How to Build a Mudroom Bench Using IKEA Cabinets

Organize your entryway or laundry room with built-in mudroom cabinets. I’ll show you how to build a mudroom bench using IKEA cabinets for lots of storage and organized space for shoes, coats, bags, and more. This IKEA mudroom bench is a custom DIY storage solution works for a small entry or a large mudroom!

You’ll also like 100 Inspiring Entryway & Mudroom Ideas and don’t miss these 15 High-Class IKEA Hacks, too.

Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to see all the other great projects we’ve been working on!

DIY IKEA Mudroom Bench Hack

We love using IKEA hacks to get organized and use our space wisely — most recently, we’ve added a faux built-in to our entryway here and replaced a closet with a built-in PAX wardrobe.

When this client had this mudroom area off the laundry room where they wanted to add storage, it was the perfect opportunity to build a custom mudroom bench and cabinet using our go-to IKEA cabinets.

This room had been added on to the original house specifically to be a dedicated mudroom area, and it adjoins 3 areas: the laundry room, the garage, and the family room. For years, the family had just had used baskets for their shoes here – one laundry basket for each person’s shoes. This worked but obviously wasn’t very space efficient and was not the look the homeowner wanted.

After a few years, they were ready to make this into an organized mudroom closet, so they called me. This client had previously gotten a design and quote from a local cabinet maker to build and install a corner mudroom bench and cabinet unit, but they wanted to simplify the design and reduce the cost. This IKEA hack mudroom setup came in right at their desired budget!

Based on the styles they liked and the storage they needed, I designed this IKEA mudroom with a short bench flanked by two large storage cabinets, with 6 deep drawers for storing shoes and boots. I’ll show you how you can swap the cabinets for tall lockers, too, if you prefer mudroom lockers instead of cabinets.

IKEA Mudroom Bench Components Used

*Note: This mockup shows an IKEA Sektion wall cabinet frame turned sideways in place of the wooden shelf/top shelf, as an alternative material option.

How to Make IKEA Mudroom Lockers

If you prefer a locker style instead of the closed cabinets with drawers, swap the 24″ Sektion cabinets for 2x 15″ Sektion high cabinets instead (available in 80″ and 90″ heights). Having 4 narrow high cabinets as lockers will actually save you money over the original cabinet and drawer plan above – totaling only about half the cost in IKEA materials!

Each high cabinet can be used for 2 lockers (one top, one bottom) and you can choose to install shelves and/or drawers for extra storage, too. Leave them open or add doors to hide coats and bags in the lockers.

*Note: This mockup shows an IKEA Sektion wall cabinet frame turned sideways in place of the wooden shelf/top shelf, as an alternative material option.

DIY IKEA Mudroom Bench Dimensions

As designed and installed, this mudroom bench and cabinet built-in measures 84″ W x 83″ H x 15-1/2″ D. The full room is 5’x10′ with a 9-foot ceiling – not a huge area but the perfect space for a one-wall small mudroom bench and cabinet set up.

Need Small Space Shoe Storage?

DIY IKEA Mudroom Bench & Cabinet Cost

The materials for this IKEA mudroom bench with built-in cabinets cost roughly $2000 for the IKEA components and an additional $300 at Home Depot for the additional lumber, shiplap, paint, stain, and top shelf melamine. The client already had the hardware, so grand total the materials are under $2500 for a custom mudroom bench and cabinets with TONS of storage. (For comparison, the quote from the cabinet maker was around $4500.)

DIY IKEA Mudroom Bench Time to Build and Install

I spent about 32 hours over 5-6 working days designing, prepping, and installing this IKEA mudroom bench cabinet combo. I did as much as possible in my shop before moving things over to the client’s house (about 16 hours of prep work building and staining) to reduce the on-site working time and disruption to their home. Then I spent another another 16-20 hours over a few days in the client’s home to build the IKEA cabinets and drawers and install the built-ins. If you are doing this in your own space, it may take a little less time since you can build in place as you go.

This post contains affiliate links. Learn more and read our full disclosure policy here.

How to Build a Mudroom Bench with Drawers using IKEA Cabinets

Ready to build a mudroom bench with storage drawers? Here’s the materials and process I used for this IKEA mudroom hack.

IKEA Mudroom Bench Materials

These materials build a mudroom bench and locker storage X feet wide, with 6 deep drawers, plus 2 large cabinets each with 2 drawers and one shelf inside.

• (2) 24″ x 80″ SEKTION/MAXIMERA high cabinets with door/4 drawers/2 fronts/1 shelf (IKEA 393.536.56) which includes:
• (2) 18″ x 14 3/4″ x 40″ SEKTION Wall Cabinet Frames (IKEA 602.654.55)
• (2) 18″ x 14-3/4″ MAXIMERA Medium Drawers (IKEA 202.656.74)
• (2) 18″ x 15″ AXSTAD Drawer Fronts (IKEA 904.260.65)
• optional* (1) 84″ SEKTION suspension rail (IKEA 602.615.27)
• (1) 8′ – 3/4″ x 15-3/4″ white melamine shelf board
• (1) roll 3/4″ white iron-on edge tape (for short unfinished edge of the shelf board)
• (3) 8′ – 2×6 boards (shelf and bench top)
• (3) 8’ – 2×4 boards (base frame)
• (1) 8’ – 1×4 MDF board (base trim)
• (7) 8′ – 6″ primed MDF shiplap boards
• (9 feet) 1/2″ x 4″ cove crown molding
• (32 feet) 7/16 in. x 1-1/4 in. prefinished MDF stop molding (trim)
• (1) 8′ – 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ primed MDF board (top cabinet shelf support)
• (8) hardware pulls
• (3) double coat hooks
• 3-inch wood screws (to assemble frame and to attach to wall studs)
• 1 1/4″ wood screws (to hold the cabinets together; I used the screws that came with the cabinets)
• (16) 1 1/2″ pocket hole screws
• (2) cans white satin spray paint (Rustoleum Blossom White matches IKEA white almost perfectly)
• (1) 8 oz interior wood stain (espresso)
• 1 quart satin poly
• (2) 1-inch disposable foam paint brush

Tools Needed

Note: Since I was building this in the client’s home, I meticulously measured and pre-built the cabinet base, mudroom bench top, and mudroom shelf, and also pre-painted the trim, all before assembling the cabinets and installing them. For ease of DIYing in your own home, I’ll show the steps here in sections, like I’d do in my own home vs. building in a client’s home.

Step 1: Build Cabinet Base

For this built-in IKEA mudroom bench cabinet, start with a 2×4 base for the cabinets. (We did the same thing with 2x6s for our faux IKEA built-in in our entryway.)

Building a base like this ensures that the cabinets are level and gives you a strong base while leaving space to continue the baseboard trim (essential for a pro-level built-in look!).

Be sure to consider the height of the bench to sit on when you’re determining the base frame height and cabinet height – a bench that is a little too tall or a little too short won’t be as comfortable to sit on to put shoes on. If you plan to put a cushion on the bench, include that height in your calculations. Standard bench height is 18-20″.

To match the existing 4″ baseboards in this room, I ripped 1/2″ off the 2x4s using my table saw so the base is 3″ tall instead of 3 1/2″.

The base is just a simple 2×4 frame with supports placed where the edges of the cabinets sit. For this setup, the base dimensions 84″ x 14.5”. I cut the two long sides at 84″ and the 5 supports at 12″. Place one support at each end, and then center additional supports in the center and at 24″ from each end – this will put them in place to support the edges of the cabinets.

Step 2: Install Cabinet Base and Level

Before installing the cabinet base, remove the baseboards in the area where the built-in will go. If you can remove it carefully, you can reuse it later!

Then set the base in place and square it with the walls. (Walls are rarely perfectly square so you’ll need to use shims at some point in the installation process.) Level the base using shims and attach it to the wall using 3″ wood screws, to the upright studs and/or to the bottom plate of the wall studs.

Step 3: Assemble and Install Cabinet Frames

Assemble the 2 Sektion high cabinet frames and the 2 Sektion wall cabinet frames. Just follow the IKEA directions. You can reinforce the connections (dowels, etc) with wood glue if you’d like – I did not do that.

Place one high cabinet frame at each end of the base frame with the wall cabinet frame between. Ensure that they are level (horizontally straight) and plumb (vertically straight) and also square – measure the diagonal lengths of the opening and adjust until the two diagonals are exactly the same. Attach the cabinets to the base using 2-3″ screws where they will be hidden beneath the drawers. Attach the cabinets to to each other using 1 1/4″ screws that came with cabinets and to the wall using toggle bolts (or to the cabinet rail if you’re using that).

Step 4: Install Top Shelf

Cut the melamine shelf to length, if needed. Apply the edge banding to the short edge (or to one long and one short edge, if you are using a melamine board with unfinished edges. This hides the particle board from being visible if there’s a small gap between the board and the crown molding, and the melamine edging also adds stability for attaching the crown molding to the particle board shelf.

Place the melamine shelf on top of the 2 upper cabinets and attach to the cabinets using 1 1/2″ screws through the melamine and into into the upright sides of the shelves.

Step 5: Build Mudroom Bench Top and Shelf

I made both the bench top and the shelf from 2×6 lumber joined with pocket holes to make a slab. You could use 2 layers of plywood glued together and finished with edge banding if you prefer, which wouldn’t require using a table saw, only a circular saw.

Use the table saw to trim the rounded factory edges off the boards. Cut 6 boards at 36″ length. Drill 4 pocket holes along one edge of 2 of the 3 boards to edge-join the boards, and attach them using wood glue and # pocket hole screws.

Use long bar clamps like these to hold the boards square and tight while the glue dries.

Once the glue has dried, sand and stain the bench top and shelf. I used 2 coats of Espresso stain, then a satin poly.

After the stain had dried and sealer cured, dry-fit the bench top and shelf in place. Use clamps and some scrap pieces to hold the shelf in place to ensure it fits. Trim the shelf to fit the depth of the cabinets with a little extra space at the front. Don’t install the bench top and shelf yet.

Step 6: Install Shiplap and Trim

Adding a shiplap backing is optional but really helps the built-in unit look nice. It helps it look more custom and less like cabinets stuck on the wall.

Measure and cut the shiplap boards to length (36 inches) and and paint them. One the paint has dried, install the shiplap above the mudroom bench. Start from the bottom and level the first board, then work your way up the wall, checking for level as you go. I placed the first board behind the bench top, but you can start above if you prefer (just make sure to account for this in the depth of your bench top, and in the height needed for the shiplap boards).

I attached each shiplap board with pin nails into the studs – a brad nailer would work, too. Use a table saw to trim the top shiplap board to fit beneath the top shelf.

Step 7: Add Crown Molding

Cut the crown molding to fit the top and side of the shelf. Paint the trim and then install the crown around the front and the one exposed side of the built-in cabinet unit.

Use wood filler to fill any visible nail holes, and touch up any paint on the shiplap or trim.

Step 8: Install Mudroom Bench Top

Place the bench top on top of the wall cabinet frame. It should fit snugly between the two cabinet frames. Secure it in place using 2″ screws from beneath, through the top of the cabinet and into the bottom of the bench top.

Step 9: Install Shelf Above Bench

Use clamps and scrap wood (or I used pieces left over from this vinyl deck porch railing) to place the bench at the height you like. This shelf is about 15″ from the top shelf to leave room for baskets that are easy to reach, while also leaving about 50″ head clearance for sitting on the bench. Attached with 3″ screws, predrill holes

Attach the shelf using 3″ screws through the sides of the cabinet frame into the edges of the shelf. If you’re concerned about shelf strength, you could could also also add a painted #1×2 support under the back edge of the shelf for added stability.

Step 10: Assemble Drawers and Install Cabinet Shelves

Now that the cabinets are securely in place, it’s time to head back to the IKEA assembly docs… Assemble all 10 drawers with these configurations:

• 4x 24″ Maximera drawers with 24″ Utrusta drawer fronts (for the drawers inside the cabinets, behind the doors)
• 4x 24″ Maximera drawers with 24″ Axstad drawer fronts (for the visible drawers in the side cabinets)
• 2x 18″ Maximera drawers with 18″ Axstad drawer fronts (for the bench drawers)

Install each of the drawers following the instructions. I recommend leaving the protective film on the drawer fronts until you’re ready to install the hardware.

Step 11: Install Cabinet Doors

Attach the Utrusta hinges to the doors and install the doors on the cabinets. Adjust the hinges as needed so the doors hang exactly straight and level. Again, I recommend leaving the protective film on the drawers fronts until you install the hardware.

Step 12: Add Trim

Cut the baseboard trim to fit the front and side of the new built-in cabinet (and the corner wall section). Pre-paint it (if needed) and install it. You’ll have to remove the bottom drawers to install the bottom trim.

Cut the stop molding to fit behind the cabinet door against the wall and install it.

Touch up any nail holes and paint as needed. Caulk all the trim pieces.

Step 13: Install Door and Drawer Hardware and Hooks

Measure and mark the door and drawer hardware location — a jig like this makes it really quick and easy!

I prefer to leave the protective film on the drawers for marking and drilling the holes, then remove it before I install the hardware

Install the drawer pulls and cabinet pulls. Then measure and mark to install the coat hooks above the mudroom bench. These hooks are 8-9″ below the shelf, with one centered and the other spaced evenly to the sides, about 8-9″ inches apart.

And now the mudroom bench and cabinets are finished! Move in your shoes and other accessories, now hidden in drawers and behind doors.

These deep drawers from IKEA are great for fitting kids shoes and adult shoes, as well as purses and tote bags. The inner hidden shelves and drawers can hold gloves and mittens and all the other assorted items that need organized in a mudroom drop zone.

What do you think? Is an IKEA hack mudroom bench in your future? Leave us a comment if you have any questions!

More DIY Mudroom Organizing Ideas

Whether you have a dedicated mudroom, a small closet, or a corner of your entryway, we have ideas to help you get organized!

I am the husband of the amazing Cassity of Remodelaholic. I love to problem solve and to design and build things inside and outside the house to make life better. I am a professional Landscape Architect by trade and love the outdoors.

Lorene has been behind the scenes here at Remodelaholic for more than a decade! She believes that planning projects and actually completing them are two different hobbies, but that doesn’t stop her from planning at least a dozen projects at any given time. She spends her free time creating memories with her husband and 5 kids, traveling as far as she can afford, and partaking of books in any form available.

Related