How to Create a Mudroom Bench With Storage

Get your clutter under control with a great solution you can build and install yourself from stock cabinets and paneling. Learn how to create a mudroom bench with storage in this Lowe’s video:

Here’s how the project breaks down: you’ll buy two stock cabinet pantry towers along with a piece of beadboard paneling and build a shelf, a bench and a cap piece. This DIY project is best suited for two people.

1. Set the first cabinet in place. Make sure it’s plumb and level and attach it to the wall according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Find the studs that will fall within the span of the overall unit and mark them using pieces of painters tape on the floor. Remove your baseboard molding. Once the project is done, you can cut it to fit and reinstall.

2. Add beadboard paneling. Apply the adhesive to the back and make sure the paneling is flush to the top of the cabinet before applying the panel to the wall.

3. Add the shelf and bench. Measure and mark the heights, and then starting with the shelf, make sure it’s level and attach it to the wall. Use your tape stud markers and follow right up the beadboard to drive the screw into the stud. Attach the shelf to the cabinet itself. Go through the shelf and through the cabinet wall, then back the screws out of it and double-stick tape a small nailer over the holes inside the cabinet. Drive the screws into the nailer for extra support. The bench is added in exactly the same way.

4. Set the second cabinet. Slide it in nice and tight to the shelf and bench and attach it to the wall according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Check for level on the shelf before attaching it to the second cabinet. Move down and attach the bench in the same way. If the cabinet is not a perfect fit for the paneling, you can use beaded caulk to seal up any gaps.

5. Tie it together. The final element is the top cap, a piece of MDF with some crown molding applied to it. Apply a little adhesive along the raised edges of the cabinets. Lift up the cap and set it in place.