Boot room ideas that are both practical and stylish

Boot room ideas, much like the items they are designed to store, come in all shapes and sizes.

If you're undertaking a self-build project in the countryside, you may find yourself carving out space for a separate room to prevent mud and mess making its way into your home. Or perhaps you're considering a bespoke bootility room - a clever combination of boot room and utility in one. 

Alternatively, where space is more limited, you may simply be looking at standalone furniture that will prevent piles of footwear building up by your front door.

But with so many options around, it can be hard to know which solution is best. To help get you on your feet, we've rounded up some of the best boot room ideas and sought expert advice to make sure you're on the right track.

Boot room ideas should pair practicality with style 

Regardless of the size of your space, "when designing a boot room, it's crucial to consider functionality and practicality," says Claire Garner, director of Claire Garner Interiors.

That said, our experts also agree on the fact your boot room ideas not only need to be practical, but should also be stylish.

Whether it's choosing a colour scheme that matches the rest of your home, opting for a bespoke hand-made solution, or ensuring your flooring feels both luxurious and is hard-wearing, achieving the right combination of storage and style will result in boot room ideas that are a success on every level.

Claire Garner

Claire Garner is renowned for her expertise in crafting timeless interiors that radiate elegance and sophistication. With a keen eye for design, she excels in layering muted colours, patterns, and textures to build design schemes with depth and personality.

1. Install a modern boot room in a contemporary home

"Boot rooms aren’t a new phenomenon and in fact, have been part of large country homes for decades," says Richard Davonport, managing director of Davonport. "However, because of the practical and hard-working nature of these rooms, they have also become sought after in modern day homes."

"How you make the best use of your boot room is down to personal choice," adds Richard, "but it 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 but ultimately, it is about ensuring the rest of your home remains clutter and dirt free - something that makes them a great addition to open-plan living." 

So while boot room ideas can often comprise of more traditional design elements, including shaker style cupboards, wall panelling and darker colours - all of which have a place and will be covered in this article, there's no rule stating you can't opt for something more modern instead.

If clean lines and simple sleek finishes are more your aesthetic, follow suit in your boot room and pair neutral coloured cupboards and low-level drawers with a lighter wooden top that doubles up as a seat. Cover your back wall with the same colour wood, add simple hooks for coats and bags, then top with a slim shelf above and integrated lighting.

Richard Davonport

Richard Davonport, a luxury cabinetmaker and designer, is the founder and MD of kitchen specialists Davonport. The company designs and makes bespoke kitchens and has its workshop in the heart of East Anglia. 

2. Install a sink in your boot room for keeping dirt in check

Whether your boot room is home to the dog, the kids sports kit, wet weather clothes or your daily commuting shoes, given the UK climate, it's likely water and mud will be a regular visitor to your boot room. So while space and storage is essential, if there's space to add a sink, the experts recommend that you do.

“A boot room is a hard-working room in the home and therefore needs the right equipment including the all-important sink," says Richard Davonport. "It is a key feature in helping to keep the rest of your home clean, as it is where you can wash muddy hands, rinse down your dog or even prep veg from the garden. 

"With so many functions to contend with, you’ll need to pick a sink that is made from durable materials. A traditional butler sinks work well here," suggests Richard.

"Also consider the size and depth, and if space allows, choose one that is extra deep so you can get a whole plethora of different items in it." 

For more ideas, head to utility room sink ideas to see which one might work best in your boot room.

3. Choose easy to clean surfaces - including your seating

When it comes to choosing materials for your boot room ideas, "choose durable materials like performance fabrics and porcelain tile flooring that can withstand heavy foot traffic and muddy boots," says Claire Garner.

"You'll want to ensure sufficient space for seating, coat hooks, and a designated area for drying wet clothing," adds Claire, but this all needs to be hardy enough to deal with the frequent appearance of rain, water and mud to your room.

Following the same priniciples for your flooring as utility room flooring ideas, you'll also want something super durable for your seating. Banquette style seating is perfect for a boot room, as when painted with the right finish, it's easy to wipe down and keep clean. 

Although you may choose to add cushions, that really comes down to personal choice as you largely won’t need to worry about making seating in a boot room comfortable. Unlike other rooms in the house, it's not somewhere you'll necessarily sit for any length of time.

4. Make sure your seating also contains storage

Of course, cushions or not, your seating doesn't have to just function as a seat if you're looking to make the most out of your boot room ideas.

"The best boot room ideas incorporate ample storage solutions such as built-in cabinets, shelves, and cubbies to keep outdoor gear organised and easily accessible," says Claire Garner.

“Typically, seating in a boot room will be in the form of a bench, either freestanding or more often than not, built in alongside a range of storage cabinets," explains Richard Davonport. 

"You can also look to make the most of the space, and either utilise the wall behind the seating for additional clothes pegs or make use of the space under the seating as an area to store shoes and boots once taken off." 

To make the most of the height available, also consider the size of the items you want to store. Remember that wellington boots will require at least twice the height of normal shoes so be sure to measure the height before your decide where to position your seat.

For an added layer of practicality, consider using pull out trays at floor level to contain any missed dirt that falls off shoes once they are dry.

5. Darker colours may feel more practical in a busy boot room

A darker wall colour can feel more forgiving for dirty and busy boot room ideas

Not only is this beautifully deep jewel-green boot room from Martin Moore stylish and dramatic, it can feel more forgiving to use darker colours in a room that may need to hide some dirt in between cleans.

Boot rooms can sometimes be smaller spaces, so embracing a dark colour may seem contrary to keeping it feeling light and airy, but leaning into a dark colour in small boot room ideas can also help to make it feel like a cosy, cocooning welcome when entering your home from the world outdoors. 

Given the moisture levels and traffic can be similar to your kitchen, it's also worth checking out the best kitchen paint to ensure you're applying a paint that will withstand the test of time.

6. Use a floor to ceiling solution if you have a free wall

Even if you've only got one wall to spare for boot room ideas, you may be pleasantly surprised at just how much storage you can actually fit in if you opt for a bespoke, floor to ceiling boot room wall.

From boots to cycling helmets, bags to shoes and even the obligatory seating area, this well executed fitted bootroom design from Sharps shows the value in considering a fitted solution rather than freestanding cupboards or shelves.

Utilising every millimetre of space turns one wall into one of the most compact, but practical, family boot room ideas we've seen.

7. Don't underestimate the value of hooks

Hooks are your friend when it comes to boot room ideas. Practical, available in a wide variety of styles and finishes, as racks or as individual items, hooks can be used to hang a multitude of items.

So even if only have scope for simple boot room ideas that translate into a seat with storage underneath close to, or next to your front or back door, still consider adding hooks for hats, bags and coats on the walls behind.

Top with a simple shelf for extra storage or as a place for displaying pictures or treasured items or flowers collected on family walks.

For beautiful hooks and boot room style solutions, head over to Off the Grain where you'll find some delightful options for your boot room ideas.

8. Choose classic panelling for a hardy boot room finish 

There’s a reason most of these boot room ideas have panelled walls like this design from Hush Kitchens, and it’s not just down to a boot room’s countryside-influenced heritage.

Wooden panelling will be painted in a hardier finish than emulsion, making it easier to clean. Gloss paints are the easiest to clean, but satin and eggshell paints are a good compromise between this ultra glossy style and a more popular matt finish. 

Where you do have bare walls in a boot room, try using a washable paint to ensure the room looks its best for longer, without the need for repainting. 

For a similar neutral, but hardwearing shade, try an eggshell finish in Alabaster White from the Dulux Heritage Range at Designer Paint.

9. Use doors to keep mud confined to the boot room

While open plan living is a popular choice when renovating or self building, you’ll ideally want some sort of door to partition your boot room from the rest of the house - especially if you have dogs that you need to contain when you come back from a walk. 

However, it’s nice to be able to retain a sense  of openness if this is the general style of your home. Consider a glass internal door, or even a half stable door, as an option for dividing the space between your boot room ideas and the rest of your house.

10. Opt for a freestanding unit if your boot room needs are less extensive

If you live in a town or city and feel your boot room needs are far simpler, there's still a lot to be said for the contained storage opportunity offered in smaller or freestanding units that are designed to fulfil the same basic purpose as a larger boot room space.

To get the most out of your unit, pick one that has a combination of both open and closed shelving and drawers, as well as seating and hooks.

In a less dirty environment, it's also easier to add a touch of comfort with a padded cushion on the seat and if it's in your main entrance area, go to town with your wallpaper choice and add some glamour to an otherwise utilitarian need.

11. Turn your porch into a boot room idea 

A boot room might seem like something you create at the back entrance to your house, much like a utility room, however, there’s no reason not to create a boot room at your home’s main entrance - especially if you're looking for porch extension ideas.

In this renovated countryside home by De Rosee Sa architects, tough coir flooring has been used in the porch area along with practical wooden shelving, hard-wearing green panelling and plenty of neat wooden hooks.

It's all to easy to dimiss style when practicality and function come first, but it's those final finishing touches and thoughtful attention to detail to create a cohesive scheme that make all the difference - especially if it's the first space you enter in your home.

12. Don't forget a space for the family pets

Boot room ideas are often a great solution if you're seeking a home for your family pet. Allocating a space within a boot room wall such as this one not only gives them somewhere cosy to sleep or rest, it can also help contain their muddy paws while you deal with the rest of the family's shoes and coats.

If space is no object, you could even consider allocating space for a dedicated dog shower, one of the more recent additions to modern utility room ideas.

13. Combine two rooms into one with a bootility room

If you don’t have room for a dedicated boot room, it’s easy to add the benefits to a utility room in a design now commonly referred to as a bootility room.

Seating and storage for coats are as always the key, so consider asking your kitchen design company if they produce the right kit to match with the cabinetry you’re choosing for your utility room. Or, if you want to zone and define each area, consider choosing a contrasting material to add interest to your interior scheme.

Feel you've got a better grip on your boot room ideas? Claire Garner shares her final tip if you are building a bespoke boot room or converting an existing space that may not have the option for windows.

"Lastly, consider adding ventilation to keep the space bright, airy, and odour-free," notes Claire. With the potential for damp clothes, damp dogs and well worn shoes all blending together to create some dubious smells, the likelihood is you'll need to make sure these circulate out of the house - and not into your kitchen. 

If you aren't able to benefit from natural ventilation, read the advice in does a utility room need an extractor fan and apply some similar principles to help you find the right solution for your boot room space.