We are currently living in our rental property while we work on building a house. We don't have a mudroom or an entryway to drop all of our stuff when we walk in. We decided to do a DIY entryway bench and storage area, basically a mini mudroom if you will.
We are a family of four with two young boys. When we enter the house after an outing, we have a lot of stuff to drop (any moms feel me?). We need a practical entryway bench with coat hooks, a shoe rack and storage. If you live a home without a mudroom, this is the perfect solution. The best part is, it doesn't cost a lot and is easier to build than you think.
Researching how to build a DIY entryway bench can be overwhelming, so we hope this blog post is simple and to the point. We will help you build the PERFECT entryway bench and storage system for your space.
If you want to find out more about us, click here!
DIY Shoe Rack Bench: SUPPLIES
To start your entryway bench/space, you will need to gather your supplies.
- Dewalt circular saw: If you don't have a circular saw, any type of saw will do. BUT a circular saw or table saw will work best for building your entryway bench.
- Measure Tape: You will be using your measure tape throughout the entire project.
- Dewalt impact drill: This is an amazing drill to have for any project you are working on- a great DIY basic tool.
- Dewalt drill driver: Another great basic DIY tool to have on hand.
- Dewalt 15 gauge finish nailer: We used the finish nailer to nail the trim and shiplap to our wall.
- Kreg jig: We used the kreg jig for the pocket holes in the bench, to connect the boards.
- Wood glue: We used this multiple times throughout the project.
- Paint brush: Don't go cheap on brushes, you will notice a difference.
- 6 in roller: We used this to paint our storage shelf.
- Door Casing: We used this to frame out the space and fill it with shiplap.
- Shiplap: Shiplap adds the perfect touch to our entryway space because it gives it some dimension.
- Caulk: We used this to fill in the nail holes.
- Red oak: We used red oak boards for our entryway bench. You don't have to use this specific type of wood, but we love it!
- Moulding boards: We used this to frame the face of the storage shelf.
- Wood stain: We used the color carrington.
- Polyurethane: We sealed the wood bench to avoid wear and tear.
- Coat hooks: I am in love with these coat hooks. They add a modern touch to our entryway space.
- 36 x 12in white cabinet: This cabinet typically hangs over a fridge. Instead of having to build a custom cabinet, we bought one already assembled (diy hack).
- Cabinet screws: We used these to hang the storage shelf.
- Paint: You can use any paint you want, this is what we decided on.
- Dewalt clamps: You will need clamps to hold your wood boards together while they dry.
DIY Entryway Bench: STEP BY STEP GUIDE
STEP ONE: The first thing you need to do is measure your space; the width, height and depth. Write down the exact measurements so you don't forget.
STEP TWO: We bought a 36 inch base cabinet from home depot so we didn't have to build on (DIY hack). To raise up the cabinet, we built a frame for the cabinet to sit on. This is an optional step, we just wanted the cabinet to sit off of the floor. We cut and screwed together a 2 x 3 frame and placed the cabinet on top. We wanted the entryway bench to sit higher so it is more comfortable
STEP THREE: This is where you will frame out and define your entryway area. We used door casing to frame out the space. You can measure out your area and and decide how high and wide you want your space to be. You will also be building a shelf to go above your space, so take that into consideration. Once you cut your casing to trim out your space, use your finish nailer to secure it to your wall.
STEP FOUR: Once your entryway is framed out and defined the next step is applying shiplap. Measure out the framed area and cut down each shiplap board to fit. Make sure you take into consideration the blade width on your saw as you're cutting and measuring. You can do vertical or horizontal shiplap. We chose to do horizontal in our entryway. We wanted more of a traditional feel for our entryway bench area and felt horizontal shiplap fit our space.
After you cut your boards, take one board and apply it to the top of your framing. Use your finish nailer to secure your shiplap to the wall. Take the next board and do the same and so on and so forth until you reach the bottom of the space. Once the boards are secured, go back through and fill in your nail holes with painters caulk.
How Long Should an Entryway Bench be?
STEP FIVE: In this step you will make your bench to sit on top off your cabinet. We used red oak, but it really is personal preference. Measure your cabinet and how far you want your bench to hang over (just a few inches at most). We used a 1 X 6 board and cut it down. After you cut your boards down, you want to join the boards together. To do this, you will glue the board together with wood glue. You will additionally screw the boards together with pocket screws and hold the wood together with a kreg jig. Let it dry overnight. The next day you will sand it down with 120 grit sandpaper and then sand it again with 240 grit sand paper. Wipe it down and seal it with polyurethane, this will help the bench with the wear and tear of everyday life.
STEP SIX: Now it's time to build the storage shelf that will go above your entryway bench area. This is an optional step, you can keep the entryway as in without the shelf. We are a family of 4 and need as much storage as possible. We built the shelf out of MDF and then framed the front with trim. We built this with a circular saw, 8 inches tall, 8 inches deep and the width of our entryway space. After you get your pieces cut, you will assemble it by glueing the MDF pieces together and nailing it with a finish nailer. After you glue it together and it dries, you can trim out the front. We glued moulding directly on the front to add some detail. Just measure the front of your shelf and cut the trim accordingly. You can attach the trim with wood glue.
STEP SEVEN: PAINT! I found the perfect black, not to heavy and dark. It has slight gray tones that come through as well. The color is Little Black Dress by Behr. We painted the shiplap area first, painted the cabinet second and the storage shelf last. We painted with brushes for most of it, but used a roller on the MDF. We also had to use a small paint brush to paint in between the shiplap boards. You will definitely need two coats of paint with this color.
STEP EIGHT: It's time to assemble your entryway. First, you need to find the studs in your wall by tapping and listening for the change of sound. After you have located your studs, you can ahead and attach the preassembled cabinet to the wall by using cabinet screws. After the cabinet is attached to the wall, grab the wood top for the bench. This part is slightly tricky. You are going to attach the wood by applying a bead of wood glue to outline the top of the cabinet. Take your drill and drill into the top of wood from inside the cabinet using ¾ in screws. Drill the screws far enough into the wood but you don't want the screws to break through the wood.
Last thing you need to do is hang your coat hooks up. Measure the width of your framing and measure out where you want to hang up your hooks. We ordered glue-on hooks from amazon and love them! They are gold and are the perfect touch to finish out entryway.
STEP NINE: STYLE! You did it! You created your own entryway and entryway bench.
How do I make an Entryway Bench?
If you just want to make an entryway bench specifically, you can just take the 36 inch preassembled cabinet and put the wood board on top. Look back at steps 2 and 5 to find the exact details.
Another great idea is to look on facebook marketplace. Search "entryway bench" and I'm sure you will find a few treasures.
Here is another great option by Kristin Jones. She builds a bench for $25 and it is SO cute. Click HERE to check it out.
DIY Entryway Area and Entryway Bench: Overview
- First you need to measure you entryway area and see what you're working with
- Get a preassembled cabinet for the bottom of your space
- Frame out your entryway with door casing
- Attach shiplap inside of the framing
- Build a wood top for your cabinet to turn the cabinet into an entryway bench
- Build a storage shelf to go above your framed entryway area
- Paint everything with the color of your choosing (or little black dress by Behr)
- Assemble your entryway and put everything together
- STYLE and decorate your entryway
Entryway Bench Finished and Styled
My favorite part of a project is styling and decorating. Decorating this entryway was so much fun. I love how the black paint gives the area depth and contrast.
I styled our entryway with neutral colors, leathers and browns. I added a wallet at the top of our shelf along with a pair of glasses to add a different touch.
On the middle section I added a stack of chatbooks I have collected over the past 3 years. This adds a personal touch to the entryway and gives the shelf added height.
On the right top shelf, I added a pair of William's (my 3 year old) boots.
I hung my brown leather bag layered with my Magnolia hat. I use these both on a daily basis and wanted them to be easy to grab.
On the actual bench I layered a white fuzzy pillow with a pair of my favorite boots, since I wear them so often.
The last thing I did was add a wicker basket I found at the thrift store with a few florals popping out to give a traditional touch.
This was such a fun, practical and much needed project for us! Creating a DIY entryway bench and mudroom area was the best decision we could have made. We hope you love this and it inspires you to get building!
Here are a few posts you want to check out:
- 2021 Home Decor Trends | 8 Designs + Styles Trending Now
- 10 Must Have Items When Building or Renovating a Home
- Should you Buy or Build a Home?
- Tips for Buying a Home in a Seller's Market
- First Time Home Buyer: 10 Tips
Adventure starts now,
Mas & Liz
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