Top 4 Mudroom Storage Bench Ideas for Any Entry, Even a Tiny One

We've spent a lot of time looking at mudroom storage bench ideas, both the ones you can buy on a Tuesday and the ones you build over a long weekend. The not-so-good part is picking the storage underneath, because that decides whether your family uses the bench or just walks past it.

In this guide, Lumber Grand reveals 4 mudroom bench with storage ideas, including:

1. Open shoe shelves win for speed.

2. Lift-up lids hide the most.

3. Drawers and baskets keep small stuff from vanishing.

4. An all-in-one hall tree gives you a seat, shoe storage, and hooks in a single piece, which is why it’s the most popular answer for small entries.

Read on!

4 Popular Mudroom Storage Bench Types

People search for these as mudroom bench and storage ideas, mudroom bench storage ideas, and plain old hall trees. They all mean the same thing, so we cover all of them below.

1. Open Shoe Shelves Benches: Fastest In and Out

No doors, no lids, no bins. You sit down, reach under, and your shoes are right there. Kids get it on day one, and you can hang a dog leash off the end without thinking about it.

This bench with shoe storage below is the classic example. It has two open slatted shelves and a few inches of space under the bottom one, so you can sweep under it instead of dragging it out. That little gap matters more than you would think, because mud and grit always collect under a bench.

Open shoe shelves mudroom storage bench ideas

Photo: Magnific

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2. Lift-up Lid Benches: Hides the Most

The seat opens like a trunk, and you get one deep space that runs the full width. Nothing else hides as much in the same footprint. This is the one we suggest for sports gear, winter boots in July, and extra blankets.

Mudroom bench and storage ideas for sports gear, winter boots in July, and extra blankets

Photo: Magnific

Two things you'll need to check every time. Look for a soft-close hinge so the lid cannot drop on small fingers.

And, these mudroom bench with storage ideas are great for things you need once a month, and annoying for things you need every morning. You won't want to stand up, lift a lid, dig, and sit back down while the school bus is coming.

3. Drawers or Baskets Benches: Small Things Stop Disappearing

Gloves, hats, scarves, dog bags, and the one ski pass you need in February. None of these belongs on an open shelf, and all of them vanish inside a trunk. Drawers and baskets fix exactly this.

Drawer storage mudroom bench ideas

Photo: Magnific

The solid wood drawer mudroom storage bench ideas is one of the best reviewed we found. However, if you go with drawers, read the reviews for the word “wobble.” Too basic drawer slides are the first thing to break, and a drawer that sticks is a drawer you forget to open for a long time.

4. Hall Tree Benches: Seat, Shoes, and Hooks in One Piece

This is the most popular type of mudroom bench for a reason. You get a seat, shoe storage below, a tall back with hooks, and usually a shelf on top, all in one piece that sits against a single wall. If you rent, or you simply don’t have a real mudroom, this is the closest thing to a built-in you can get without any tools.

Drawer storage mudroom bench ideas

Photo: Magnific

There is some advice when you want to build these mudroom storage bench ideas in your home: Anchor it to the wall (just like the picture above). They're tall and narrow, and a child climbing up to reach a coat can tip one over. Most come with a strap kit, and you should have it.

Latest blog: 12+ Types of Indoor Benches: Styles, Sizes & Best Wood

4 Small Mudroom Ideas: Benches for Entries that’re Barely Entries

Many customers asked us for advice about small mudroom ideas that don’t have a mudroom at all. They have 4 feet of wall between the front door and the stairs, or a strip of hallway that also has to fit a stroller. So here is how we would handle mudroom ideas small enough that a 60-inch hall tree is out of the question.

1. Go narrow and tall: A 40-inch bench with a hall tree back uses vertical space instead of floor. Although you lose a little seat width and gain hooks, you would otherwise have nowhere to put them.

2. Try a corner mudroom bench: A corner mudroom bench uses the dead space where two walls meet, which most entries waste entirely.

3. Float the bench: A wall-mounted bench with no legs is the trick we see the most on the DIY side right now. You screw a 2x4 ledger into the studs, build a plywood box on top, and leave the floor open underneath for shoes and a robot vacuum. It reads lighter than a freestanding piece, and it makes a narrow hallway feel wider because you can see the floor run under it.

4. Pick one color: In a small space, a bench, hooks, and a shelf in 3 different finishes look like clutter even when everything is put away. You can match the bench to the trim or the hooks to the bench, and the whole entry calms down.

Small mudroom ideas that don’t have a mudroom at all

Photo: Magnific

Mudroom Storage Bench Dimensions: Get the Size Right

A storage bench in a mudroom that you cannot sit on comfortably is a shelf. We checked plenty of pretty entries where the seat is 15 inches high because it matched a cabinet, and nobody over the age of eight uses it. As a result, before you fall for a style, it’s a must to check these numbers first.

Importantly, if you plan to add a cushion, build or buy the bench an inch lower. A two-inch foam cushion on a 19-inch bench puts you at 21 inches, which is tall enough that a shorter adult's feet dangle.

Looking for standard sizes? Read more at: Standard Bench Dimensions: Exact Sizes for Every Type of Bench

FAQs about Mudroom Storage Benches Ideas

1. What are Some Good Storage Ideas for a Mudroom?

You begin the ideas with the bench, because it does three jobs at once: seating, shoe storage, and a landing spot for bags. Then add hooks at two heights so kids can reach their own coats, a shelf above the hooks for things you only need seasonally, and one basket or drawer per person for the small stuff.

If you have the wall, a hall tree combines all of this in one piece. If you have the budget and own the home, a built-in with lockers gives each family member their own cubby, which is the single biggest clutter fix we know of.

2. What do You Call a Mudroom Bench?

The name depends on what is attached to the bench. A bench with storage under the seat is a storage bench or a shoe bench. A bench with a tall back panel, hooks, and a top shelf is a hall tree. A built-in with individual cubbies for each person is a mudroom locker or a cubby bench. Retailers also use entryway benches, boot benches, and cubby benches, etc.

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3. How do You Build a Bench in a Mudroom?

You build the plywood box, then either add 2x4 or 4x4 legs at the corners for a furniture look or run the sides to the floor for a cabinet look. Keep the seat between 18 and 20 inches high and 15 to 18 inches deep. Top it with a cushion or a 3/4-inch stained oak board if you want it to feel less like a cabinet. 

Mudroom Storage Bench Ideas: Our Picks

If we had to choose one of these mudroom storage bench ideas for most families, it would be a 60-inch hall tree with open shoe shelves and a low row of hooks, anchored to the wall, with one basket per kid on the bottom shelf. It functions and budget, it goes together in a few hours, and it handles the morning pile better than anything twice the price.

And if the pile still shows up, it is probably not the mudroom bench. It’s the fourteen pairs of shoes.

Still hunting for inspiration? Save your favorite mudroom bench ideas from this list, then explore our handcrafted wood benches for indoor use. We build every piece by hand, and we are always happy to help you choose the right wood and finish