MUDROOMS & ENTRYWAYS

Making a good first impression

You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and neither does your home. Whether it has a simple entryway or an actual room dedicated to the hustle and bustle of coming and going, also known as a mudroom, that is the area where guests form their first impression.

In Montreal, especially in cold weather, it’s also the area where an assortment of items such as boots, coats, hats and scarves need to be both stored and readily available, all at once. And when winter makes way for spring and summer, with its dirt and mud, it tends to be the place that collects an assortment of footwear and paraphernalia.

“It sets the tone and acts as a first impression for the rest of the house; it’s the first look that guests have (at the home), so it should be inviting and practical,” said Anne Brun, the web creative director and photographer for Zone, a shop which offers various home furnishings and accessories and has several locations across the city.

“We should feel good there from the beginning,” she said, noting that something as simple as a scented candle “can quickly make us feel good in a small space — as can having a chic and cosy armchair (in which) to sit down and remove one’s shoes at the end of a long day.”

“You definitely want to make a statement, and you want (the area) to be useful, too,” Jennifer Sanon, marketing content specialist at Bois & Cuir, another home furnishings retailer with several locations in the city, said about mudrooms and their dual purpose.

“It needs to feel welcoming in terms of the colours, style and furniture. It’s not because it’s a mudroom that you can’t put a chandelier in it, or have only furniture to put your coats in. You can definitely glam it up, so it resembles the style that you have in the rest of the house.”

Martha Franco, an architect and designer and the woman behind Martha Franco Architecture & Design, agrees with that statement.

“The floor, for instance, needs to be elegant, appealing and integrated with the rest of the house while still being durable — so not too delicate, and anti-slippery,” she said. “We also need to keep in mind that most likely, during winter, it’ll be covered with a winter carpet, which is another key element that we custom design for most of our projects, to be winterresistant while also being beautiful and matching the rest of the finishes.”

In addition to creating a lasting first impression and being practical, a mudroom also needs to have storage. “A bench to sit, a place to put the boots and the shoes — and, typically, hooks, not hangers. A couple of baskets for the hats and mittens and things (in winter), so they air out and dry. You can have a cabinet above everything with doors as well,” said Afsaneh Karimi, a design consultant with Glenn Robertson Design, which specializes in custom closets and cabinetry for the whole house.

“We create a nice rack to puts shoes and boots on, where they stand up and you can pull them out on a slide-out rack, which allows you to get more shoes in a small amount of space and also means you don’t have to go fishing for them at the back of a closet.

“We also do a kind of slat wall that you can adjust and put different hooks and things on, where you want them. You can place them lower for the kids and, as they grow up, you can raise the hooks and use up all the spaces.”

Martha Franco, who recommends using wallpaper rather than paint in the entryway due to its appeal factor, also stresses the importance of a good lighting plan and always putting clients’ needs first, no matter the size of their home or condo.

“For some, the entrance can be as simple as just having a closet, depending on the space,” she said. “It’s important that the smaller the space is, the less cluttered it should be; the entrance area is especially important for small spaces ... for the practicality it provides.”

Jennifer Sanon cites mirrors as a great way of creating the illusion of more space in a small entryway. “We have two handcrafted mirrors that are made of mango wood,” she said of the furnishings at Bois & Cuir, “and they ’re very long, which would work really well in a condo. It’s also very convenient and makes a great statement as well.”

“Neutral colours like beige, cream or light grey work well,” said Anne Brun, “though nothing prevents you from adding a pop of colour here and there — especial in the accessories. But avoid mixing too many competing colours that would suffocate a small space.

“Having said that, it’s nice to paint the ceiling a darker colour, which can be a good way to highlight the lighting.”

It’s important that the smaller the space is, the less cluttered it should be ...

PHOTO COURTESY OF ZONE Some wall hooks for a bag or umbrella, a mirror in which to check one’s appearance before leaving the home, and a comfortable chair on which to sit and put on or remove footwear are basic amenities that are appropriate for any entryway or mudroom.

Hooks for hanging coats and bags, a bench to facilitate changing footwear, and cubbies in which to stash odds and ends before entering the home’s living areas all make for a functional mudroom. Neutral paint on the walls and throw cushions on the bench...

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRIS GORMAN HOMES

DESIGN PHOTO COURTESY OF GLENN ROBERTSON Custom cabinetry like this, with plenty of storage space, hooks rather than hangers, a place to sit and cubbies for boots and shoes makes for a practical addition to any mudroom.

FRANCO DESIGN PHOTO COURTESY OF MARTHA A home’s lower-level entryway, even when not designed specifically as a mudroom, should still offer flooring that is easy to keep clean and provide a place where boots can be removed in winter. It should also match the look and finishes of the rest of...

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOIS & CUIR A long mirror like this would work well in a condo, and helps create the illusion of more space in a small entryway.