Entry Mudroom Bench Unit

If you’re looking for a front entry storage solution for coats and shoes, why not build a mudroom style bench? In this article, I’ll share my DIY build that stores, organizes, and provides a great looking “welcome” for your family and guests.

If your family is like mine, then you know the struggle of dealing with coats and shoes that pile up at the front door. My wife and I have four kids, and it can be a challenge at times to keep the front entry neat and clean. I decided it was time to both solve our particular issue and to introduce a nice piece of custom-made furniture with this mudroom bench unit.

This unit is built primarily with sande plywood, which is commonly used in cabinetry, boatbuilding, and marine applications. Sande plywood is also very durable and holds up well from impact and wear and tear. Durability and water resistance are important attributes to have for a piece of furniture that will no doubt deal with daily use and exposure to wet coats and shoes.

The bench unit backing is made with reclaimed pallet wood planks. Finally, I trimmed out the unit with ripped down strips of spruce, white polystyrene crown moulding, and two coats of BEHR ULTRA Scuff Defenseprimer/paint. To attach the pieces together, I used an impact drilland Power Pro screws for the main boards, finish nails for the trim, and Gorilla wood glue.

Here’s a closer look at my mudroom bench unit build.

I built the bench unit first and installed the flooring around it. This is a floating floor and should be allowed to expand and contract freely. Thus, a heavy unit like this mudroom bench shouldn’t be built on top of it.

A couple of extra steps I had to take that you likely won’t have to do were removing a wall heater and wood paneling, installing and finishing new drywall, and repainting the wall.

I used a circular saw and a Kreg Rip-Cut circular saw guide to make accurate cuts in this high-end plywood.

This next section consists of the two side pieces and 2x4 braces that are mounted to the ceiling joists. My two sides are 19 ¼” W x 95 ½” L. The length of your side boards may differ due to varying ceiling heights. To install the side boards, after pre-glue, I placed each one upright against the bench sides and screwed them to the bench. Afterward, I leveled out the sides and marked on the ceiling where the two end ceiling braces were to be mounted. Once those are mounted, you can screw the side boards to them. Then, attach the three inner 2x4 ceiling braces, equally spaced.

I added a line on the ceiling from side to side that represented the front of the bench unit, so my 2x4 braces didn’t stick out. You could simply use 19 ¼” long braces and position them against the back wall, but some walls may bow out in places like mine does. Drawing a line and cutting the braces to the appropriate length will avoid copying a wall bow into the front of your unit.

My ceiling joists didn’t line up to where I needed them to be to mount my 2x4 braces. I had to get up in my attic and install bracing that my 2x4’s could attach to.

Next, attach the two divider boards to the top storage compartment board. The two divider boards are 16” H x 19 ¼” D and are equally spaced at 24 ¼” centers. The top storage compartment board is 19 ¼” D x 72 ½” L. Now slide this section into place and mount it to the 2x4 ceiling braces. Afterward, attach the bottom storage compartment board, which is also 19 ¼” D x 72 ½” L, to the divider board bottoms and to the two sideboards. Make sure the divider board bottoms match up to the 24 ½” centers at the top.

Once assembly is complete, fill all nail holes with spacklingand all seams with paintable caulk. Once dry, sand the unit with 220 grit sandpaper for a smooth finish. Then, add a layer of KILZ 2 primer, sand the unit one more time, then add two coats of BEHR ULTRA Scuff Defenseprimer/paint. I used my Wagner FLEXiO 5000 paint sprayerfor an even finish.

See my article herefor a closer look at installing LifeProof luxury vinyl plank flooring.

There you have it! This mudroom bench unit build is a very doable project that completely transforms the look and feel of our home. We now have a place to keep our coats and shoes that is both attractive and functional.