Home / The guide / Rooms and storage

Design the mudroom and boot room

The mudroom is the working entrance: an airlock between outside and the conditioned house where boots, coats, tools and grab bags live. It saves heating and cooling energy and keeps dirt out.

How

1. Put the mudroom on the daily entrance with an outer and inner door, as design-10 describes, so warm or cool air does not escape every time someone comes in.
2. Fit a bench to sit on while taking off boots (AARP also suggests a foyer bench for ageing in place), boot racks, a drip tray and coat hooks at adult and child heights.
3. Add a sink or tap for washing hands and boots, connected to the greywater or drain system.
4. Store grab bags, head torches and the household emergency plan on a dedicated shelf by the door (safety-23).
5. Use a hard, washable, slip-resistant floor and good lighting, including a light that works in a blackout.

Do these first

• design-10

Sources

1. Aging in Place checklist. AARP, accessed 2026-11

Open in the interactive guide