Who says you can’t have it all? With two teenagers and a fast-paced career, this homeowner was stuck between her wants and her needs when it came to redesigning her lacklustre mud room and its adjoining powder room. She wanted a stylish space that felt decorated, but she needed functionality that would live up to the demands of her busy family. So, with a little help from Croma Design’s Ryan Martin and a trip or two to her local IKEA, she created a space to be a perfect marriage of the two.


Before: Mud room
The previous homeowners had used the area as an ersatz storage space.

1 Functionality
Functionality doesn’t have to mean a lack of style, as demonstrated by this artsy, sculptural wire bear head from Bend that doubles as a hook.

2 Built-in cabinets
IKEA’s built-in Akurum cabinets with glossy Abstrakt doors make great use of the small space. Their sophisticated charcoal grey colour sets the tone for the rest of the room and complements the smokey hues of the Kentwood hardwood flooring from Carpet One Floor & Home.
3 A pretty vignette
The decorator’s touch is evident in this room, where a stylish tray for corralling keys also makes a pretty vignette.
4 Ambient lighting
A Niche Modern contemporary glass light fixture provides plenty of ambient lighting.

5 Wallpaper panel
The homeowner showcased this ethereal Azha wallpaper panel from Trove by having pieces of valance from IKEA’s Akurum/Abstrakt line mitred to create a frame that matches the cabinetry.

6 Built-in bench
By adding a few plush velvet throw pillows, the built-in bench becomes a pretty perch for pulling on winter boots. Deep drawers stow away dog supplies right where they’re needed.
7 Locker-style cupboards
The locker-style cupboards were made using IKEA’s Akurum/Abstrakt kitchen cabinetry, but designer Ryan Martin customized the interiors so they could accommodate hooks and shelving for coats, purses and shoes.
Before: Powder room
The layout in the powder room worked, but the finishes and colour scheme were hard on the eyes.

The use of a round vintage mirror where there’s no room for a wall-mounted one is a stylish space-saving solution.

8 Sheer Roman blinds
In a room where windows are small, sheer Roman blinds provide privacy without sacrificing necessary natural light.

9 Ceiling-height cupboards
The existing ceiling-height cupboards worked well in the space but needed a little facelift. Now painted in CIL Paints’s warm Monterey Cliffs, they house all the cleaning supplies.

10 A beautiful backsplash
The homeowner was able to use leftover slabs of Calcutta Michelangelo marble from a previous project as a beautiful backsplash in this diminutive powder room.
11 Display shelf
This deep window ledge serves as a display shelf for a few choice items like a piece of artwork and in-season blooms.
12 Frosted-glass door
The homeowner chose a door with frosted-glass panels so that light could flow freely between the two adjoining rooms.

13 Floating unit
The homeowner cleverly removed the legs from the vanity cabinet to create a clean-lined floating unit that takes up minimal space in the small room.
14 Intricate detailing
Intricate detailing on Thibaut’s Beaded Trellis wallpaper adds decorative textural interest to the sleek space.