Get a Mudroom Floor That’s Strong and Beautiful Too

by Lisa Higgins

No matter how carefully you design your mudroom to hide the clutter of outdoor gear, it’s important to choose the right flooring: one that can handle muddy shoes, dripping umbrellas and sopping outerwear — and still look good.

Appropriate flooring options abound. Among them: slate, brick, ceramic tile, concrete, linoleum and vinyl. As for bad flooring options, you might want to shy away from laminate. According to Katy Gresham, showroom manager at Elite Flooring Specialists in Hartford, Connecticut, laminate “can’t hold up to standing water — it gets into the seams, and it swells up. It’s a great floor, but it just doesn’t work well in a mudroom.”

Hardwood is also a tricky choice. “Although it’s generally finished with polyurethane, which cuts down on water damage,” Gresham says, “it’s still not as durable as a ceramic tile or stone. If you still want a wood floor, just be sure to put down a mat or a boot tray to keep the wear and tear to a minimum.”

Here are some high-functioning mudrooms with floors that are worth a look.

Gorgeously reclaimed Chicago brick, set in a herringbone pattern, covers this mudroom floor. If you’d like a similar floor, contact Vintage Brick Salvage, which ships throughout the country.

The storage unit was custom made and painted in Benjamin Moore’s Acadia White, while the oversize back door with its mullioned glass is from LePage, a Canadian company.

Two sizes and shades of natural slate make up this handsome mudroom floor. Along the edges are 12-inch-square gray slate tiles, while 3- by 6-inch tiles in a variegated shade fill the middle. The subtle paint shades, White Heron and Grant Beige, are from Benjamin Moore.

What’s interesting about the floor in this modern mudroom is the way it was installed. Architect Marina Rubina cut 16-inch-square tiles of natural slate (Brazil Gray from Daltile) into three rectangles (approximately 5 by 16 inches) each. Bamboo (3¾-inch-wide planks) covers the floor in the adjacent room; the same wood is used as an appealing accent on the mudroom’s side wall and ceiling.

This mudroom in a New Hampshire farmhouse features floors of sturdy Tuscan terra-cotta tile from Pavé Tile. A salvaged pine bench provides seating and space for shoe storage. The muted color scheme is especially nice — the wainscoting is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Mosaic Tile; the trim, Papaya.

Strong and impervious concrete with a clear seal was used for the floor in this mudroom. A patterned indoor-outdoor runner (Caspian 969W, by Oriental Weavers) adds texture, while the 10-foot-long built-in storage unit includes shoe cubbies, a bench and hooks.

Packed with storage, this handsome mudroom has a ceramic black and white tile floor that has a classic look. (Be forewarned: Black and white checkerboards can be challenging to keep clean.)


The benches are topped with quartersawn white oak, while pale gray paint covers the wall and contrasts with the creamy cabinetry.

Colorful and intricately patterned cement tile makes this narrow hallway mudroom stand out. Old-style details — the pocket door, simple pegged clothes rack and picture-frame wainscoting — add to the charm.

Pale tumbled travertine adds texture to this graphic space. “With a good sealer applied every so often, it should last indefinitely under normal wear and tear,” say the folks at Fieldcrest Builders. The dark-stained bench top and rustic baskets work well with the white 1- by 10-foot MDF planks adorning the walls.

There’s nothing like thick stripes and bright colors to jazz up a mudroom. A multicolored Marmoleum (natural linoleum from Forbo) click-together floor makes a lively statement, and it’s easily cleaned — ideal for households with pets or children.

This small mudroom features 12-inch-squares of commercial-grade vinyl composition tile laid in a diagonal checkerboard pattern. The all-in-one storage unit features a stained walnut-topped bench, storage cubbies and hooks for hanging coats and umbrellas.

At Cabinet-S-Top we can help you create a mudroom that is strong and beautiful.  Stop by our showroom located at 1977 Medina Road, Medina, OH  44256 ~ 330.239.3630 ~ www.cabinet-s-top.com