Hello my friends! I finally completed a DIY project I’ve had in mind for a long time. We’ve really needed some functional shoe storage for the mud room.
It’s a spot that’s bugged me since we moved in a couple years ago:
I started some mud room updates last year and added the shiplap wall, no sew cushion and long pillow. It made a huge difference in here and I LOVE this half of the room!
The only part that bugged me were the baskets underneath the bench. I used what we had when we moved in, but they drove me absolutely crazy. They shed everywhere and were super wonky. I knew I’d build something eventually to replace them.
I finally did it!! And they turned out perfectly! It’s pretty complex though…get ready for this super elaborate DIY.
I built…a BOX:
Ha! Well, two boxes.
Once you get the measurements figured out, building one is super easy. It’s figuring out the exact dimensions that takes the longest.
I had my wood cut down at Lowe’s and that made this go super quick. You’ll notice I used plywood for most of it — it holds shoes. Dirty shoes. I don’t need the inside to be pretty. 🙂
I didn’t use jigs or anything — just nailed it together with my nail gun and it’s super sturdy. You can see how I constructed it if you look at that pic above. I laid the bottom piece down, then surrounded it with the sides. I made the front and back longer so there wouldn’t be a rough edge showing on the front.
I used a nicer wood for the fronts so it would paint up nicely. After a few coats I put them in place and realized they definitely needed a little something:
They were functional but super boring. 🙂
My thin lattice trim to the rescue! I painted some scrap that I had in the garage and did a simple frame around the front. Be sure to check out all the ways I’ve used that lattice trim over the years!
After that I added a long, heavy duty handle…and they were done!:
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I wanted them to look as built in as possible, so instead of wheels I put a bunch of felt pads on the bottom:
They slide in and out super easy because our tile is so smooth. (I tested that out before building them — if you use wheels remember you’ll have to adjust the height of your boxes!)
At first I was worried they wouldn’t hold as many shoes, because we could stuff so much in the baskets. Turns out these are HUGE and hold plenty!:
No, I didn’t paint the inside. We’re the only ones that will see in there. Pick your DIY battles my friends! 🙂
They turned out even better than I had envisioned! And they are SO super functional, I’m so happy to have those baskets out of here!:
SO. much. cleaner. Achieving both form and function always makes me happy!:
I’ve been meaning to build these since I started this room makeover almost a year ago! They only took me a few hours total — I wish I would tackled this way sooner.
These would also be a great option for under the bed storage! Just use carpet sliders underneath instead of the felt. 🙂
Here are more details about this room if you’re interested:
- no sew bench cushion
- long lumbar pillow fabric — Joann’s
- DIY shiplap wall
- wood mirror — Target
- cubby canvas bins — Hobby Lobby
- black and brass sconces — Amazon
- long black hardware — Lowe’s
See more of our home here. To shop items in our home, click here!
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