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This D.I.Y. custom cabinet project turned a cluttered garage into a beautiful, well-organised storage space for everyday items, and there's step-by-step directions for building your own.
The project
I’m the first to admit that I'm not a tidy person. Not even close. Normally my brain is so full and the day is so busy that I just dump things as I go and clean up at the end of the week.
My garage sees the worst of this because that’s my first port of call when I arrive home.
But a friend recently told me that if we simplify and give everything a home our brain doesn’t have to work so hard to find things or put them away when we’re in a hurry. With that in mind, I started the design for a mud room/catch-all in our garage.
I wanted it to store everything – school bags, hats, swimwear, beach things and surfboard accessories. And there needed to be a drawer for our high-use tools.
I also wanted the build to be easy. Because the garage is a high-use area I really didn’t want it to be out of action for very long.
I used Flexi Storage units for a few reasons: they were super-easy to find in store; they were fast to put together; they had a combination of drawers and shelves; and the cube units would be perfect for shoe baskets. I’ve had a few Flexi Storage units for years and knew they would hold up well to the amount of wear and tear they would get the garage.
In the end the project only took three days from start to finish and the best part is that it looks amazing.
Tools and materials
Tools:
- Drop saw (or hand saw and mitre box for angled cuts)
- Circular saw if you have one
- Hammer and nail punch (or brad nailer gun)
- Caulking gun
- Paintbrush, roller and tray.
Materials:
- 2 x Flexi Storage Walk-In Wardrobe six-shelf units
- 2 x Flexi Storage Walk-In Wardrobe four-drawer, three-shelf units
- 2 x Flexi Storage Clever Cube 1 x 4 unit
- 2 lengths of structural Pine (we used 90mm x 45mm x 2m)
- Hanging screws (we used batten timber screws)
- 18 adjustable legs
- Screws for legs
- Plywood
- Moulded skirting
- Primed cornice
- Scrap Pine to attach cornice to
- VJ panelling
- Nails
- Selleys No More Gaps Interior gap filler
- Selleys Spakfilla Rapid
- Sandpaper (200 grit)
- Paint – Dulux Aquanamel in Casper White Quarter
- Handles
- Coat hooks.
Steps
Step 1
Measure your space. Make sure your cabinets will fit where you want them to – in particular under your garage door roller as this height can vary. The dimensions of this completed unit are: 400cm x 220cm x 54cm. You can omit some of the shelving if your space is smaller.
Step 2
Assemble your Flexi Storage units and Clever Cubes. Once finished they should look something like this (the top cube unit isn't hung yet).
Step 3
Make plywood bases for the tall cabinets. I made one piece for each end (so two cabinets stood on each plywood plinth). Cut the ply to size using a circular saw if you have one or an old-school hand saw if you don't. Our dimensions were 122cm x 48cm.
Step 4
Screw adjustable legs to the bottom cube unit and the plywood bases. Then stand the cabinets on the bases.
Step 5
Anchor the cabinets to the wall using the wall anchors provided.
Step 6
Attach two pieces of structural Pine to the top cube unit, leaving a long overhang on each side. Lift it into place and attach by screwing it into the tall cabinets. We also added some sideways screws for stability.
Step 7
Begin cutting your skirting trim. Remember to mitre-cut the corners on a 45-degree angle to create a seamless look. Work slowly and remember the old saying "Measure twice, cut once." Nail the trim into place into the ply bases. Be sure to use a nail punch to hide those nail heads and make filling easier later.
Step 8
To attach the top cornice we first nailed some scrap pine to the top of the units so that we could easily attach the cornice to the pine with nails.
Step 9
Cut your VJ panelling to size and nail or screw it to the wall. I added a piece of pine to this section to hang the hooks off. This is purely visual and if you don’t like it you can omit it.
Step 10
Fill, fill, fill! Holes from nails or screws can be filled with Spakfilla. Long gaps, such as the gap between trim and cabinet, should be filled with No More Gaps in a caulking gun. I also filled the adjustable shelf holes that run down the cabinets. Once dry, sand any excess filler until smooth.
Step 11
Paint the trim using Aquanamel in the colour Casper White Quarter. If you want to paint the whole unit a different colour remember you will need to prime the melamine shelving first or the paint will not stick.
Step 12
Attach handles and hooks and you’re done!
After completing this unit I stood back and realised this would make a great TV unit – just wall-mount a TV where the bench seat is. It could even be a home office – simply omit the bottom cube unit and add a desk. The options are endless.
More mud room inspiration for your home
Farmhouse-style mud rooms make attractive, practical spaces for removing and storing dirty boots and shoes as well as coats, hats and other items.
Bunnings Workshop members have been extremely creative in creating mud rooms in their entryways, laundries and garages – especially when it comes to upcycling old cupboards, hutches and other pieces of furniture.
Workshop member marisamoloney turned an awkward, dated space into a stunning mudroom and laundry with plenty of storage.
Workshop member AngieLee created this striking entryway mud room.
Member housetohome turned a dim, bare enclosed area into a practical mud room with rustic style.
Let us know if you need a hand with your own mud room project – we're here to help.
This looks fantastic @HousevsSarah ! I think the white and gold complement each other well and I love that you went the extra mile with the Spakfilla to fill up so many holes. Well done 
So many ideas! Love how you have tidied it up. The question is have you manage to keep it tidy or have the items multiplied by some wierd process?
I Have a foyer done in chipboard that I wantto replace one day. I use to think just put in vertical cupboards and it will look sleek. Now you have given me second thoughts on things I can do. Looks like a very nice job.
Dave
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