“Mudrooms” have transformed into “rear foyers,” reflecting buyer’s preferences and the reality that many of us use the entry from the garage much more often than the front door. Seats with shoe storage under, coat hooks above, and a shelf or cubbies for additional storage help organize the family and reduce stress when trying to get out the door on time.
In an effort to control clutter and focus on aesthetics, creative builders and designers are taking the rear foyer concept to new heights with discrete amenities such as hidden message centers, concealed key storage, and other examples of private storage!
Message Center
Where do you keep the family calendar with everybody’s schedules? Where do you leave notes and pin up reminders (yes, some of us still do that offline!).
Planning for a message center is something you’re sure to appreciate after the remodel or once you’re moved in. Many people integrate the message center into a planning center or other area where they’ve a desk or modest work space. We’ve also seen them on the back side of wide cabinet or pantry doors, and in rear foyers (remember we’ve eliminated the term mudroom from our vocabularies!).
Charging Station
Cell Phone…laptop…iPod…Kindle…our lives are run on batteries!
Fortunately, these are rechargeable batteries. That’s great for the environment and avoiding battery replacement costs, but there is the hassle of keeping all of those batteries charged.
Recharging center to the rescue! One convenient location for a multitude of devices. One place where recharging is a snap and there’s no spaghetti-tangle of power cords, adapters, etc. One place where you know you’ll find that item you’re looking for–no more “Honey, have you seen my_____?” If the recharging center is for your entire household, locating it in the rear foyer entry from the garage works well.
Learn more about rear foyer design here.