Easy Home Improvements That Are Budget-Friendly

A boot room, also commonly known as a mudroom, serves as a transitional space between the outdoors and the main living area of your home. It’s a place where shoes, umbrellas and other outdoor items can be removed and stored to keep the rest of your house clean and clutter-free.

Whether you are lucky enough to have the space for a large, dedicated boot room area, or are trying to create a space within your entrance hallway, we have plenty of boot room ideas to inspire you.

What do you need in a boot room?

Depending on the amount of space you have for your entrance area, and the nature of your requirements as a household, here are some of the popular features found in a boot room:

Floor Mats. Floor mats at the entrance of your boot room will help to trap dirt from outdoor shoes and accessories.

Storage. Storage for shoes, brollies, school bags, dog leads and sports equipment will help to keep your outdoor items separate and organised. Consider cabinets, shelving of cubby holes to keep everything safe and out of sight.

Hanging space. Whether it's a dedicated cupboard or some wall hooks next to the door, set up some handing space for outdoor coats, jackets and gilets.

Seating. Installing a bench or seating area will help when it comes to taking off and putting on shoes and slippers. You could always opt for a bench with built-in storage for space maximisation.

Make the most of an alcove

Alcoves can often cause issues when it comes to decorating and filling space, however, they can also be perfect for creating a small and handy boot room area in your hallway.

Using either built-in cabinets or freestanding units you can create low-level storage for shoes and other small accessories, while higher wall space above can be used for coat hooks or floating shelves.

An added wall mirror creates the perfect place to check your appearance before you leave the house, as well as being effective at reflecting natural light from outside around the space.

Credit: @shan_homeliving

Maximise under stairs space

Space under the stairs can often be under-utilised in a hallway entrance. However, this vacant area can often be used as prime storage space for bags, shoes and accessories to keep them out of the way when you are at home.

Concealed under stairs storage can often look smarter from a visual perspective, whereas open shelving could be more practical in terms of accessibility.

Credit: @1930s_semi_charmed_life1930s

Evening Coat

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Add a chic place to sit

Boot rooms don’t have to be rough and ready. Even the most well-used spaces can be designed to appear sleek and stylish. Opt for relaxing colour shades, such as green or blue, to make the space cosy and contemporary, and accessorise the walls with artwork to add personality and charm.

Vintage seats, such as this one above, make a cosy and elegant place to remove outdoor shoes and put on indoor slippers, as well as offering a handy spot to wait for other family members to get ready to leave the house!

Credit: @renovating_the_graham_gaff

Trailblazer

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Give everyone their own dedicated space

For busy family households, a boot room is often an essential and frequently-used part of the home.

Ensure everyone in the family has their own dedicated space to place their belongings so that everyone remains happy and arguments are limited to a minimum! Ways of dedicating these spaces could be as simple as labelling each shelf on the shoe rack with a family member’s name. Or, hanging a little photo above the coat hooks so that everyone is reminded to stick to their own peg!

Balance practicality with beautiful decor

Your boot room decor should be designed to reflect and blend in with the rest of your home interior.

Warming shades, such as coral and burnt orange make the ideal colours for a boot room space as they are dark enough to be hard wearing against grubby fingers and outdoor stains, but bright enough to appear welcoming and comforting.

Decor and wall art is just as important in this space as any other, so add character and interest above low level storage or seating with photos or prints, and consider wall panelling for further depth and texture.

Credit: @shoesoff_slipperson

Balance practicality with beautiful decor

Coral Curry

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Opt for low level storage that doubles up as another feature

Low level benches or cabinets provide the optimum space to house shoes, boots and wellies when you come inside. And, while the insides of these handy spaces are essential, the top sides can also be very useful too.

You could scatter the top of your low-level storage unit with cosy cushions to create a comfortable place to sit while you remove your boots and coats. Or, you could be a little more creative and section off a part of your storage surface to place a herb garden or to grow indoor plants.

Credit: @kezzabeth_blog

Opt for low level storage that doubles up as another feature

Colour drench your entrance to make a statement

When your entrance is also your boot room, make a statement with a colour-drenched space using only two contrasting colours.

Use the same two colours to decorate the walls and ceilings, as well as your furniture units too, such as built-in coat wardrobes or standalone storage units. This will help your necessary storage features to blend in discreetly with the rest of your stunning hallway decor, without spoiling any of the visual appeal.

Credit: @girl.franks

Colour drench your entrance to make a statement

Salty Blue

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Set up a sink

A sink can be a very useful feature in a larger boot room space as it provides a place to wash your hands when coming in from outdoors, as well as for rinsing out dirty dog bowls or cleaning mucky football boots.

A hanging radiator is also going to be handy nearby for drying out damp rugs or scarves before they are stored away once again.

Credit: @jess_a_home

Ripe Peach

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Utilise built in storage

Built-in storage has many benefits and can be especially useful in a boot room or entrance hall environment.

One of the main benefits is that you can customise the storage areas to your own specific requirements, so if you know you will need a section to store pet equipment or gardening essentials, then you can plan these in so that they have their own dedicated space each day.

Using bespoke wooden furniture also means you have free reign over the colours you choose to paint with, and you can also change the colour of your furniture relatively easily when you feel the need for a refresh in the future.

Credit: @lifewiththekings

Breathe Deeply

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Mix standalone pieces of furniture

Despite the functional benefits of built-in furniture, standalone pieces can often win in the style stakes.

Try to opt for a series of simple pieces of furniture that are practical, but which also tie in with your contemporary and stylish home. Standalone pieces can be moved around with relative ease as your requirements change and are often a more cost-effective option providing adequate space for all your outdoor essentials.

Colour Match your boot room shades

Seen a colour shade that would be perfect for your boot room decor? Great news! Simply take a photo of the colour you love and upload it using our handy photo uploader. This will allow us to colour-match a shade of paint for your boot room that has been customised especially for you and your personal space!

Need help choosing the right paint or colour?

Use Virtual Assistant