Page 16 - The Hunt - Spring/Summer 2023

A storage cupboard’s countertop is custom-made from porcelain that’s grained like marble but doesn’t require sealing.
dryer, laundry chute and rough-ins for HVAC. The bulky appliances claimed a lot of floor space, so O’Brien freed up square footage by stacking the units. “Washers and dryers are incredibly heavy visually,” she says. “They don’t look as massive when you stack them, and it lightens the look of the mudroom.”
The lady of the house is a keen gardener, so O’Brien designated a place for boots and storage for vases she fills with cut flowers. A storage cupboard’s countertop is custom-made from porcelain that’s grained like marble but doesn’t require sealing. A pet shower accommodates the couple’s two dogs, who can readily be hosed off after a romp in the yard. “From the outside, it’s straight into the mudroom. There isn’t anywhere else the dogs can run to,” O’Brien notes.
Rustic gray subway tiles cover the shower walls, and penny-round tiles on the floor are grouted in deep gray. “I like to use the smaller penny rounds in the shower because they offer a better grip underfoot,” O’Brien says.
14 THE HUNT MAGAZINE
spring 2023
The shower isn’t just for four-footed friends. It’s a convenient spot to spray away mulch and mud from wellies or rinse out large tubs and buckets. “If there are little kids who are messy, they can get hosed off,” says O’Brien.
As an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins University, O’Brien was
in the pre-medicine and pre-architecture programs. She worked as a nurse in the cardiovascular intensive care unit at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia before shifting to design, starting with her own 1909 stone shingle-style house. “I really enjoyed ripping apart my house and putting it back together,” she says. “I loved history growing up, and I love these beautiful old Pennsylvania homes.”
“We used every nook and cranny we could to maximize the mudroom. We were very focused on storage so everything has a place.” —Designer Lucy O’Brien