to my kitchen where it was in my last house), but our design didn't allow for that to happen, so now I will have a mini-office off my kitchen instead.

I wouldn't plan to sit at a desk in my mudroom and use it daily (We have a laptop that I use in the living room, though I'd keep my wireless printer on it). It would really be more of drop zone, but so functional on a day-to-day basis to keep us organized and prevent paper from ending up in the kitchen!

Here are some of my favorite ideas.

Chic Distressed White Kitchen - Barrington, IL · More Info

Dwellings · More Info

Our mini office will be similar to this:

3196 Pacific · More Info

Commercial work is very different from residential work. The client needs are very different and the code is quite different too. Have you seen examples of their residential work? Have you talked to any of their residential clients?

As for the desk issue, I have a similar problem and am approaching it quite differently. I've found that a home office doesn't work well for me now that I have kids. I need a place though for our huge printer, two drawers of files, office supplies, bins of sorted memorabilia, and wrapping paper. Since my husband bought me a wireless printer and laptop I've found that I prefer to either do my work either on the coffee table or kitchen table where I can spread everything out. I am a stacker so I usually have two stacks (bills and paper I need to deal with). When I need to work I pull out my two piles and work through them while I'm keeping an eye on dinner cooking or waiting for the laundry or dishwasher to finish. When I'm done I tuck the stacks away.

For my new house I considered two options.

1. a row of closets in the living room hidden behind paneling. I would have lots of storage space for everything nicely organized with an organizing system such as Elfa.

2. A wall of storage in the breakfast nook that looks like china storage on top (I have lots of special occasion dishes that need a home) and closed storage on bottom. It will look like a huge built-in china hutch with my printer either on the counter or hidden in a drawer. On the opposite wall under the windows will be a built-in banquet with a lift up top. The boxes of gift wrap and memorabilia will go in there. The breakfast nook may have French doors I can close if I need privacy or peace and quiet.

My husband prefers number 2 so we're going with that. I think it will work well, solve multiple problems, and be very flexible. I will also get two big lateral file drawers which I really need. I also hope to find a fireproof file cabinet for our hidden room. We have a lot of paperwork from my husband's business and his immigration process that we can't afford to lose.

Just remember that now that everything can be wireless, you don't need a traditional desk to get your work done unless you like working at one.

I really appreciate the feedback! We've been working on this plan for almost a year, but very gradually. There are some issues with the floor plan that I didn't see because I've been staring at it so long, so thank you for your fresh eyes. Also, please note that I've ignored all the furniture in here--I just assumed that we'd get dimensions worked out once we have all the rooms positioned.

mrspete - thank you for the comments! My responses:

- I'd move the garage door a scootch towards the washer /dryer. I had that idea as well, but wasn't sure if it'd be better to keep the traffic going in a straight line. If it's not a problem to make people curve around, I'd like to move the garage door up to adjacent to the w/d and then I could have cubbies below that door. What do you think?

- I'd remove the door between the mud room and the rest of the house. I requested that door. It's to keep dogs in the mud room when I want to contain them (I have a pit/lab mix who loves to kiss everyone and a corgie who is afraid of loud noises, so sometimes they just need a little time out).

- You definitely need to flip the bedroom door; note that when you walk into the room, you'd be squished against the wall. Definitely.

- How wide is your master bath vanity? Two sinks in that area look cramped. I sent comments back to the architect last week and asked them to move the vanity back to the wall adjacent to the closet. It will be 5' long and have one sink, maybe an elongated one. I will use the area where the vanity currently is for some built-in storage.

- Still on the subject of doors, I'd move the dining room exterior door up a bit so it's right by the desk area. Yes, we will fix that.

- The kitchen looks "off" to me -- way off, in fact -- and I can't really say why. The storage is at the wrong end: That I can see. Ideally you'd want your pantry and refrigerator located near your garage entrance ... so you'd be able to come in and put our things away without traversing the length of the kitchen ... and you'd probably rather have the bar on the end nearer the living room. But there's something else, and I think it's tied into the being too far towards one end ... and most of the empty counter space, which would be good work space, being crammed towards the L -- not a space where anyone wants to work. I suggest you take the kitchen to the kitchens thread. Edited: I will bring up these points with our architects. I had thought about moving the "nook" up into the dining area and then switching the bar and pantry/frig wall, but my husband rejected that.

Yes I am putting a desk in our mud room laundry. Really looking forward to it. Yes it will be a landing station also(located between garage and rest of house) with places to charge stuff and DH to drop all his stuff before entering kitchen. I am SO tired of stuff piled on the kitchen counter.

I think I liked the original mudroom layout. It has a straight shot into the house from the garage doors, handy when you are carrying "stuff" or luggage, and it has room for the pending laundry next to the W/D. Assuming that below the folding table will be drawers/cabinets?

A pocket door would look so much nicer at the mudroom entrance. Takes up less space, too; a door requires a jamb, and the door itself takes up space when open. A pocket door not so much, may even be able to have a smaller jamb, or a jamb flush with the wall? Although, I'm not sure I'd want to walk out of my bedroom in the morning and see the mudroom.

i LOVE the book nook. Maybe not with with little return wall, but I do like the wall separating from the stairs. Your designers have laid out the LR furniture so you have to leap over the sofa back to settle in, though, with a lot of wasted space to the right. But maybe you plan on different furniture?

Back to the original question: I really love the desk in the dining room. It can double as serving, wine bar, etc. when you entertain. I would hang out there all the time, close to the coffee, view of the yard, big dining table surface to spread out on if needed. You have the folding table for a drop surface when you need one, but otherwise why would you want to hang out in there?

zippity1 - that sounds like a really good, efficient setup. Do you keep your files out in the mudroom cabinets?

maven19 - I really like the photos you posted, especially the one from Dwellings. How wide will your mini office be?

tcufrog - that is a different approach, but it makes great sense. Basically, you can work anywhere, so you're just making sure you have the right storage. My issue is that I hate laptop keyboards and ipad keyboards, so when I'm working from home, I still use a desktop with a proper keyboard. I think that's why I feel I need a desk--it's a much less portable situation. I guess I could break down and match a wireless keyboard to my laptop, but I haven't done that yet.

bpathome - thanks for the suggestions and for keeping me focused on my original question!

What I've learned from your responses is that a desk can work in a mudroom really well, but since I now realize that I like to work in an open space better, I'll leave the desk in the dining room. I plan to add an organized landing spot in the mudroom as well to filter out mail, school papers etc. before they get to the desk.

Plus, now I'm thinking about the general feedback as well. I really appreciate the help!

we have drawers beneath the desktop in the kitchen where current files are stored and we store previous years files in a decorative table with file drawers in the great room we also have an antique chest with a hat drawer which is the perfect size for some files, it's in a niche under the stairwell

it did take some time to become accustomed to a laptop keyboard, but i've managed it and dh used an enormous laptop at work which traveled with him all over the world so when we retired we just both got cheapo laptops and enjoy them you can get a normal keyboard that attaches to a laptop but i hated that our printer is wireless and located in dh closet, which is about double the size space he actually needs

so the actual desk area is pretty free of "stuff"

in a pinch you could use a desk area as shown in the second pic as a "serving" area

I will admit that a laptop keyboard did take some getting used to as did the touch pad but I've discovered that the benefits have outweighed the negatives. I will sometimes take it to coffee shop that has WiFi to get work done or to whichever room it makes the most sense to have it. For example, I'll set it on the kitchen counter when I'm making a recipe I found online so that I don't have to print it out. When I was creating an inventory of the items to put in the storage unit before we put our house on the market I took it into whatever room I was packing in.

mo142-it sounds like you are making excellent progress on your work space!

For me, I also like to work in open spaces and where my family is, I'd never sit in an office across the house from my family to work on something! Our mudroom will have shelves, drawers and some storage where I can easily "drop" items as I come home at night. Our mini office off the kitchen will have space for crafting supplies, kids art, printer, files and general office supplies. I like that one of the kids can work in the space if they want to be near family, but need a space to work independently (and the kitchen table/island are full or too close to the tv!).

Our mini office is about 9x5, we will have several cabinets/drawers and area for two workspaces.

We built 5 years ago, and my goal was to get my desk out of the kitchen. I wanted an "all purpose" room. It's the laundry, my desk area, has the freezer and lots of storage. Perfect for me.

Just remember that now that everything can be wireless, you don't need a
traditional desk to get your work done unless you like working at one.

Depends. I frequently have student papers to grade, which are easier on a desk. And while it doesn't have to be a desk, I like a large flat surface available for wrapping presents, making crafts, etc.

The best option is to make a comprehensive list of the things YOU would do at your desk /what you need to store in your desk area ... and then decide how much space you need.

However, I agree that all of us have a greater need for electrical outlets than we did in the past, and we need to allot space for those wireless devices.