Try This $100 DIY Laundry and Mudroom Combo?

Need a convenient space to store all those shoes and coats? You can convert part of your Laundry Room into a Mudroom.

Like a lot of homes in the US, our garage door leads straight to our laundry room. That makes it the perfect spot for a DIY laundry and mudroom combo. But our house was built before everyone fell in love with mudrooms. After moving in I spent a lot of time on Pinterest searching for DIY mudroom ideas. There are really some huge and beautiful mudrooms out there. But I needed to work our mudroom into a 4 foot wide space between the garage and the washing machine. At first, I was looking at ripping out the existing cabinets to build a mudroom space from scratch. Then I realized those cabinets were already the perfect starting point.

So, I stopped searching for DIY Mudroom ideas and started converting those cabinets. The long cabinet, on the left, that used to store brooms and cleaning supplies became extra coat and bag storage. The base cabinet on the right was cut in half and converted into a bench. The upper cabinet above it was shortened by about 10 inches to increase the head space. Everything got new trim to give it a finished look. I’ve broken down the details for this laundry and mudroom combo below. It’s really easier than it sounds.

Step 1: Converting the Cabinets Into a Mudroom

I converted a pantry cabinet into extra coat, shoe, and bag storage.

The base cabinet became a bench with extra storage underneath.

The upper cabinet lost 12" off the bottom to make room for coat hooks.

This space is so functional now, but took a lot of work. When you have built-in cabinets that can't be removed. all of the cuts have to be made in place. I used my circular saw, jigsaw, and this awesome dremel to make all of these cuts without damaging the wall or surrounding cabinets.

Step 2: Finishing Touches

The wall was covered with v-groove plank. The cabinets and wall got new trim. The trim is really the key to a polished look that makes this update seem like a hall tree that has been here forever.

Step 3: The Bench Update

The bench was reinforced with 3/4" lumber to make it extra sturdy under little feet.

I built 2 shoe storage boxes for the bench. Still need to make 2 more for the coat storage side. But we are loving this spot. It makes getting the boys shoes on and out the door so much easier.

Get the full build details on here.