@taconichills no, sorry that must be someone else? I don't know why my username is weird it happens when I sign in - must be because of a new user profile. However, your post is interesting to receive for a newcomer, an accusation that I am someone else from a different thread?

I honestly love the mudroom/laundry combo. I think there are so many options that can be used in these spaces and really make them unique. But if you aren't going to be using this space as a mudroom or are worried about this space just becoming cluttered, omit it. Just use that space for laundry. Although if you do live in an area where you do have all four seasons, I highly suggest you keep the mudroom. Depending on flooring and furniture, you could really damage it or make cleaning a total nightmare. This has the potential to get even more costly. Just play around with your placement on exactly where you want it that will keep your space functional and consistent. Keep in mind flow of traffic.

I am sorry, I thought you were HU-816528218

I believe mudrooms are very important and useful. Yes they are always a mess, but at least the mess is confined to that area. My mudroom butts up against the laundryroom...2 separate rooms. Sams club sells these awesome sturdy laundry bins that roll around. They are fun and kids love helping push them to where they need to be.

I'm with kim k: keep an entry/mudroom space to catch all the incoming coats/shoes/etc and have laundry separate, preferably near the bedrooms. Laundry + mudroom is my least fav combo in 99% of cases b/c it mixes dirty (mudroom) with clean (laundry).

My house doesn't have a mudroom, and I'd love to have one. The "back door" entrance is into the kitchen/bar area. The laundry room is across the way behind the kitchen. Not convenient when I'm coming in dirty from yardwork or with wet/muddy shoes from rain. I have to take shoes off outside on the porch and/or disrobe of dirty yard clothes out there. The house is L-shaped with the master bed/bath at end of the long arm, must walk through the carpeted bedroom to get there. The other full bath is at the end of the shorter L, also must go through either of the other two carpeted bedrooms.

We took out a wall that separated laundry room from tight back hall, turned it into a combined laundry and mudroom. There are days I think it's my favorite part of a half-house reno! B'c it's off the garage, and b'c we combined spaces, there's plenty of room for everyone to get in and get out of boots/jackets etc. I didn't do cubbies, since they never look as tidy as the pix. Lots of hooks on the walls, and small open cabinets to store phones, chargers, hats etc. We designed in dedicated space for sorted laundry baskets at the end away from garage door. When hampers come down, things are sorted immediately and go back upstairs empty. B'c things are sorted and in baskets, you really don't see them. I don't mind friends coming in that way. One thing to consider (love having this): teen boys generate lots of stinky laundry and shoes. We put in an exhaust fan, which make things bearable between washes, and it's nowhere near my bedroom!

Have a mudroom but do not put the laundry in the extra bathroom. No one wants to do laundry in a bathroom and it's a big negative when you go to sell.

I like having the laundry room near the back door because it provides facilities for drying clothes after a rain and rinsing off rain boots, etc. When I work in the garden I put my gardening clothes on in the laundry room and leave my insdoor clothes there--then when I come in I change into my indoor clothes--maybe just long enough to run to the shower, but at least the clothes are clean and not muddy.

Please do not put your laundry in a bathroom! Buyers see that as a negative.

SINKS- Have a nice deep cabinet sink, not a utility sink that lacks storage. That way your laundry mudroom stays organized.

I would prefer a laundry separate from the mudroom. I don't have a problem with it as part of a bath. My laundry was in a basement bath in my last home. A bath not used often. My current laundry is in the hallway from our garage. I hate it. there are setups that this would work. I hate mine because it is the hall we use everyday. I am always in the way when I do laundry And my husband comes in from the garage. It just seems a dirty place to do laundry to me. This is a good space sharing double duty since the laundry work space is out of the path from the entry. I would prefer though that the door opens to the shelving not the laundry

Great Neighborhood Homes · More Info

Bad set up that puts the work area in the direct path from the door it also would work better with the door swing from the opposite side, making the natural path closer to the mudroom

Beautifully Blue · More Info

They both look nice but the first one has a lot better work area

My laundry was in a basement bath in my last home.

A basement bath is a lot different than a bath being used as the spare bathroom. A spare bathroom implies one that will be used fairly frequently.

If it's used for guests or kids, it's a huge no. Especially if it's only a 2 bath house!

The OP said:

I'd rather have laundry in the spare bathroom

We undertook a major house addition / renovation that started because we wanted to add a mudroom. It's used daily (our main laundry is there, also a large sink, shoe storage, coat hooks, pet food and dishes, etc.) I wouldn't want to go back to not having one.

I'd happily pay more to have a laundry chute from the bedrooms (especially those for children) down to the basement. A dumb waiter to carry it all back up would be utter bliss.

Is there a reason these aren't done anymore? Am I missing something? lol

The only way I will consider building a 2-story house is if it has a dumbwaiter. Seems like a no-brainer...?

(I know folks build homes with laundry rooms upstairs with the bedrooms, but I personally know someone who woke up one morning with soggy carpet because their washer had busted sometime in the night, and it was on the second floor. Total disaster. :-O I'd rather have it on the main floor.)

YES to mudroom... Put the laundry back by the bedrooms you will love it

"I'm drawing up some rough floor plans"

Why are you drawing them?

"debating on omitting the mudroom"

How did it get there in the first place?

"they always have the laundry setup"

If you don't want a "laundry setup", don't draw it in.

"It normally ends up being a catch all that is a cluttered disgusting mess."

That is the people, not the room.

"I'd rather have laundry in the spare bathroom"

A clothes washer and dryer in a "spare bedroom" makes a spare bedroom not a spare bedroom.

"Is this a big mistake?"

If "this" is designing a house yourself, from what I have read from your questions, I would have to say, yes.

Consider contacting a few local architects (before you do any more drawing) and talk with them to see what they can do for you.

If you are considering a dumbwaiter, make it large enough to contain a small child; it makes for great stories when they are adults.

I think the idea of a mudroom/laundry room can be really useful and contain the clutter as long as it is well laid out and also well planned for storage, hooks, etc. Assign each person a spot for which they are responsible. Even name tags above hooks would help. Move coats and boots out with the season to more permanent storage. Cupboards and storage bins (hats, mitts, scarves etc) and make it really functional for people of all sizes. Racks for shoes and a spot where wet boots can dry without making puddles on the floor.

Laundry should have space for baskets or bins, closed storage for cleaning supplies (out of sight and also out of reach of small children), a spot for hanging clothes and a place to fold etc. And a utility sink (but make it pretty looking IMO). Then lay down the rules with the family and ensure they take responsibility for keeping their area clean and not cluttered. In my opinion clutter happens when things don't have a home. If everything has a home (bin, hook, cupboard, etc then it can stay in control.)

I'm especially envious of those folks who have put a doggie shower in their mudroom - what a fantastic idea.

Make it functional and make it nice with sturdy finishes. Lay down the rules and stick with them and I think it could be one of the most useful spaces in your house.

There will be a mud room but it will be in a room with another name.

I'm the kind of person who dislikes the combination laundry and mudroom, I have one now. My ideal setup would be a separate laundry room from the mudroom. I think the combination of "mud" and clean laundry doesn't combine well and most people come into our house through our mudroom and I don't want them to see the laundry.

That said I would never eliminate having a mudroom and we are not in a 4 seasons climate. The mudroom is great to store all the stuff you need to drop off when coming inside and contain dirt. If you have messy people in your house then having a mudroom that holds the mess vs. it being dragged into the house and just dropped wherever would be a plus to me assuming the mudroom isn't highly visible. If you're not messy people then the mudroom will be nice and organized and easy to find the things you need when you leave. Even with messy people it will at least contain the mess to one area to find the things you need when you leave.

I personally would want the laundry near the mudroom, but separate, but others prefer it closer to the bedrooms. I often come in from outside and throw the dirty clothes into the washer so near mudroom would help with that. I also do laundry overnight ie I use the delay start so the washer is ready when I wake up so I can put it into the dryer and then remove before I head to work so having it near the bedroom would be too noisy for my liking, but I can see the appeal of having it close to the bedrooms.

I wouldn't be bothered by having the washer in a bathroom at all, but I grew up where that is very common in smaller homes without a separate laundry. If in the US then this probably wouldn't be a good choice for resale purposes.

Is this mudroom by a back door or front entry? I can’t speak to the location of the laundry, but as far as a mud room—I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wished our house had a mudroom or real back entry Instead of just a back kitchen door. Instead, coats and boots and hats and sunscreen and the dog’s leash all end up crammed on hooks on one wall of our tiny kitchen. It’s the same untidy mess, just in a more visible and central place. And we all trip over each other coming in or out the door.

Plus, I would just love to have that utility space for all the random stuff that temporarily has no home. Like, where do I put that shopping bag with the shirt I want to return, or the amazon box to put in the mail, or that gift for the in-laws that we need to remember to bring them? Where does the bucket car seat go? Where does the diaper bag belong? My work bag that I need to be sure I remember? Without a mudroom space, that same mess just gets relocated to the dining room table, or more likely the front hallway—which means that when people come to our front door, the first thing they see when they open the door is a mess.

Could built-in cabinets, closets, or wardrobes help contain the cluttered mess in a mudroom? It’s useful to have a few open hooks and cubbies but at our house it takes constant policing to keep them looking sort-of tidy.

Yes they are always a mess, but at least the mess is confined to that area.

I was going to say this very thing. Regardless of whether you have a mudroom, you will have "coming home clutter" -- shoes, school bags, mail, coats. If you don't PLAN a place for these things, they will invade your living space: shoes lying in the pathway, coats draped over kitchen chairs, mail and catalogs on your peninsula.

Having said that, the above pix are absolutely lovely, and they will keep your family organized in comfort and style; however, you don't need a space this large /lovely to do the same thing. Here are a couple pictures of SMALL mudrooms:

Make a list of the things you personally need in a mudroom. Perhaps you live in a warm climate and could do with a very small coat closet. Perhaps you need to include a place to hang dog leashes /set out dog dishes. A seating area is nice but not necessary. Maybe you want a small desk in this area. Maybe you want a mirror and a small drawer for a hairbrush and a few other essentials. Maybe you want to incorporate a pantry into this space. Start by listing the FUNCTIONS you, then design a SMALL space to accomplish these tasks. List the items you want to STORE in the mudroom; perhaps light bulbs, batteries, flashlights, vacuum cleaner.

Including laundry in this area is entirely optional. I'm ambivalent on that topic.

Sounds like a well received vote for mudrooms, regardless of it having laundry or not! I agree, a place to off-load coats and shoes before entering the home is nice. Around here in the midwest it is just becoming ever so popular that laundry is in the mudroom. I agree with others, mudroom = dirty laundry = clean and that creates an issue if it's not kept clean.

Many of you mention doing a small mudroom and then a separate laundry room - this is ideal, but not always easy for a 1500sqft home. And let's be real, laundry in a little closet off of the hallway is great if you don't need to tackle stains, folding, ironing, and the extras that come with laundry. As a bachelor that sounds perfect but I imagine with a family that becomes a nightmare as there are multiple loads to do with colors and whites. Baskets in the hallway or around the corner of the laundry closet would be difficult to use.

It sounds like on a 2k sq ft home, mud room + separate laundry are best. I agree. On a smaller Ranch home, 1400-1600sq ft, having 3 bedrooms 2 baths on the main floor with a staircase leading to the basement doesn't offer a lot of space for that laundry room. Perhaps a little larger mud room with better thought out storage and working space would be the happy medium for this type of home then?

I am thumbing through online plans filtering 3bed2bath + staircase that goes to basement. Few have a mudroom with any decent size, they are literally just wide enough to fit a sink, laundry machine, and have a 2' wide closet for storage. Very little storage or working space.

I don't know who it was that said I was suggesting putting the laundry in a spare bedroom. They clearly read that wrong and I said spare bathroom. And spare bathroom that would be large enough to have it closed off maybe behind some folding doors. This would be like the hall laundry closet system but in a more confined space out of the main hallway. I agree, not the best but it helps fit it in a smaller house footprint.

If the laundry is in a spare bathroom, the overflow (baskets of dirty laundry or unfolded clean), will end up living in that bedroom. And if one has house guests? "Excuse me - just need to throw in a load quickly" would be a bit invasive. I would never go into a guest room in my house when it is occupied.

If you are considering a dumbwaiter, make it large enough to contain a small child; it makes for great stories when they are adults.

This is why my house will have neither laundry chute nor dumbwaiter. Really, my idea of what could and could not contain a small child and the same thing as evaluated BY my child are two different things. I'd prefer not to have to cut out drywall to extract her.

I think if you have laundry hook-ups in the basement as well, then a small closet in a bath for laundry would be perfectly acceptable and appreciated.

I don't understand the disdain people have with coats, shoes & outerwear being in the same room with freshly washed laundry. Are they walking though plutonium that those objects should never mix? When I wash clothes, I dry, fold & put them away so maybe they stay within the laundry room for just minutes after they've been laundered. I also hang clothes for drying after they've been washed but I'm not worried they'll be contaminated from a pair of shoes off to the side.

I vote for keeping the mudroom & laundry together. Learn to be more tidy so that the room does not become a catch-all. I would find it off putting to buy a home where the washer/dryer is in a closet, bathroom or spare bedroom. If you think mixing laundered clothes & outer ware in a mudroom is disgusting, what about washers in a bathroom mixing with fecal plume from the toilet?

I still don't get it. Isn't that what laundry rooms are for, processing dirty clothing & turning into clean? Those two items are expected in a laundry/mudroom & I don't see them necessarily as a turn off. Dirty clothing can be contained in ventilated baskets, bins & clothing sorters & those don't necessarily have to be kept IN the mudroom. I have baskets in the bedrooms & bathrooms (not in a more public guest bath though) that hold dirty clothing until I'm ready to wash it. That way, it doesn't accumulate in the mudroom but even given that, there is always a clothing sorter on wheels in the mudroom filled with dirty clothes waiting to be washed. The OP mentioned the mud/laundry room as becoming catch-alls for junk so if that's your worry, then you must learn to "process laundry in a tidy fashion", set family rules for order & organization, etc. It only becomes a junk room if you let it. I'm usually the only one who comes through the garage into the mudroom & I've a door I can close if I don't want people to see inside. Guests & visitors go through the front door. With that said, the OP asked if he should design his house without the typical garage/mudroom/laundry room set-up. Like most every dilemma posted on here, there is no right answer, just suggestions based on experience.

Mud room would definitely add resale value. But laundry facitlities in a bedroom would not and would appear the house was too small. As space for 2 clear areas seems to be limited in this case, best case scenario would be to combine. As your family grows you will find a mud room invaluable. One side mud room items, one side laundry items. Stick to this plan and soon all the family will place things accordingly. It would be lovely if all homes could have a separate mudroom and laundry but alas no.

A three bed, 2 bath house, doesn't HAVE a "spare bath" unless you are empty nest . Get an architect, please. Go over all your needs , as suitable to how you live life.

Mudrooms are great (essential in New England) , but I sure wouldn't put the laundry in one-- it is, after all a "mud" room. Why would you want your clean laundry intermixing with your dirty boots?

rweigand, I agree. I work at a horse farm...

I wonder if some of the different perspective of laundry in the mudroom (or spare bathroom or hallway) has to do with the different ways we’re all used to doing laundry in the spaces we have. If you have a devoted laundry room then you may be used to using that space for dumping and sorting dirty clothes, as well as sorting, folding, ironing, air drying, and storing clean clothes until they’re ready to be put away. For those of us without devoted laundry room space, we don’t necessarily do those things anywhere near the washing machine.

My washer and dryer are in my dirty old unfinished basement. The floor is always dirty and surfaces dusty from the deteriorating mortar on the stone walls and other random debris that makes its way in (until a month ago, it was often also wet!). To do laundry, I carry down a basket of dirty clothes that go straight into the washer, then straight into the dryer, then from the dryer back into the basket and back upstairs. Sorting, folding, ironing, air drying delicates all take place elsewhere, usually in the bedrooms.

Translate this to the mudroom/laundry space suggested, and there wouldn’t really be any mingling of clean clothes and mud. Clean clothes go from dryer to basket which is immediately carried away. But if you’re imagining doing other laundry things in the same space, then I could see how this could be unappealing. Doesn’t sound like this layout or square footage allows for a large devoted laundry room, though.

kmarissa03, great explanation, I get it now

I like the idea of a mudroom, I feel that if there would be any mess in the mudroom, I would rather it be confined to one specific space as opposed to all over the house. it is very popular right now also and everyone seems to love it. I also think if its at all possible- to avoid lugging clothes across the house to the mud room either add a laundry shoot from upstairs directly to the mudroom, or maybe leave the mudroom as just a mudroom and add the washer dryer to the bathroom that you mentioned was extra.

Put the laundry in the master bath. I have a laundry in my hall bathroom and I love it. I think it is beautifully placed and designed around. I did the design and planning myself and hired the carpenter. Rough out a place in the mudroom but don’t install set there. Let the next owners have that as an option. Rough in a place in the basement too. I have 2 sets in my basement and one set in my hall bath. I don’t have a master bath. My house is old and at 1200sf.