As you come and go, clutter inevitably piles up: Umbrellas, jackets, and tote bags galore can threaten to take over when you have places to be and little time to get reorganized. But if your home has space for a mudroom, this problem can easily be circumvented—all you need is a few smart storage ideas to keep things in order for good.

The mudroom is a space at a home’s entrance (most commonly, one at the side or back, as opposed to the home’s main entrance) that is dedicated to housing the kinds of items that you might want easily accessible when you’re on your way out the door. It likely has a coat closet, but it might also have cubbies for kids’ sports equipment, hooks for work bags, cabinets for yard essentials, and more. Your mudroom, simply put, is best when it’s totally customized to your needs and lifestyle. 

But the best mudroom ideas all have one thing in common: They make the most of square footage, no matter how much they’re working with. Here are just a few inspired spaces that might spark a few thoughts for your own home’s design.

Built-In Bench and Baskets

Having a place to sit where you can put on and take off your shoes (or just hang out as you wait for your partner to finish getting ready) makes any entrance way more functional. But this room by Daily Home Co. is especially thoughtful. With a built-in bench, there’s plenty of room underneath for storage baskets, and up top, a cabinet that can tuck away seasonal essentials like winter accessories and beach towels. Supermatte white Shaker cabinet fronts from Semihandmade enhance the already-streamlined look. 

Sink and Shelving

When your mudroom opens up to a porch or backyard, a sink can seriously come in handy: Whether you need to refill a watering can, wash your hands, or grab a quick sip of water, it saves you a trip to the kitchen. In this space by Gina Rachelle Design, a counter with Semihandmade Supermatte light grey Shaker fronts provides a spot for a farmhouse sink and cabinet room for outdoor necessities like extra blankets, picnic utensils, and more. The bright blue honeycomb tile on the floor brightens up the room, while also being easy to clean—great if you have kids or pets who are likely to track in plenty of dirt.

Floor-to-Ceiling Storage

If you’re big on entertaining outdoors, it’s a good idea to think of your mudroom as a second pantry. This room by Heidi Noelle Designs has tons of cabinet space, all outfitted with Semihandmade Supermatte Shaker fronts, as well as a sink for easy washing up. Here, you can store extra servingware, bulk-size snacks, extra paper towels, and outdoor accessories that you might not want to keep in a shed, like table settings and seat cushions. Bonus: The designer used Semihandmade Glass-Ready doors to create a built-in crate for her pup. 

Coat Closets 

If you live somewhere with frigid winters, your family probably has a sizable collection of jackets that can help you sail through the seasons in comfort. It’s also likely that your bedroom closets can’t quite fit all of your outerwear. This mudroom by Lisa Coe solves that problem. Tall built-in cabinets with Semihandmade Supermatte Shaker fronts provide ample space for storing long coats, in addition to boxes of winter accessories, umbrellas, and reusable shopping bags. A small seating area, cleverly installed below a window, makes the perfect pit stop.