Avery Street Design Blog: shopping for...a mudroom rug

ok, "shopping for" might be a bit of a strong term. but "laying awake at 2 am dreaming of..." seemed like too long of a post title.

in 2014, the project that makes #1 on my most wanted list is our mudroom, currently referred to as "the cold room." our tiny garage entry is a narrow hallway filled with chaos. it is the main entry for a family of five (six, if we're counting the puppy), an overflowing kitchen pantry, and a laundry room, all cramped into a 5' x 13' channel. it's completely uninsulated, as far as i can tell, with a leaky door and a very leaky window, and registers colder than our refrigerator on winter nights. people pile up when we come into the house. the dryer door almost touches the opposite wall. the pantry is missing doors, because there wasn't enough room to open them and still get into the pantry. the sight line from the kitchen is a miserable hodgepodge of cans and spaghetti boxes and dog treats and recycling and muddy boots.

this is the current state of our mudroom. so why on earth am i dreaming of mudroom rugs? don't we have a ridiculous amount of gutting and remodeling before we ever get to the rug phase? yes. but, tonight, in my head, the mudroom is done. it's big and bright, with schoolhouse light fixtures and plank walls. it has five (or six) neat lockers with numbered doors. it has a new washer and dryer with a huge run of counters on top ready to welcome my mail and groceries. in my fantasy, i won a shopping spree at the container store, and the pantry is row after beautiful row of clear plastic chalk-labeled bins. a pitcher of peonies sits next to a deep farmhouse sink, in front of an oversized and insulated window. and the final touch is a great rug. something that can withstand all the snow and mud and that fits somewhere in the white-navy-mint-pink color scheme i rotate through as i picture this final room.

with that, i present to you, the nominees:

plank rug in navy, home decorators collection

vivid area rug in navy, home decorators collection

espana area rug in denim, home decorators collection

oxford stripe indoor/ outdoor rug in blue, pottery barn

west hampton indoor/ outdoor rug in denim, ballard designs

i love the idea of one of these fresh, navy and white rugs in this room. it would be classic. it would also uphold my promise to have more color in my house.

while we're on this topic, let me briefly catch you up on the scheme i have in mind for the mudroom. it's basically inspired by two things: watching (one painful episode of) doc martin on the bbc, and an adorable etsy print floating around pinterest.

the set design on doc martin was amazing. my favorite thing was the good doc's office. not only was it a luscious shade of mint green, but everything (everything) in it was painted that same shade. walls, trim, doors, baseboards, crown, fireplace mantle...everything. it was wonderful. so, i dream of the same in the mudroom.

after scouring the internet for. ever. this is the only image i could come up with from the show. at least it gives you an idea.

here is a butlers pantry from cote de texas that is going for the same effect:

incidentally, calories consumed in the middle of the night don't count, right?

the other darling piece of color inspiration comes from this print by little minnow designs on etsy. the combo of mint and navy is fantastic, and I can't help but see some those peonies (you know, the ones in front of my window) in hot pink to go with it.