DIY Sliding Shoe Storage for the Mud Room

March 06, 2020

DIY sliding shoe cubbies for the mud room!


We've really needed some functional shoe storage for the mud room for a long time. We have a great bench in this space with a ton of space, but it was lacking a spot for us to toss shoes on the way in the door.

It's a spot that's bugged me since we moved in a couple years ago:
Built in mud room bench

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: 
DIY sliding box for mud room shoes

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: 
Storage for mud room shoes

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!: 


DIY storage for mud room bench

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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: 
How to build sliding shoe boxes for mud room

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!: 
DIY sliding shoe storage for mud room

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!: 
Mud room bench with sliding shoe storage

SO. much. cleaner. Achieving both form and function always makes me happy!:
Mud room bench with storage for gear and shoes

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:

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Comments

  1. Those look great!! Brilliant idea! If you want to be super fancy, line them with contact paper so they could be wiped clean inside. Toss in a couple dryer sheets to deter smells. :)

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  2. Wow! Amazing! Looks totally custom and high end, the handles are the icing on the cake!

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  3. This is amazing! Great job!!! I’ve been meaning to ask, do you break down how you built the wood counters for your built ins in the old house or this house anywhere? I think I want to join together some lumber with pocket screws, but I’m wondering if they will warp over time since they aren’t kiln dried. Any issues with that ever?

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  4. These look super great! I love them. I really like the idea of using the felt pads on the bottom, but our house gets so dusty so quick, they would be trapping dust bunnies in no time!

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