THE GOOD LIFE
RO O M W E LOV E
Grime, Meet Style Designer Brooke Adler builds a mudroom with function and flair
BROOKE ADLER, owner of Brooke Adler Interiors, knew her family would outgrow their Myers Park home as soon as they moved in five years ago. But she was already planning for that. “You know what your house needs once you’ve lived in it for a bit,” she says. Two and a half years later, they knew they needed an expanded kitchen and upstairs playroom, a fourth bedroom, and a covered porch. At the top of her wish list was a mudroom with plenty of storage for her two boys, ages 7 and 4. After a six-month renovation, the family finally had a house— and a dedicated room—that could stand up to a little mud. —Taylor Bowler
36
CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JUNE 2020
DURABILITY Adler chose a dark gray tile for the herringbone-pattern floor because it hides much of the dirt the boys bring inside. “The shiplap is super durable, and the paint is super wipeable,” she says. “I liked the idea of nothing to clean—I wanted a plain look that’s low maintenance.”
STYLE MEETS FUNCTION A gold pendant light from Visual Comfort complements gold hooks and handles from Emtek, and the shiplap walls modernize the otherwise traditional house. The full-light entry door allows in plenty of natural light, and the long area rug invites people into the kitchen. “I like having the washer and dryer in a spot where I can still see my kids, and this is right off the kitchen— it’s an essential location for functionality,” she says. “This is what the house was really missing.”
APRIL WALTZ PHOTOGRAPHY
SPACE TO MOVE Before, the washer and dryer lived in a cramped closet with no storage. “With two boys, I wanted a sink where they could throw their stinky stuff, good ventilation, and countertops for folding laundry,” Adler says. She added hooks for their backpacks and jackets, drawers for their shoes, and cabinets to store paper towels and cleaning supplies.
