HELP!! Powder room / mudroom dilemma - need quick advice!

HU-652005495

4 years ago

last modified: 4 years ago

My husband and I purchased a center hall colonial built in the 1950s. We are redoing the floor plan to open up the kitchen into the family room, which requires relocating our powder room. We also are going to add a larger mudroom/laundry room right off of the garage.

One of these two things (powder room or mudroom) will have to face the front of the house. the kicker is that we have a 3 foot wide, essentially floor to ceiling window that would be included, though it will be covered with a plantation shutter.

pros of mudroom in the front:

- natural light

- closer to front door

cons of mudroom in front:

- less wall space for cubbies and coats

pros of powder room in front:

- further away from kitchen

cons of powder room in front:

- first line of sight from front door

- large window

what are are your thoughts? We have evaluated tons of floor plan options and feel one of these two is our best (and only) path forward that would check all of our boxes.

thank you you so much in advance!! We need to finalize plans ASAP.

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Mark Bischak, Architect

4 years ago

Is there an architect involved in this project?

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Comments (10)

PRO
Virgil Carter Fine Art
4 years ago
Why din't you post your floor plan so that a more informed comment is possible?
petula67
4 years ago
Whichever option you think has the fewest "cons" from a function point of view. It's easier to forgive a house's aesthetic quirks than its functional flaws.
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Our powder room is at the front of a very long laundry room, just inside the back door in the kitchen. In trying to eliminate doorways from our kitchen to make room for more cabinets, several people made the suggestion of removing the kitchen/laundry door, and putting the entrance to the laundry in the dining room. Not a terrible idea on its own, but I shut it down quick. As it is now, I have a curtain dividing the functional laundry from the part that’s essentially a vestibule for the powder room. Moving the door would have taken visitors through the laundry room. And that is absolutely a no go for me. We are considering taking down same door and trimming it as a doorway, because in 8 years in this house I don’t think the door has been closed once. But now I’m really intrigued by the idea of a swinging door. Or possibly just putting a pneumatic door closer on it. Hmmmmm. Back to your situation... Aside from not having much room for sorting and keeping baskets, I think your architects plan would be ok if there were room for some type of door, but it doesn’t look like it. I would like your plan with the addition of a doorway connecting guest room #4 to the other bedroom hallway, for access to the shower without going through the dining room. I do like Mama goose’s plan the best. Usually do :)
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megs1030
4 years ago
Can you post your floorplans?
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JAN MOYER
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
A plan would help. That said, millions of powder rooms face front. A plantation shutter can be split to operate with the lower blades fully closed, and the upper tilted or open. Fixture placement can resolve some issues as well. It's a worse place for a mudroom, unless it's your most FREQUENT point of entry

Post the plan
Kendrah
4 years ago
Do you use a car a lot? Will you often be entering the house from the garage? If so, then I vote for mudroom in the back. Wherever the mudroom will be most practically used, I say go for it. I like the idea of having a mudroom out of site and would place it in the back for that reason too. I don't think it is odd to have a powder room in the front of the house, especially with plantation shutters.
The_Lane_Duo
4 years ago
I would focus on how you will use the home. If you enter the house thru the front door most, then put the mudroom at the front. Otherwise, I'd put the powder room there.
Renee Bell
4 years ago
Personally I’d put the mud room to the back and the bathroom in the front . As long as you have the shutters the window is fine.
suezbell
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Just some thoughts:

Powder rooms can be made "L" shaped so the toilet is not what you see when the door opens. You see the side of a small wall sink in the corner you turn before seeing the toilet.

A laundry room in the front isn't necessarily a bad thing.

You might consider more of a laundry closet than a laundry room.

You might be able to create a "mudroom" that is a hallway between house and garage with the washer and dryer facing each other at one end of that mudroom.

You might be able to create a "mudroom" that is actually a hallway with a closet on one side hiding the washer and dryer and the powder room on the other set out so as the door opens between toilet and sink, the open door hides the toilet until it the door is closed.
PRO
JAN MOYER
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Doubt that Mark, they were probably framing /drywalling at midnight : )

HELP!! Powder room / mudroom dilemma - need quick advice!

Mark Bischak, Architect

Comments (10)

Virgil Carter Fine Art

petula67

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JAN MOYER

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