“Well, what I did was I saw 4 pieces of flagstone left over from the porch,
that were just going to be thrown away, because nobody wanted them,
and I asked Mr. Retch if he would just put them down on the floor of the flower room
and poke a little cement between the cracks and give me a nice stone floor
where it might be wet with flowers and things.
That’s absolutely all I did… All I asked for was a nice dry stone floor…”
~Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

Separated by a couple of generations, I still have much in common with Muriel Blandings’ vision of her Flower Room. A large flower sink, organization for cleaning supplies, access to the gardens and restroom—and a “dry stone floor." Most say the kitchen is the heart of the home—I believe the mudroom is a close second.

Our kids were young, friends in tow—in and out like a revolving door—in the garage door and out the back through the utility porch door. Whether covered in soccer mud or berry juice from rousing berry fights, aging dogs & new pups. Our mudroom holds the stories of our family growing.

Our previous home had the typical laundry room off the garage—always an untidy welcome to friends & family who graced the casual entry to our home. Sensing the indoor/outdoor living we were creating with our new farmhouse and gardens, our forever home, I knew the mudroom would play an important role in how we lived as a family. The room on the blueprints was just that—a room, four walls and 2 doors—in from the garage and into the house. The concept of storage, a water closet, utility sink and hooks for backpacks and winter coats were important additions. It also became the pup room. It was a place that housed the kennels, food and water bowls and everything dog.

As functional as our mudroom was for the past 22 years, the needs for my husband and myself had changed. As a home we hope to be equally functional for our current age as it will it will be in 20 years and beyond. That meant we needed a shower on the main and a more functional restroom for guests of my Belle Flower Farm business. More than a refresh was needed, an addition was called for.

I had worked with a designer a few years prior on another project. I knew he would do a wonderful job detailing my concept and drafting up an engineered plan. We spent several months emailing each other with updates and revisions—less room for the sink—more for the shower—skylight here and storage there. Finally, we were ready for our Mudroom 2.0. I began ordering plumbing fixtures, searching for vintage lighting, hardware & decor.

Then COVID. Our Project was on hold—it seemed like the right thing to do—an insignificant inconvenience. We stumbled over our collection of boxes that adorned our unused dinning room. With the lack of entertaining needs, it wasn’t missed.

We saw the opportunity early last fall to proceed. Our plans were submitted, construction schedule created and we were ready for our addition. Visions of Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House were ever present when recalling the scenes from this favorite Cary Grant and Myrna Loy movie.

“Yes, Sims, if we were going to build a house we want it—well, you know—just a little bit different.”

As I stood in a downpour, trying to staple a tarp to our open walls in hopes to keep standing water from accumulating, I thought of homeownership skills and education we have nailed together.

“On those second floor lintels between the lally columns…rabbet them or not?”

“No, I guess not.”

“It sounded cheeper to say no.”

As our project neared it completion, many hours were spent calking, painting and more painting—the end was in sight. Repurposing doors, art, my favorite flower vases and discovering the perfect “Bellflower” wallpaper— everything was coming together.

Our new farmhouse mudroom and bathroom looks like it always belonged. As the sun streams through the repurposed utility porch door—the one that our sons, their friends and Mark and I have used for 22 years— continues to tell the story of our family. Caring for future pups, hanging a crisp linen apron on a vintage hook, organizing housekeeping supplies and trimming flowers at the farmhouse sink, standing on “a dry stone floor.”