Last week I was talking about the exterior of the garage. Today I’m moving inside to talk about the mudroom. Specifically the floor.
In my original plans, we were going to do a concrete floor. I liked the idea of colouring and stamping it to look like tile. But I liked that it would be one solid surface with no grout to clean.
Our contractor and I both called a bunch of concrete installers, and we couldn’t find anyone to do the mudroom floor. The space is too small, and there would be extra charges for a partial load of concrete. Heating the floor wasn’t going to be as straightforward as I thought.
Change of plans. We’re going with tile, grey grout and a really, really, really good sealer.
Now I have to pick a tile.
My mudroom plan is to plank the walls and ceiling. The walls will be painted a light greige, taupe colour. Fairly neutral. Not white. Hide dirt.
The ceiling will be wood.
So what do we do with the floor?
Let’s start with the two floors above.
The first mudroom by Sarah Richardson appeals to me the most. The floor is light, but close to the colour of dirt. I’d go with a grey grout over the white because… dirt. The tile looks a bit peachy in the picture, but I like the idea of something more brown-toned rather than grey. I’m worried grey tile might clash with the taupe walls. The tiles are a mix of sizes and the rough edges feel rustic.
In the second photo, we see slate, a common choice for mudrooms. For me, it feels a bit dark. Our mudroom will have a window in the door and that is the only natural light that will come into the room.
The other common material choice is brick. It feels a bit trendy these days, though some would say it’s timeless. It’s definitely rustic and durable. For me, I feel like the brick would start to feel too busy. There would be a lot of grout lines and tones of red. I’ve learned that I get tired of strong colours and patterns eventually. And I don’t want to get tired of this floor. Though a non-red brick might be an option.
Ellie and I went tile shopping a few weeks ago, but nothing jumped out at me. (Unprompted, she chose red brick.)
Home on 129 Acres 
I’ve had the color floor of the first tile. It showed dirt way to much for me. I had four dogs running in and out alll the time with muddy paws. Our current floor is closer to the second tile – with more variation in the pattern and color. It does not show dirt. I love it. I chose a similar tile for my bathroom after years with the kitchen tile. I went with light colored walls to help make up for the darkness of the floor. Both rooms have little outside light in them. All in all I am happy with the color. It has worked well for me.
Thanks so much for your first-hand experience. That is very helpful.
I love the slate! But I understand what you mean about yours being a smaller room than the inspiration photo.
No matter what you pick, try to bring home a couple tiles to see how it plays off all the other colors of your house. The tile we have is a light tan and looked very neutral in the store. After we installed laminate flooring next to it, the tile has a pink/blush tone. Now I hate it. We both hate it actually and are considering tearing it all up. The only thing stopping us is how much work that will entail.
Tile or slate is usually a pretty long term investment so I would make sure you love it before you install. I can’t wait to see what you pick!
You’re describing one of my fears. I feel like I’m not good at seeing undertones of colours and may end up with something that looks pink or “off” once it’s installed. Bringing home a sample is good advice. Thank you.
My favourite is the one with the non-white bricks. I feel like their colour variation would hide the dirt well.
That’s a good point. Thank you.