3 months ago I was watching a home design show with my wife (we PVR as many as we can find because they’re an absolute hoot to watch) and I saw how one interior designer add a wood mudroom storage locker to the mudroom area.
Before the transformation, the room was a disaster – with shoes, bags, umbrellas and stuff lying about all over the place.
The lockers (which are really cubicle wooden shelving units with hooks) tidied the room up very, very nicely.
Let’s face it, kids have a lot of stuff and there’s nothing more annoying than walking into your home and practically twisting your ankle stepping on shoes or implanting a big muddy footprint on your child’s favorite jacket by stepping on it because it’s on the floor.
The best solution I’ve seen is not costly and it’s easy to install. It’s a type of furniture called a mudroom locker shelving unit.
Types of Mudroom Lockers
1. Tiers and Columns: the main categorization of mudroom lockers is based on tiers and columns. Tiers refer to the number of rows. Columns refers to the number of individual locker units. Here’s an example of a 3-tier 5 column wide locker:
Source: Wayfair
2. Kids’-sized vs. adult-sized cubby lockers: If you have young kids, you might prefer a shorter storage unit so the kids can reach the hooks. The usual kids’ height lockers are 50.5 inches. The adult units are typically 69 inches in height.
3. Locker vs. Hall Tree: While a subtle difference, there is a difference. Lockers are self-contained storage cubbies, whereas a hall tree which serves the same purpose is open. Typically lockers should only go in a mudroom or more casual entry, whereas an entry hall is more formal and suitable for a foyer or formal entry area. That said, hall trees work great in mudrooms as well. We restrict our list below to lockers only.
Additional Features to Consider
1. Simple vs. Decorative: There are simple versions (see below) and more decorative options. Go with what you think is best.
2. Benches included: Some mudroom lockers include benches on the bottom, which can be very handy for sitting on when putting shoes on… and great for hall storage.
3. Drawers and shelving (storage): Some include drawers /shelves at the top and/or bottom.
4. Hooks: Hooks are important for coats and hats. You can easily add more hooks to the default number of hooks.
5. Materials used: Many are wood, but you can find metal ones. I think for a home, wood mudroom lockers are the best. Metal is overkill and a bit institutional looking. Kids (and adults) don’t wish to be reminded of high school in their home.
6. Shoe storage: It’s super handy to have shoe storage option with small sections at the bottom of your mudroom storage unit.
Kids Mudroom Locker Dimensions
- Short: 35 inches
- Tall: 49 inches
- Narrow: 14 inches
- Wide: 54 inches
FYI, the above are general dimensions. There are exceptions and of course if you have one custom built you can make it as short, tall, narrow or wide as you like.
Best Mudroom Locker Options (my opinion)
1. Single Tier Locker
Here’s another concept altogether which is short, single tier lockers with central shelving for general storage.
2. Two-Tier Locker
Above is an example of two-tier system. FYI, some two-tier units have the smaller shelving units on the top of the coat section.
3. Three-Tier Locker System
The above is an example of a 3-tier mudroom locker system. FYI, some have both small shelving units above or below the coat section.
4. Four-Tier Locker System
Above is an example of a 4-tier mudroom locker system.
5. Single Column Lockers
Learn more here (Amazon)
This is a mudroom locker system with 3 separate units. This is great because you can separate them or configure them however you like in your room. It’s also kind of fun having different colors… of course it may not be so much fun if your kids all want the same color.
6. Two-Column Locker
Above is an example of a 2-column mudroom locker system.
7. Three-column Locker
Above is a 3-column locker system.
8. Four Column Locker
Above is an example of a 4 column unit.
9. Five Column Locker
Learn more here (Amazon)
While the image of this cubby locker isn’t dressed up with coats and bags, don’t disregard it. It’s inexpensive and has a very nice feature that many don’t have – namely a bench on the lover level, which is super handy and convenient for kids.
The above is a very common design, but offers a variety of configurations anywhere from 2 columns to 5 columns and 1 tier to 4 tiers. The overall dimensions among configurations will vary, but typically mudroom lockers designed for kids are shorter than traditional hall trees.
10. Five+ Column Locker
Above is an 8-column wide mudroom locker system.
11. Mudroom Locker with Extensive Top Storage
This is an interesting hybrid unit with kids’ height lockers topped with a storage cabinet. It’s not the most aesthetically pleasing, but it’s great for storage. It’s very tall standing 74.5 inches tall.
It’s also worth mentioning that it’s made with 100 percent Healthy KidsTM Plywood.
12. Freestanding Round Mudroom Locker
This is the only unit in our featured collection that’s free-standing, yet still offers sections/cubicles. This a great unit because it takes up little space, yet offers 4 sections. The downside is it doesn’t line up flush to the wall.
Look closely and you’ll see that each section offers 2 double hooks, which is great for bags, coats, etc. It’s 24 inches in diameter and 50.5 inches in height.
If you want something basic and in white, this is about as basic as it gets. This mudroom lock costs less than $100. While there’s only one large section, there are 2 hooks and separated lower storage.
14. Locker with Colorful Trim
This is a playful kid’s locker unit for entry spaces. It’s a tad colorful with a purple border. Standing 50.5 inches in height, it’s ideal for kids. Like many in our gallery, it has 2 sections, each with 3 levels.
15. Floating Mudroom Locker
If you prefer a floating mudroom storage unit, this is for you. It offers floating shelving with hooks underneath for several coats.
16. Decorative Mudroom Locker
Here’s a decorative mudroom locker that could easily work well in a more formal foyer. It’s 2 sections includes decorative hooks. The bottom drawer offers additional concealed storage. It measures 32 inches wide, 16 inches deep and 69 inches in height.
17. Mudroom Locker with Shoe Storage
Learn more here (Amazon)
This is a basic, inexpensive, natural wood mudroom open storage unit with a small sitting bench on the bottom under which are small cubbies for shoe storage.
18. Large 4-Cubby Locker System with no Bench
Learn more here (Amazon)
This is a great wooden entry hall storage unit because it’s 4 sections and doesn’t have a bench. Many are either 2 or 5, so this is a nice middle-of-the-road option. There are the standard 3 open levels (shoes, coats and upper storage).
19. White Locker with Drawer Storage
Learn more here (Amazon)
Here’s white mudroom unit with lower drawer storage that’s somewhat decorative and would look good in a home’s main entrance hall. At 69 inches in height, it’s fairly tall, but will fit under all ceilings. It includes 2 sections which can be shared while offering decent organization of shoes, coats, bags, etc.
20. 3-in-1 Locker System
Learn more here (Amazon)
While this unit isn’t broken up into separate sections, it has defined hooks and storage while looking great. Not everyone wants the “locker” or “cubby” storage solution… especially in an entry hall. Moreover, this unit offers individual drawer storage on the bottom which is great for mittens and other smaller items.
21. Painted Mudroom Locker
Here’s a painted locker unit. I prefer the natural wood or white models, but if you have a color scheme that works better with dark brown, this one is for you. It also gives you an idea of how you can paint a natural wood unit to fit your home’s color scheme.
22. Short Mudroom Locker System (5 Lockers)
Here’s a short 2-tier mudroom locker that’s only 35 inches tall, which is great for young kids.
This is a super fun locker unit for kids. It’s shorter so young kids can reach their own coats and bags on the hooks.
23. School-Style Locker (without the door)
This locker hasn’t received any reviews yet, but it certainly looks interesting. It contains a foot locker, a large storage area, and two small compartments on top. One of the compartments is closed with a small door and features a lift up handle. It is compatible with a combination lock. You can store valuables inside this compartment while exercising. The open compartment can hold hats and gloves.
The main locker area is large enough to hold backpacks, bats, jackets, and clothes. The foot locker has a lid that opens and closes. There’s a padlock hasp as well. You can store shoes, towels, and other items here. It features a ventilated front panel. Several of these lockers can be stacked next to each other. It would look great in a gym, country club, or at home in the basement.
24. Corner Mudroom Locker System
Here’s a mudroom locker system for kids that is designed for corners. The unit above offers 11 lockers, each having 3 tiers. That’s a lot of storage for any home, but you sure could handle all the coats and hats even if you have 4 or 5 kids.
25. 9-Unit Corner Mudroom Locker
Above is a middle-of-the-ground corner system with 5 lockers on one side and 3 on the other with one in the middle.
26. Small Single Corner Mudroom Locker Unit
The above is an example of a single, smaller corner mudroom locker unit.
27. Double-Sided Freestanding Mudroom Locker
Above is a free-standing mudroom locker system with locker units on both sides resulting in 10 individual locker units. You’d obviously need a huge mudroom for such a unit, but if you have the space, this is a great way to add a lot of storage in a relatively small room.
28. Coat Separater Mudroom Locker
The above is an example of a mudroom locker system for kids with a coat area separator.
29. Mudroom Lockers with Doors
Above is a classic locker system with doors. It looks better than the steel variety used in schools, but still provides kids privacy or is a system to conceal piles of coats, bags and footwear.
Related: Mudroom Locker Plan | Fantastic Mudroom Ideas | Mudroom vs. Foyer
