How To Style Your Boot Room & Boot Room Storage Ideas
As the time for Spring cleaning approaches, you might consider revamping the most used spaces within your home, such as your cloak or boot room. In our latest blog, our interior experts share ideas on how to design and maintain even the muddiest of spaces within your home!
How should you style a boot room? Here are the best ways to style your boot room:
Read on to find out more about boot room design, as well as our favourite boot room storage ideas, and how to keep the busy room in your home clean and clutter-free!
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Boot Room Furniture Essentials
So, What is a Boot Room?
Boot rooms were originally only found in large country manors, however, they’ve recently become an integral part of many busy family homes. The name of the room speaks for itself; it's a space dedicated to shoes, muddy boots, umbrellas, coats, and any other accessories for the outdoors!
The room is usually located towards the back of your home, with an entrance accessible from the outside. A boot room can be created from even the smallest of spaces, allowing you to keep your hallway and entrance free from dirt and clutter.
Boot Room Design Tips
There are a number of factors that you must keep in mind when creating or revamping your boot room, and the boot room ideas below will work no matter the size of your budget.
Add Built-in Storage
A boot or cloakroom is likely to be the busiest and most functional space in your home, so ensuring you dedicate enough space for ‘necessary clutter’ is essential. Utilise every last inch of space by investing in built-in cabinets. Not only do these fit your space perfectly, but they are also the safest option if you have children, i.e. there is no risk of them tipping over.
Make the Most Of Wall Space
Coats, scarves, dog leads, backpacks, and pretty much anything in between can be hung up in some way or another. Keep the shelf storage for the essentials by making the most of hooks and strong coat pegs in your boot room. Not only will these be used by the whole family, but this is a very cost-effective organisation technique.
Prioritise Functionality
Ensure the ‘flow’ of your room works with your family. For example, you may want to place your welly boot storage by the door so that muddy boots can be removed straight away. Although draws and shelves may look seamless, would your children be more likely to put their belongings into easily-accessible baskets? Think in-depth about the functionality of the room before making any changes.
Get Creative With Colour
Just because your cloakroom won’t exactly be seen by house guests, that doesn’t mean that it should look drab and dull. We love painting busy nooks in our home with beautiful pastel shades to help add light: these might include a pale pink, duck-egg blue, or bright yellow.
If you’re one for funky designs, why not get creative with wallpaper? Because your boot room is a small area, having fun with your designs every few months is a low-cost way to add a striking colour scheme to your home. Lick offers a range of gorgeous paint colours that are more than ideal for busy areas!
We’ve seen some lovely boot rooms that integrate the stunning Nordic style with features like wooden wall panelling and rattan details. If you’d like to learn more about integrating cosy Nordic features into your home, why not read our recent blog post? - ‘What is Hygge & How Can You Hygge Your Home?’
Boot Room Furniture Essentials
We’ve listed some of the most practical and stylish boot room furniture options below. You don’t need a dedicated cloakroom to implement these boot room ideas, they would also work for a hallway, backdoor nook, or corner in the garage!
Coat Hooks
Try and avoid hanging coats on the back of the door as this often limits how many you can hang there - not to mention it also stops you from being able to prop the door open! Instead, invest in sturdy coat hooks that can be installed on an empty wall. With such a wide variety available, you really can find coat hooks that match your home style. We love aged brass or gold hooks for a touch of vintage style.
Shelves & Cubbies
Clever storage systems are essential if you want a room that stays organised and clutter-free. By creating dedicated spaces for all of the necessary clutter, you’ll not only save time when trying to rush out the door, but your space will also look great! We love adding shelves and cubbies into our boot room, which we’ll then use alongside wicker storage baskets.
If you are willing to invest a little more into your boot room, why not consider a built-in unit? These come complete with cubbies and shelves along the top - perfect for storage baskets, as well as a bench and an area for hanging your coats. These can be painted a dark grey or navy to help the unit stand out against a plain wall.
Welly Boot Stands
If your family loves long muddy walks, then a welly boot stand is a must for your utility room. The handy stand offers room for multiple pairs of boots, helping keep your floors clean of mud and grime. After a quick search on the web, you can find welly stands made from wood or iron, and both wall-mounted and floor options, so you really can find something to suit your style. Gardeners World lists some of the best options in a recent article.
Benches With Storage
Somewhere to take off your shoes is essential for any cloakroom. We love adding simple benches, particularly those that come with built-in storage or room for under-bench baskets. Complete your bench with a fluffy rug or cushion.
Here at Northern Willow, we stock a range of under-bench storage baskets, which are more than ideal for a busy cloakroom. The effortless and neutral style of our baskets makes them great for any home style, and thanks to their slim, rectangular shape, it slots nicely under a bench or worktop to provide a hidden yet stylish storage solution.
Farmhouse Sinks
If you’re completely remodelling your boot room rather than making a few simple design changes, we’d highly recommend installing a farmhouse sink. Not only are they the epitome of country living, but they come with several benefits. Because of the above-average size and deep basin, a farmhouse sink is more than ideal for washing off welly boots, bathing the kids, or rinsing the dog after a long muddy walk!
Umbrella Baskets
This one may sound self-explanatory, but instead of propping your umbrellas in the corner (and let’s be honest - they always fall over when you’re trying to rush out the door), why not invest in a dedicated umbrella basket? The umbrella baskets that we stock on our website are the perfect way to store all your umbrellas, canes, crutches or any other items that need storing neatly away.
Boot Room Storage From Northern Willow
At Northern Willow, we’re a family-owned business, so we understand the importance of keeping the busy home environment functional while still remaining stylish.
If you’re looking for a range of stylish boot room storage solutions, why not explore our website? We offer everything from storage boxes, to under-bench baskets, umbrella baskets and more. Each of our items are handcrafted with sustainably-sourced materials, and with free shipping available on each order - what’s stopping you?
If you have any questions about our storage solutions, or you’d like home styling advice, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team - we’d be happy to help you!
Related Questions
Where Should a Boot Room Be?
Boot rooms should be located wherever is most practical for you and your family. For most, this would be positioned next to the back door, with a direct entrance from the outside (this saves your kids traipsing muddy shoes through the house!). We also love rooms that lead directly to the kitchen, rather than the cosier living spaces.
If you have limited space inside, you could create a nook near a balcony or in a sheltered area, which could include an outdoor sink, as well as weather-resistant shoe racks and coat storage.
How Should I Keep My Boot Room Neat and Tidy?
When redesigning your boot room, prioritise practicality and organisation first. Ensure each of your items (hats, scarves, wellies, coats, etc) has a place to go. Utilise coat hooks and shoe racks, as well as a range of wicker baskets and bins that can go on shelves. To ensure the whole family knows where each item should be stored, add labels to each container.
Ensure that you maintain your boot room on an ongoing basis:
- Have a 15-minute tidy a few times a week
- Deep clean once a week
- Reorganise and declutter monthly
If you’d like more tips on how to keep your cloakroom organised and mess-free, why not read our recent blog - ‘How To Declutter & Organise Your Home’. We discuss our favourite decluttering tips and practical storage solutions for each area of your home.
What is the Difference Between a Boot Room and a Utility Room?
Although the phrases are used interchangeably, there is a slight difference. A boot room is usually smaller and only dedicated to muddy shoes, as well as coats and storage for outdoor accessories. A utility room is usually much larger and typically houses the washing machine and dryer, as well as a large sink and storage space. The utility room may also act as an overflow for kitchen appliances or pantry items.
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