In the house of my dreams, I would have three things that I don’t have in my current home: (1) a screened in porch; (2) a transom window or two; and (3) a mudroom. Dreamer Bre would pick numbers 1 or 2; realist Bre would pick number 3.
A mudroom would be so practical and fabulous; a perfect little spot for my family to stash all of their belongings as soon as they come in the door. And of course it would be hidden from plain sight so that nobody would have to see the mounds of shoes, backpacks, purses, jackets, winter gear, etc. that accumulate all too quickly.
Since a mudroom like this just isn’t in the cards for my home, I’ve figured out a way to create a fake mudroom of sorts in my foyer and also at my back door. Neither spot is the perfect mudroom of my dreams, but they function well and help keep my family (and our stuff) relatively organized. 
Because of several key components in each of these spaces, my home’s lack of a mudroom is a non-issue. All of my family’s things have a place to go, which keeps clutter and disorganization at bay. 
So what do you need to create a fake mudroom? Here’s where to start! 
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No. 1 Wall Hooks
Wall hooks are so important in any fake mudroom! You must have a place for your family and visitors to your home to hang their bags and jackets, especially if your coat closet is small. Hooks also give small children a place to hang their belongings instead of throwing them on the floor.
Check out these stylish and affordable wall hook options for your home.
No. 2 Bench
A sitting place is essential in a fake mudroom. It gives people a place to sit when they need to take their shoes off or put them on, and it serves as another drop zone, too. My bench is an old piano bench with storage inside the seat, which is a total bonus! Benches with built in storage are a great way to get more functionality out of the piece.
Here are some of my favorite benches in stores now.
No. 3 Drop Zone Area
Having a place to drop your keys, bag, sunglasses, or whatever else is in your hands when you walk in the door is so important to maintaining order at the entry! A little console table in a fake mudroom is perfect for this job. You can find them in just about any shape or size, so no matter how small your space, you can make something work!
Here are some affordable entryway tables that I love!
No. 4 Baskets / Trays
I cannot stress the importance of baskets in a fake mudroom! I use one under the bench as a shoe tray, and it’s great because my kids know exactly where to put their shoes when they come in the door. I also have one under my table to put umbrellas in, and in the winter I stick a small one next to the bench for a place to deposit scarves, hats, and gloves.
You can never have too many baskets, so take a look at these pretty and reasonably priced options that I think are perfect for any entryway!
No. 5 Hall Tree
If you have the space for it, a hall tree is an amazing all-in-one solution to the no mudroom problem. It combines storage and seating into one piece, and there are so many ready made options available in stores these days! I love the piece we have next to our back door!
Here are some other awesome hall trees that I found for you!
I bet you have a lot of these things in your home already! If you struggle with containing clutter and maintaining organization at the entry points to your home, try and set up a fake mudroom. These items will have your entryway organized in no time!
-Bre
Seana Turner says
Lots of people don’t have mudrooms, so this is a post I bet many will find helpful. Even if you can’t keep everything in this space, it is plenty for the current jacket, shoes, and a few items. My main “heads up” to people without mudrooms is to limit the number of shoes you stash in the entry… maybe everybody gets to keep their most common pair of shoes, and the rest live somewhere else.
Bre says
YES! Seana – that is totally what I try to do with my family. Although my husband is the worst offender. He constantly has three pair of tennis shoes sitting there. Why, I don’t know. But I’m always hauling them back upstairs for him! 🙂
Kristi says
Oh my gosh! LOOOOOVE this! Just what I needed girl!
Bre says
🙂 I don’t believe it for a second! I am sure you have a beautiful space all set up! 🙂
Samantha says
Yessss!!!! My 3 would be screened porch, mudroom, and pantry. 🙂 I love your ideas for fake mudrooms! We have a shoe cabinet and hooks in our breakfast nook to fake it. I’m loving all of your ideas! Those benches are great!
Bre says
Oh, yes a real pantry would be great, too! Mine is sort of a pantry, but it’s not a walk in pantry! As for the mudroom, I guess you just have to fake it til you make it, right? Hahahaha! Hope you had a good weekend, Samantha!