DIY Tall Cabinet Makeover into Coat and Shoe Storage

See how I turned a long, utility cabinet in our Laundry Room into pretty coat and shoe storage with this easy DIY Tall Cabinet Makeover.

DIY Tall Cabinet Makeover

This Laundry Room had way too much cabinet storage for our family. And, it was seriously lacking any coat and shoe storage.

So, after thinking about all of the possible options, I decided to convert a section of those cabinets into a small mudroom bench and storage area for shoes and coats in our small Laundry Room.

Today I’m explaining exactly how I made a standard tall, narrow broom cabinet look like custom coat and shoe storage in our mudroom. And the big secret to this DIY Tall Cabinet Makeover is trim. Nice trim work makes all the difference.

But don’t worry. This is an easy makeover. And these steps work on any cabinet you’ve removed the doors from, to make them look designed to be open! You can have this makeover done in a day, easy.

You can find the before and after pictures from my Colorful Laundry Room Makeover, DIY details about How I Added a Mudroom in A Small Laundry Room, and Using Plywood Inside Open Cabinets in other posts.

Using a Laundry Room Cabinet as Coat and Shoe Storage

Let’s start with a quick look at the Before and After pictures on this Tall Cabinet Makeover into coat and shoe storage.

This half of the Laundry Room was extra storage we didn’t need. But instead of ripping these 3/4″ thick built-in cabinets out, I converted all of them into a much needed Mudroom.

Our garage door is just to the left of this set of cabinets. So, it was the perfect spot for coat, bag, and shoe storage since we use that door to get to our cars.

The DIY mudroom bench conversion was just beginning. But I had already started trying out coat and shelf layouts for that tall cabinet.

This was before I built that great DIY Laundry Table over our washer and dryer too.

And, here’s a look at the finished conversion on these cabinets into a small but functional mudroom. Amazing change, right?!

Now, let’s get this DIY Utility Cabinet Makeover started!

How I Remodeled Our Cabinets Into Storage

Tools Used For This Makeover

• Brad Nailer with Brad Nails
• Miter Saw or Circular Saw
• Saw Cutting Guide, I highly recommend using one to get the straightest possible cuts
• 3/4″ Lumber or Plywood for the shelf
• A Rod and Rod Brackets for the Coats
• Trim (moulding) to match your style or room
• Wood Filler and Wood Glue
• Dremel Rotary Tool or Hand Saw to cut corner molding with a straight edge on one side and a miter on the other.

DIY Steps Used

Step 1

Start by removing the door and hiding the door hinge holes. You can hide them with corner molding, like mine. Or by just filling the hinge holes with wood filler. Pick the option that you prefer.

BUT if your cabinets are custom 3/4″ plywood built-ins, like mine, you might want to hide slightly crooked door openings with molding, like I did.

Use wood filler wherever needed for a seamless look. And finish with a 150-grit sanding.

Step 2

Add a DIY Plywood Cabinet Liner that can be stained or painted if the inside of your cabinet isn’t very pretty and polished looking.

Step 3

Add a Closet Pole Socket in any color, and a dowel from your local big box to hang your coats on.

Step 4

Add a shelf divider near the bottom of the long cabinet to increase your shoe storage.

Having the trim from the shelf overlap the cabinet frame gives it a true finished cabinetry look. You can see another example of How to Cut An End Cap for Molding, like Chair Rail in a previous post.

Since the shelf I added was just a couple feet above the ground, I could easily support it with square dowel molding that wouldn’t be seen.

Step 5

Since we never have enough shoe storage, I added 2 different types of DIY wood storage bins to this DIY Tall Cabinet Makeover.

If you don’t want to build your own wooden bins, you can buy some cute fabric storage bins to add storage and color, at the same time.

Step 6

Finish off all of those changes by painting or staining to get the look you love. Here’s my tips for when to use Caulk or Wood Filler on Wood Trim.

You might also need my steps How to Paint Built In Bookshelves and Cabinets or this post for 25 Step by Step Beginner Furniture Painting Tutorials to decide on which paint or stain look you want in your home.

And, here’s another look at this room when it was being set up to be featured in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.

And, again, here’s how this Tall Cabinet I converted into coat and shoe storage looks now.

More Before and After Room Reveals

This Colorful Laundry Room Makeover is such a huge change from when we moved in!

I LOVE this Before and After 2 Story Foyer Makeover with Molding too.

And, this DIY Before and After Small Powder Room Makeover turned a boring bath into a colorful space.

You won’t believe this great Before and After Family Room Makeover On A Budget!

And, last but not least, this popular Simple DIY Coffered Ceiling Design.

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Feeling inspired? Get out there and do your own DIY Tall Cabinet Makeover into Coat and Shoe Storage. Have fun and let me know if you have questions.

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