Claire Paquin, designer and mother of two,desperately wanted a mudroom in her New York City home. The only problem was that the Tudor style with grand architectural details that her family loves was impossible due to the small space. Exclusively for visitors of Small Interiors, we will tell you what to do when you really need a well-appointed mudroom.
Room redevelopment
Claire decided to take it from the garage side,adjacent to the house (the door on the right leads to the cars), an area of 1.5 m wide and 4 m long, to create a walk-in closet. And for convenient parking, she extended the garage on the other side. “If I were ever to design a house from scratch, I would make a giant walk-in closet,” says the owner. Her design firm is located in the same house, so the passageway generates heavy traffic from at least three employees and four family members. “With coats, hats, backpacks and sports equipment constantly walking around, we really needed a walk-in closet.” For the new walk-in closet, Claire used a door and window with leaded glass that were left over from the original house. It was more of an aesthetic choice than a practical one – without them, it would have been very dark.
Arrangement of hangers
A row of lower hooks allows you to usearea under the window. Hangers at this height are convenient for children and motivate them to put their things away. The choice of the design of the hooks themselves is also not accidental. According to the designer, it is quite difficult to find the right option. These are strong, double, round: you can not be afraid of perforating the fabric with them.
Hallway interior design
Metallized porcelain tiles toowas not chosen by chance. According to the owner, it hides the dirt left by street shoes, which is especially important in the autumn-winter period. The bench and mirror create a comfortable place for each family member to get ready to go out. This is especially important for children: they can sit down to take off or put on shoes.
The higher hooks are for adults.They are topped with children's drawings hanging on a rope. "Many people want to make a gallery of their little ones' creative achievements. I really like this idea, and the hallway was just the place to implement it. I simply pulled a wire with clips, and all the latest children's masterpieces go on this art wall. The paintings are constantly changing as new ones appear. After all, art is in constant motion."
Home storage systems
At the end of the room, next to the passage, whichleads to the garage or living room, there is a storage space, specially designed and arranged in such a way that it does not block the passage. The rack with a depth of 33 cm is covered with white lacquer paint on the outside and metallic on the inside, thanks to which it fits perfectly into the color scheme of the room. It was necessary to choose something durable and practical. Dark paint hides abrasions that occur when you have to pick up or put things back in place, and adds volume.
The designer keeps the rack filled with seasonal itemsitems. Now, during the gymnastics season, there is a container for tights, and in the summer there will be a box with swimsuits. This creates less fuss before going out and saves time. The owner of the house regrets only one thing: there is no way to arrange a cozy place for visitors. Claire Paquin is sure that the importance of the hallway should not be underestimated. “For me, this is the most important room in the house, it helps us to become more organized and reduces the stress that arises from looking for the necessary things before leaving,” she says.
