TG After Hours #1: What do I do with this mudroom wall?

We are excited to share our first TG After Hours question! And while our reader thinks she's asking about a command center, what she's really asking is: "How do I make this wall less boring?" Our favorite kind of question.

Here’s what she shared with us:

Hi! I have a “What do I do with this?” question! It’s giving me a ton of gray hair. The wall is right off the kitchen in our mudroom, but we have closets with cubbies and hanging space for all of the kids’ stuff because we preferred it hidden and not exposed like in traditional mudrooms. So I’m thinking a not-so-obvious command center with a bench. Help!

First of all, congratulations on not having backpacks, cleats, solo socks, sweatshirts, tennis rackets and water bottles exploding all over this space (can you tell that I’m jealous?). Hiding the chaos behind closed doors was absolutely the right move. The space is clean, organized, and you already made the smartest decision by hiding all of the mudroom clutter behind closed doors. You’re ahead of the game.

That said, this wall is begging for a little personality.

I love the dark stone floors (are they Belgian Bluestone?) - they ground the space and give it a sophisticated, almost European mudroom feel. But between the white walls and the simple architecture, the space feels a bit unfinished. It’s almost too polite. This is exactly the kind of spot where we would introduce something with a little charm and character.

Normally I’d tell you to wallpaper the entire area and call it a day. A textured grasscloth or subtle patterned paper would give this space a big hug. But from what I can see of the adjoining rooms, that may be a larger commitment than you’re looking to make right now.

The reason you’re probably stuck is that most ready-made benches are designed to appeal to everyone. They’re practical, neutral, and inoffensive. Unfortunately, that usually means they’re also a little boring. (We talk about the ready-made conundrum in our Dining Room design article, too).

This may be the only opportunity in this area of your home to introduce some color, pattern, or personality, so I’d encourage you not to waste it.

We see this all the time: people are willing to take risks in a powder room or a bedroom, but when it comes to highly functional spaces, they default to vanilla. The irony is that these are the spaces you walk through every single day. They deserve a little joy too.

For the command center itself, I’d skip the traditional corkboard and whiteboard options and look for something with a bit more personality. I’m obsessed with the magnetic boards from Mustard Made. They come in incredible colors, the accessories are adorable, and they feel more like decor than office supplies. Whether you go tone-on-tone or mix contrasting colors, they bring a sense of fun that most organizing systems lack.

And let’s be honest: no matter what you choose, it’s still going to hold school forms, dentist reminders, and camp paperwork. It’s a family command center. We don’t need to pretend it’s art. But if it’s going to live out in the open, let’s at least make it cute.

Side note: the Pottery Barn organizing system had an absolute chokehold on me when those catalogs arrived in the mail in the ‘90s. Who remembers that rail system? I could not wait to grow up and have labeled baskets and matching file folders.

We’d also love to see a wall sconce on this wall. Perhaps it’s a sconce in between two boards, or a picture light above.

One day, when the kids are grown and the paperwork is gone, this wall can retire from command-center duty and become a proper focal point - an amazing piece of art would be great here.

You Didn’t Ask, But We’re Here So...

While we’re talking about this space, I’d also consider ways to warm up the architecture itself. The black stone floors are doing a lot of the heavy lifting, but everything surrounding them is very white and very crisp. If this were our project, we’d be tempted to introduce a little more warmth through paint and millwork, maybe some paneling if you don’t want to wallpaper.

That could be as simple as painting the doors and trim a color - or even just a warmer white - or as involved as adding crown molding to give the space a bit more architectural presence. A classic blue would look fantastic here for a little personality (see our roundup of favorite blue paints). And if you’re thinking, “Jessica, I just painted everything white,” don’t worry - we have an entire guide dedicated to the whites we actually use.

See more benches, boards, and organizing sources at the links below:

An awesome entry mat

That cool globe sconce above

Magnetic board in fun colors

Plaid bench (also great for dining banquettes)

The rest of our mudroom picks

If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:

• Why That Beautiful Room Never Gets Used
• Designing a Foyer that Sets the Tone
• Think Before You Checkerboard

Have a design dilemma keeping you up at night?

That’s exactly why we created TG After Hours.

This first edition is free, but future submissions will be reserved for paid subscribers. Send us your awkward corners, weird layouts, questionable renovation decisions, and decorating debates, and we just might feature them in an upcoming post.