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Thread: Mudroom Built In Ideas

  1. #1
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    Mudroom Built In Ideas

    Evaluating design options for a built-in "cubby" in a mudroom. Two questions I'd love feedback on.

    1) Solid wood top. How would you do this? Just place the slab on top of the lower carcass and allow it to expand/contract towards the front? The uppers would just "sit" on top of the slab of solid wood? (that's what I've done in the past).

    2) What is the minimum width of a usable "cubby"? The room width is a scant 89" ... which would leave 16" for five units or 20-3/8" for four. Is 16" practical?

    Currently evaluating a painted finish with hardwood "seat" but designer is also looking at a complete hardwood finish (cherry). If it was all painted (another suggestion this morning) I'd just use plywood for the seat, in which case I'd probably use Dominos to align seeing as I can drop the upper cabinets onto the seat (plenty of height).

    Also wondering if in practice pulling out the drawers without a toe-kick would be really annoying?
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  2. #2
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    Do you want to be able to sit down to put on boots or take them off? Wedging your butt into a 16"-wide cubby will be tight.

    No toekick is not a problem. You step out of the way as you open a lower drawer like that. But you do want a little clearance from the floor -- like maybe an inch -- to clear rugs or the like. The only argument for a toekick is space for your toes when you're working at a counter while facing it. That's not the issue here.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jamie Buxton View Post
    Do you want to be able to sit down to put on boots or take them off? Wedging your butt into a 16"-wide cubby will be tight.
    That is definitely an anticipated function and you raise a good point. In fact for me ... twenty inches might be tight!

    While the room to make the base "deeper" is there, not sure how much depth in front of the uppers would be necessary to sit without extending back into the upper and blocking the ability to reach stuff in the upper cabinet). Thanks Jamie!
    "the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.” Confucius

  4. #4
    How many people in your family. Having 1 per person is ideal; having more is unnecessary and creates unnecessary dividers.

    My vote = 20" wide. This allows you to hang coats and backpacks on three sides within a single cubby.

    Eliminate the pull out drawers. Make open roll out shelves for shoes. This allows you to doublepark shoes.

    My built in is cherry - finished with waterlox. Even a durable finish gets dinged and nicked as you put your feet on it a million times. Paint will nick easier, but will fix easier. Mine is cherry veneered ply with solid cherry edgebanding. Has held up well.

    Scroll to Post #50 here.
    http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...light=built-in
    Last edited by Prashun Patel; 09-08-2017 at 11:49 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Prashun Patel View Post
    My vote = 20" wide. This allows you to hang coats and backpacks on three sides within a single cubby.
    That echoes a conversation about minimum/maximum sizes I had with some cabinetmaker friends the other day. So that adds confidence for sure. Both friends said 20"-22" is minimum to put in hooks on the sides.

    The designer really wants a painted finish with doors that would align with and integrate with the kitchen in the house. The mudroom is the main entry of the house and the kitchen is just the other side. So that makes sense. Here was a photo she (the designer) sent. I could live with it. And it is relatively easy to build.

    I like the cherry build you did. Attaching face frames to installed carcasses can be vexingly challenging. I did one recently with dominoes and a hammer. I'm sure I was "seconds" from a total disaster (glue setup) but it worked out in the end.
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    "the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.” Confucius

  6. #6
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    I'd argue for the drawers. They provide easy access to stuff stored in the back. If you just have open shelves, you have to get down on your hands and knees to access that space.

  7. #7
    unless you use open roll out shelves. This gives you 2 layers vs 1 drawer.

  8. #8
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    1) Solid wood top. That approach should work fine, but you might want to use the domino idea to keep the verticals from being pushed sideways. No need to make the slots wider in the seat unless the vertical panels are going to be plywood instead of solid wood. Solid wood seat and panels will expand and contract the same amount since the grain directions are the same.

    2) What is the minimum width of a usable "cubby"? If you need that many cubbies, make the base have more depth so people can sit down to put on boots etc without having to fit in the cubby behind.

    Currently evaluating a painted finish with hardwood "seat" but designer is also looking at a complete hardwood finish (cherry). Cherry is sort of fancy for a "mudroom". Painted works well with a contrasting color or even clear finished seat. If this is the main guest entrance to the home, then cherry would be more attractive to a woodworker, but possibly not to a potential buyer.

    Also wondering if in practice pulling out the drawers without a toe-kick would be really annoying? As others have said no toe kick but raise up the bottom of the drawers to clear carpets etc.
    Lee Schierer
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  9. #9
    Just did some googling, I had no idea mud rooms were getting so lavish. I like the ones shown in the books about the estates of the British Isles. I don't understand the reason for partitions between people booting up ...and down. Or the reason for the storage seats that really are a lot like the toilet seats in the bathrooms for the farm hands...except the farm hands don't have partitions.

  10. #10
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    Started the project and made good progress over the weekend. Had built the lower carcases (individually) so I installed those, and their face frame and the large drawer boxes (20" wide X 12" high by 24" deep). The upper units I built end of last week and sprayed Friday evening and Saturday (thanks JTE for the hand holding). There are shelves (and shelf pin holes) since the lower units are quite tall. I have the face frame for the upper units yet to build and install, and there will be doors or drawer fronts concealing everything. All exterior trim and surfaces will be painted with same paint as the room trim. Lot yet to do, but some progress. Rome wasn't built in a day.
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    "the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.” Confucius

  11. #11
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    Those look wonderful, Bill!
    I think you nailed the proportions and the build looks great.
    Edited to add that I really like that you took them to the ceiling. The initial sketch up pic looked as if you intended them lower initally.. good choice!

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Carl Baker View Post
    I really like that you took them to the ceiling. The initial sketch up pic looked as if you intended them lower initially.. good choice!
    The adjacent room has face frame cabinets that extend up to the crown on the ceiling coffer. I likely won't put the coffer in the mudroom but do plan to have the same crown detail which is 5-1/2" plus some additional face frame. So the cabinets extend up close to the 9 foot ceiling. It just made integration easier, and to your point, will add storage and look better. I will add that it made the upper units very unwieldy. Thanks for the feedback.
    "the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.” Confucius

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