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This post is all about how to create a DIY built-in mudroom with board and batten and storage cubbies.
I dreamt of a beautiful mudroom where my family could drop their coats, bags, and shoes when they came in from our garage. We had the perfect nook off between our kitchen and garage to build a mudroom bench with hooks and cubbies. If you missed part 1 of the DIY mudroom where I show how we built the bench, make sure to go back and check it out! In part 2 of this mudroom transformation, I show you how I board and batten the wall, add hooks, and build and install cubbies above the bench.
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Complete a DIY Built-in Mudroom
Above the bench, I wanted to utilize the space to hang jackets and more storage. I have 10-foot ceilings so to leave this bench as-is felt bare.
1. Measure and use painter’s tape to lay out your built-in mudroom design
As always, the first step in any DIY project is to plan and measure. I used painter’s tape to measure out and scale my board and batten design and size of cubbies. This was SUPER helpful and honestly made the process quicker in the long run.
Because I have an outlet in the middle of the wall, I decided to do three columns in my board and batten design with two larger cubbies on top.
2. Board and batten above the built-in bench
For the boards, I used 1-in x 3-in boards for the verticals and 1-in x 4-in boards for the horizontals. I got these primed boards from my local Home Depot.
Using a nail gun, I nailed the boards into the wall in the design I had laid out. Because not all of these matched up perfectly to the stud, I angled my nails into the drywall to help the pieces stay in place more securely.
Fill in the nail holes and seams between boards with wood filler and caulk the seams between the wood and drywall. We are going to paint this but I waited to do that until after I had the upper cubbies hung to do it all at once.
3. Add corbels, hooks, and other decorative elements to the mudroom walls
At this point, I took a moment to add in some decorative pieces such as wooden corbels and hooks. I used screws to attach each of these to the board and batten.
4. Build the upper shelves
Using the same MDF board I used to build the bench seat in Part 1, I built the shelving that will go above the board and batten. I used a pocket hole Kreg jig to make pocket holes in the boards and connected them to make two rectangular boxes.
5. Hang the upper shelving built-ins
To hang the cubbies above the board and batten, I attached a piece of wood to the upper back so I had something to screw the piece into the wall. I was planning to paint everything white so it would not stand out in the end. I also added 1-in x 2-in trim around the front of the cubbies to make it look finished and built-in.
6. Caulk, wood filler, and paint!
To finish off this built-in mudroom, I went through and added the final touches of caulk, wood filler, and paint. The wood filler goes between two pieces of wood whereas the caulk goes between wood and drywall. I primed and then painted the entire wall and upper shelves white.
The final reveal of the completed built-in mudroom!
The final reveal of the completed built-in mudroom bench project turned out so well. This project was completed in stages because let’s be real, life happens, and we cannot be chained to our DIY projects all the time! I finished the design off with some rattan storage cubes.
If this inspires you or you try it out in your own home, let me know in the comments!
This post was all about how to complete a built-in mudroom bench with storage and board and batten.
This page includes affiliate links. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I personally vet.
