DIY Mudroom Storage: Entryway Coat Rack and Shoe Storage Bench

A entryway coat rack and shoe bench in green paint (Riverway by Sherwin-Williams) as part of a DIY mudroom storage makeover project.

Our DIY mudroom storage journey turned out to be our most ambitious home renovation yet. Like many homeowners, we started with a quick fix—cobbling together a basic entryway organization system with a simple coat rack and shoe bins. That makeshift solution lasted about a year until life threw us some curveballs: a new baby and a desperate need for better mudroom organization ideas.

The transformation from chaos to custom mudroom storage wasn’t exactly planned. We had this awkward plywood opening leftover from another project (a bedroom accent wall situation), and then—plot twist—the pandemic hit, making us realize we needed both a home office and a more functional entryway storage solution. Nothing motivates home improvement projects quite like being stuck at home 24/7, right?

The space started life as a sunroom, complete with the previous owner’s attempt at built-in mudroom storage—a behemoth DIY storage bench that was about six feet deep. While we appreciated the craftsmanship (seriously, it was built like a tank), the front-only access made it about as practical as a chocolate teapot. You’d need Inspector Gadget arms to reach anything stored in the back. With a touch of renovation guilt, we decided it had to go to make way for our custom DIY mudroom storage makeover.

What follows is our step-by-step guide to creating a practical entryway system with everything a modern family needs: a custom coat rack with storage, built-in shoe cubbies, and upper storage compartments that actually make sense. Whether you’re dealing with muddy boots, endless winter coats, or just general entryway chaos, this DIY mudroom storage solution might be exactly what you’re looking for.

On This Page

Tools, Materials and Cut List for Your DIY Entryway Coat Rack

Tools and Materials

Nail gun
Nails
3” screws
Pry bar
Utility knife
Sander
Paint or stain (we used Riverway by Sherwin Williams)
Caulk gun
Caulk
Trim

Cut List

Shoe Storage Bench

(2) 0.75-inch thick plywood pieces at 14” x 74” (top and bottom pieces)
(5) 0.75-inch plywood pieces at 14” x 16.75” (dividers and end pieces)
(1) 0.25-inch plywood at 74” x 18.25” (back panel)

Coat Rack Area

(5) 1×2 boards at 48” (vertical slats)
(4) Coat hooks (style preference; we used [these hooks])
(2) 1×4 boards at 74” (top and bottom trim pieces)

Upper Shelves

(2) 1×12 boards at 72” (top and bottom pieces)
(2) 1×12 boards at 14” (end pieces)
(3) 1×12 boards at 11.5” (dividers)
(1) 0.25-inch plywood at 14” x 74” (back panel)

(This list is assuming you have everything in our Getting Started with DIY Toolbox)

Remove the Base Trim

Removing the base trim ensures your entryway coat rack looks like a professional built-in. Carefully cut away the caulking with a utility knife, then use a pry bar to gently separate the trim from the wall. If you’re dealing with stubborn trim (like ours, which was tiled over), use a hammer and patience to avoid damaging the wall.

Note: If you’re worried about damaging the wall, you can put a piece of scrap wood or shim between the prybar and the wall to help offset some of the pressure.

Build a DIY Shoe Storage Bench

Take your bottom piece (one of the 74-inch plywood pieces) and hold it upright on your workbench, then set the 16.75-inch divider plywood pieces evenly along the whole piece, with one at each end and two in the middle (17.5 inches apart if you’re using our measurements).

From the underside of the 74-inch bottom piece, drill two 1.5 inch screws into each short 16.75-inch piece to hold it in place. Then flip the whole thing so that long piece is now on the bottom. Sit your second 74-inch piece on top and do the same thing, screwing down the divider pieces to secure them in place.

Nail your 0.25-inch plywood piece along the back as a back panel.

Fill any visible holes with wood filler and sand for a smooth finish.

Add Vertical Slats for the Coat Rack

Place your 74-inch 1×4 horizontally on the wall across the top of the shoe cubby. You can either screw or nail them in place, depending on preference. We used wood glue because it doesn’t hold any weight so doesn’t need to be super secure. Take your first 1×2 piece and hold it up on the wall at the left edge of the shoe cubby area, on top of the horizontal 1×4 piece. Glue/nail it into place.

Repeat this three times across the wall, aligning each of the vertical slats with the dividers on the shoe cubby. Once they’re all in place, put the second 1×4 across the top of all those vertical slats and secure in place.

Find the center of each of the rectangular sections between the vertical slats, and then make a mark 9 inches down from the top. This is where your coat rack hooks will go (preferably this will be into studs if you can make the measurements work. Not all of ours are but they hold weight just fine.)

Note while adding DIY mudroom storage: We spackled over the area of wall that we were working on to make it flat, whereas the rest of this room is paneling.

Build and Attach Upper Cubbies

If you didn’t do double duty earlier and build your upper cubbies at the same time as your shoe storage bench, just repeat that exact same process.

Once it’s all done, hold it up on top of the 1×4 piece at the top of the vertical slats (a two-man job for sure) and then use big 3 inch screws in each corner to secure it to the wall (and a couple into studs to be extra secure).

Finish with Trim, Caulk, and Paint

Caulk all seams and gaps for a polished look. Use a caulking gun and smooth the lines with a damp finger or caulk-smoothing tool. Apply a coat of primer to all unfinished wood, followed by two coats of paint for a flawless finish.

Add pre-painted trim around the edges to cover uneven cuts and gaps. Glue or nail the trim in place for a professional appearance.

Final Touches: Organize and Style Your Mudroom

Now that your DIY entryway coat rack and DIY mudroom storage project is complete, it’s time to style the space. We added baskets to the shoe cubbies for a clutter-free look and used wire baskets in the upper cubbies to store seasonal gear. This transformation not only maximized our mudroom’s functionality but also gave our home a stylish, cohesive vibe.

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