We added a proper built-in mudroom to our Pickering colonial — converted what was a useless 3-foot-wide hallway between the garage entry and the laundry room into a functional 5-locker entry system.
Space we worked with:
- 10 linear feet of wall, 8-foot ceiling
- Existing tile floor (kept it — Travertine, not ideal but decent)
- Added a heated floor mat under the bench area during the build ($320 extra — worth it)
Design:
- 5 individual lockers: 18-inch wide each (large enough for two coats hung)
- Each locker: upper shelf, inset hooks (3 per locker), cubby below for boots
- Bench seat spans the full 10 feet, overhangs 8 inches at front
- Above lockers: continuous upper cabinet (closed, for seasonal storage)
- Painted white, flat-panel shaker door on upper cabinets, open cubby on lower lockers
Contractor (custom millwork shop, not IKEA hack):
- Supply and install upper cabinets (closed, 10 linear ft): $2,800
- Supply and install locker structure (5 bays, bench, hooks): $4,600
- Quartz bench top (3cm, 10 linear ft): $1,400
- Paint (sprayed off-site): $680
- Trim, caulk, touch-up: $220
- Heated mat (installed under bench tile area): $320
- Total: $10,020
Honest take:
This is a lot for a mudroom. But the function it adds — 5 people in this house now each have a dedicated spot for their coats, bags, and boots — is immeasurable for daily quality of life.
The heated bench tile runs 6 AM to 8 AM and 3 PM to 5 PM. In January, sitting on a warm bench to put on boots is genuinely a small luxury.