Five key design elements for a boot room that’s a step ahead

While a boot room was an essential part of country homes in the past for obvious reasons, you could argue that they’re a bit of a luxury today. However the practical roots of this versatile space mean that they’re actually a very useful addition to modern living – and can give you a multi-functional area that keeps clutter out of sight, brilliant in open plan homes.

For you, a boot room could be a place to store outdoor gear; an entrance hall to welcome visitors to your home; or a functional part of a utility room. Whatever you’re looking for, it’s worth putting effort into the design and styling. This will ensure it offers a seamless transition to the rest of your house. In our latest blog we look at the top five design features that are well worth considering to ensure your boot room is a step ahead.

Sink areas that make a splash

Whether you’re coming in from a dog walk, hike, playing sport or outdoor fun with the kids, it’s a safe bet that mud will be involved somewhere. A sink in a boot room helps keep the mess from the rest of the house and will enable you to wash hands, keep dirty kit, rinse veg from the garden, fill a dog bowl and more. Make sure you choose a durable material that can cope with knocks to keep your room looking lovely for longer – and a deep sink is perfect for giving you the space you need. Think about the tap height, too, to make way for everything from a tall watering can to a small dog!

Comfortable seating

Welcoming guests, getting the kids kitted out, or just battling to get wellies and boots off? All will be easier if you have a bench built in for people to perch on. Benches can have handy storage incorporated underneath them, too, perfect for clean indoor shoes, sports kit or slippers. Think whether you want a practical wipe-clean seat or one with comfy cushions for a touch of luxury. Either way, a lift-up top on your bench could create useful space.

Spacious storage solutions

Hooks are the minimum you’ll want for staying organised. Better still, go for a full- length cupboard with hooks inside – this keeps the room tidy and muddy outdoor wear and umbrellas out of sight. When it comes to footwear, cubby holes made to the height of wellies and boots make it easy to slot them away when you come in – and it’s easy to sweep them out to keep on top of the mess. Hooks for leads and harnesses are a must to make heading out for walkies quick and easy. And don’t forget cupboard space for items like pet food, gardening gear to cleaning kit and laundry essentials.

Style considerations

Just because your boot room (or ‘bootility’ if you’re combining this with your utility room) is a practical place, there are a multitude of stylish touches you can add to elevate it. Choosing the same colour and style cabinetry as your kitchen will create a seamless flow into your home. But picking a complementary or contrasting colour can work well if your boot room is off your hallway, for example. Just as you would when designing a kitchen, consider handles, taps and switches – these need to be easy to keep clean and simple to use, as well as looking the part. And putting thought into tiles, work surfaces and flooring can make the difference between functional and beautiful.

Hard working surfaces

Flooring is a key consideration for any boot room. You’ll want a material that’s easy to sweep, wipe and mop – as well as being scratch-resistant and durable. Natural stone or tiles are a great choice and both can be compatible with underfloor heating so you can save wall space from radiators. Work surfaces need to be equally tough but this still leaves room for characterful options like granite and quartz – perfect for traditional or modern homes. Tiled walls and splashbacks are also easier to wipe clean than painted walls. All food for thought when designing a boot root that works for you home.