Boot rooms, what are they, why do you need one?
A boot room is the bridge between inside and outside.
Following on from my last post about entrance halls I thought I would talk a bit about boot rooms (or mud rooms in the US); what they are and why you’d want one. Boot rooms originated in the countryside, it’s where the inside meets the outside - theoretically a buffer between your muddy boots (or dog) and the rest of your house!
A boot room is definitely a functional space, housing things like coats, shoes, dog leads, welly boots, hats etc. - anything that you’d want to hand when you leave the house. If you have the space for one, it means that your entrance hall can be a little less practical and a little more pretty with not quite so much stuff to accommodate and conceal.
What should I include?
The most essential and glaringly obvious element of a boot room is storage. Ideally you would have a mixture of shelving, hooks and some hanging space for coats, you want everything to have a home in here so there’s no excuse for it to become a mess. Start by imagining exactly how the space is going to be used.
If your kids are going to be coming in from school here, a place to hang coats and bags, somewhere to put school shoes. You might consider giving each child their own space, like a locker, or a cubby.
If you have a dog, where are you hanging leads and harnesses? Where are you keeping poo bags? Do you have towels/babywipes on hand to clean up after a walk? If you’ve got the budget a small shower area is a really cool addition to clean off muddy paws before they jump up onto your sofa!
Do you have any skateboarders in the house, are there bikes that people use every day for commuting? Consider everything that needs to be at hand right before you leave the house and see if you can accommodate it into your boot room.
A sink is always a great addition to a boot room to wash off mucky hands before they enter the house! I recommend a butlers sink for that country estate feel.
From Practicals to Pretties
So you’ve written up your wishlist for items to include, now how are we going to decorate? Firstly, think practical. This is a space that is likely to be heavily used and will probably see some wear and tear so washable paint or wallpaper is an absolute must have - nothing too precious here. If you’ve got a penchant for panelling this could be a good place to use it, if you use a paint with a little sheen (or go full gloss if you’re feeling fabulous!) then it will be cleanable for those inevitable times when a muddy dog brushes against it or it’s bumped by some bike handles. Panelling is always great when combined with some gorgeous wallpaper, when used above the panelling it should be safe from scrapes and knocks. Choose your wallpaper first and then pull a colour from it to paint your cabinetry.
Flooring
Again, this is a practical space so choose things that can stand up to a little rough and tumble, my advice would be to go with tile which you can soften up with a rug - a nice jute one to bring in natural texture or Ruggable have excellent washable ones.
Finishing Touches
Window treatments are important for any space, so think careful about the textures and patterns you’re adding here. A roman blind in a gorgeous fabric would be an appropriate choice. If you have a sink, you will need soap and towels, keep some cleaning products underneath so that you can clean up any messes quickly and easily.
A lamp is a must have for every room, make sure you pick something nice and tall to achieve a more generous look, I am particularly loving Kelly Wearstler’s collection at the moment they are just fabulous:
If you’re still in need of some inspiration, here are some of my favourites from the gram:
