This project is totally life changing for us, you guys! A couple weeks ago I shared the DIY handrail we put in on our split level entry stairs. But this… well, this is better. If you’ve lived in a split level entry… you’ll know the biggest challenge is that stinkin’ entry way. It’s usually cramped and you’re REALLY lucky if you get a closet there. We did not. So you basically walk in and if there’s more than one of you (say three kids), you cram onto the entry landing and try close the door (before one of three runs out the door) , then take off your shoes and try not trip on the now 8 shoes in your path to get up the stairs. #perfect
And shoe racks could work, but when it’s this cramped and you need to be able to carry laundry baskets up and down these stairs several times a day (I wish I was kidding), there’s really not room for a nice one. So since we had an unfinished basement to play with, we decided to use that to our advantage and build in some shoe storage. And friends, it’s the best. It is the most shoe storage we have ever had… and I actually had a bookshelf for shoes in our last place. These drawers really hold SO much! And we didn’t lose any space to make them. In the basement, we built closets on either side, so that shoe storage cubby is actually level with the closets instead of having an awkward dead space on between the closet and wall. So really… why wouldn’t we have used it for this?
What do I love about these? Well, I Love that there is NO wasted space. Not only do we keep almost every inch of floorspace for little feet to sit and get shoes on BUT these look pretty darn nice (if I do say so myself). As per usual, we built these drawers using supplies from one of my fave partners- Home Depot but those pulls I ordered special from D. Lawless Hardware and I’m in love! They really finish off the drawers perfectly. Now that the drawers are in and the railing is updated it kind of makes us want to go all traditional and do a full wall moulding treatment to the entry. Buuuut we’re thinking that done is better than taking that on ;) Ready to learn allll about how we did it? And how you can put drawers in your walls too!?
I’m not sure I’m going to do the BEST job explaining it, so again… I’m turning this one over to the brains and the guy that did *most* of the work on these (I did a top notch job painting them). But before that… remember the Before?
Suuuuch an improvement already! Can’t wait to show you guys the final!
Materials:
- 3/4″ plywood, 4′ x 8′ quantity of two (for the cabinet box). In hindsight, for the sake of esthetics I would prefer MDF
- 1/2″ plywood, 4′ x 8′ quantity of two (drawer sides, back, and bottom) Again, next time I would definitely used MDF for a cleaner, more finished look
- 5/8″ MDF (for the faces). We were able to rip all the drawer faces from one 4′ x 8′ sheet
- L brackets
- Brad Nailer (for assembling drawer bodies)
- #6 screws, 1/2″ and 5/8″
- Wood Glue, Clear construction adhesive
- Drawer slides
- Hardware (these are the ones we used)
1. Build in ‘cubbies’
We did this so long ago, you guys so I don’t have photos and instructions- but essentially, you need a place to put these drawers in. We left them just as the cubbies for way too long (so messy!). Cut a hole in your drywall and frame a box (like you would a closet). If you have an unfinished basement, this is pretty easy to do. If not, you’ll need to add drywall on the back (in the basement) to conceal this. Drywall it and slap on some paint to seal it. We had finished ours as if it was going to be open shelving but you don’t need to make the seams all pretty since it will be hidden. We just decided open shelving would look too cluttered too easily.
2. Build your inserts
3. Build your drawers
4. Install Drawer Slides
5. Hardware!
LIKE IT? PIN IT!
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This is a brilliant idea!!! I’m turned off by tight entryways because of the traffic jam of shoes that usually happens, but this is such a smart way to save space!
The shoe traffic jam! It’s a real thing and it’s the worst!!
Ok, standing at our entry saying, hmmm, I wonder what’s behind that wall. Amazing job you guys!
Haha! Right? We were lucky (?) that our basement was unfinished so it was easy to see what was back there!
Brilliant !!!!
…and looks great too !
Jayne
Thanks so much Jayne!!
This is seriously so genius and amazing. I LOVE!!!!
Thanks so much Thalita!
I’ve been thinking of doing this as well. What does it look like on the other side of the wall? We have a curved wall so probably can’t do both sides. The other side goes into our garage. Thanks!
Hi Shelagh, we are SO glad we did it! The other side of the wall we built out a closet (it’s a rec room space on one side and a suite bedroom on the other)- this helps it not look like a random box floating on the top half of the wall. It would be great in your garage!
This is what would make the difference to tip me over the edge when buying a home. Great for resale value!
I have a split ranch and a finished basement so cannot put in full drawers but you’ve given me an idea to add built-in shoe cabinets like this one: https://www.ikea.com/us/en/images/products/stall-shoe-cabinet-with-compartments-white__0246842_PE385713_S4.JPG. There should be plenty of room in the wall itself.
In fact, I currently use one of these shoe cabinets successfully but I am greedy and want MORE storage. And, as a bonus, I want the little touches (big touches) that will make people get excited about buying my house when it’s time to sell.
GREAT JOB!!
Apologies if I triple posted. I had some issues. Please delete duplicates. :D
Thanks so much! I was totally looking at those cabinets before we did this- we just couldn’t fit one with the stairs there!
I have an entryway that has a small landing of tile in a half circle. There is no space to leave Anything. To the left there is a wall that kind of obscures the living a bit. To the right, we are already in a dining room. I have a small stand that makes a place to leave my purse. It’s a small basket on legs of the stand. It is a beautiful wooden stand. What can I do or add to this uncomfortable entry way. I do take off my shoes when entering, so some of the landing space is used and cluttered looking. Plus someone might trip on the shoes. Help!I do not know where to leave a question, so I left it here.
Hey Channah, That sounds like a tricky one! I would try keeping as many shoes as possible (the occasional uses!) as well as jackets and other things in your bedroom closets- it’s definitely helped us in our current home!
This are amazing. Part of what bowls me over is how professional the finish is. This has NOT been my experience when painting MDF. May I ask what you kind of paint you used and what technique?
Thanks so much Melody! Always make sure to use an oil based primer first and you should be good!
Awesome job Colleen! I am just wondering how your husband mounted the framed box to the cubby? Or did it just fit snuggly into the already cut out square in the wall?
We built the box to fit snugly in the cubby- then just screwed it in place :)
I’m pretty sure we would have shimmed then used long screws!
I’m sorry, I’ve looked everywhere but cannot find where your shots are that shows how you did it? It looks lovely and I’m just moving into a older split, very small entry. I know the shoes will drive me insane.
Hi Tracey, these are all the photos we have of the project in this post!
Love this idea! We would really like to do something similar.
I think I understood the cubby was 38″ across and 31″ high. How deep was it?
The drawers seem large in the photos.
Our entry way is very much the same as yours, but basement is already finished. We have lots to think about now. Thanks so much for posting!
They were very deep! We made them deep enough to line the walls on the reverse up with the closets we put into those rooms :) We’ve moved out so I can’t measure but I think 2′ is the depth of the closets.
Do you have any pictures or a link to the project where you built out the closet? We have a split entry and shoe problem is KILLER! The other side of our wall would be the kids’ playroom so a closet there would be a great scattered toy solution!! Talk about killing two birds with one stone!
Hi Sarah, you can see the whole makeover here: https://www.lemonthistle.com/diy-split-level-entry-makeover/