Cassie Bustamante

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DIY Cedar Planked Mudroom in a Closet

June 3, 2015 by Cassie 47 Comments

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Thank you to Cedar Safe for supplying me with cedar planks for this project.  I was not otherwise compensated and all opinions are my own.

We have had this closet for the past few years that has been a dark and terrible hidden secret in our home.  Well, it was a hidden secret if you are a blog reader, but if you are a local friend, you may have been personally terrorized by it.  Thanks to Cedar Safe planks, and a day of labor with my better half, it’s now a beautiful DIY cedar planked mudroom in a closet!

DIY Cedar Planked mudroom in a closetThis is a very small space, in a very small hall, but even so, it was a huge eyesore before.  One door kept falling off, and they were just ugly hollow bifold doors.  Finally, the other door fell off, and plans fell into place.  It sits right across my kids art wall, which I adore.  I shared this post on instagram when I first started plotting.

IMG_1207

 

As you can see, it wasn’t functioning for us at all.  Luckily we have two huge closets in the guest room just off this hall, and I was able to move all coats to one closet there.  The bushel basket of shoes is just sort of sad and pitiful.  I can’t even believe I am showing you this atrocity… go wash your eyes, or take a shot of vodka, whichever will help you forget it.

I began by stripping down the closet, removing all of the old hardware, shelves, hang bar, and old door tracks.

IMG_1169

I sanded, primed, and painted all of the trim.  I spackled all of the holes in the wall, and sanded the walls smooth.

Note: It’s probably best to remove the trim, plank, and then replace the trim.  We did not have that foresight.  We are amateur plankers.

Meanwhile, thanks to a top from Jaime of That’s My Letter, I laid my planks outside to fade in the sun a bit.  They did not need much time- only about 30 minutes.  When they first come out of the box, they are very purple, but the sunlight helped fade them to a normal cedar color.  As you can see below, the top plank is fresh from the box, and the bottom plank is slightly faded by the sun.

Cedar plank faded in sun vs unfaded

 

Once the cedar was faded, I piled it up and got it out of the sun immediately so that the planks would not warp or dry too much.

Before we were able to start the planking process, we marked where the studs were in the wall with lines up and down the wall so that we would know where to nail our planks.

mark studs on wall

 

We were ready to star planking!  For this project, we needed a few tools:

  • Nail gun
  • Mitre saw
  • Level
  • Pencil
  • Safety Goggles

Safety first of course.  And we all know that the couple that goggles together stays together.  And yes, I totally know that Chris looks like Bono here.  I am not married to Bono.  If I were, I’d probably live in some British castle somewhere, but that’s another post.

IMG_1179

 

We started with the back wall, as we knew the sides were shorter and we could save smaller cut pieces for those.  We laid out our plan with a 3-row rotation plan.  I was in charge of the mitre saw and all of the cuts, and Chris was the nail gunman.

IMG_1177We lined up the first plank with the corner, used the level to make sure it was level prior to nailing, and then nailed it in with two nails in each stud it crossed over.

Now, these planks are tongue and groove on all sides and made to fit together.  So the next step was measuring how long I needed the next plank to be, but also making sure I made the cut on the proper side so that the cut side would butt up to the corner.  I wanted the tongue and groove side to fit with the other plank perfectly.  I measured, and used the mitre saw to cut it to the right size, and then we lined up tongue and groove, made sure it was level, and then nailed in place.

We continued doing this up the back wall, following our 3 row pattern for variation.

IMG_1181Everything went rather smoothly, with the planks lining up.   One glitch that we had was an awkwardly placed thermostat wire.  Our thermostat is on the dining room gallery wall, with its electric wiring traveling through this closet.  See that wire there?  Thermostat.  Boo.

IMG_1170We unhooked the thermostat (after turning off electricity on the breaker first!!!), and we pulled the wire out.  I carefully measured where on the next plank the hole needed to be placed, and then used my drill to create a 3/4″ hole for the wire to pass through.

IMG_1188We checked the plank before we nailed it in place, and it lined up perfectly.  We secured it in place, and then wove the wire through the hole and back into the dining room where we finally attached our programmable thermostat, replacing the thermostat from 1979.  Welcome to 2015, Bustamantes!

Anyhow, we kept going up the back wall with the cedar planks until we came close to the top.  I do not have a table saw, so I knew I wouldn’t be able to cut planks to reach exactly to the ceiling.  So our plan is to add crown molding in the near future and cover the gap we are left with.

Once the back was done, Chris had to get get ready for soccer, so I took over and did all of the cutting and nailing on the side walls.  Can you spy the two planks that were put on with the wrong side out?  No worries- they are faed by now!

The only trick to working my way up the side walls was that I had to make sure the planks on the side walls lined up with the planks on the back wall, and that they were level.  It wasn’t so hard, just something to keep in mind should you plank an area.

IMG_1192Once I was done planking, I stapled the wire up into the corners of the space to hide it as much as possible.

Now, once we had the planking done, my plan was to get a bench or build one to fit perfectly in the closet, but then I happened to be touring a home on Apartment Therapy and this image stopped me in my tracks.  I loved it!

AT

This inspired me to send Chris off to Ikea immediately for the Kallax shelf, and 4 white baskets!  He picked them up, but was home so late the night he picked them up, that we didn’t have time to put it together.  But with sheer determination, I was able to assemble it on my own the next day, and even comprehend the Ikea directions to some degree.  Winning!  I have plans to add some legs to this piece still, but we’ll get there eventually.

For now, it’s perfect in our closet now mudroom!  I brought in a mirror I have had for a while at Sweet Clover, and some other accessories.  We each have a shelf for our shoes as well as a basket for our smaller accessories.

DIY Cedar Planked Closet

I could not be happier with this project.  It’s a brighter, cleaner space that now serves our needs.

DIY Cedar planked closet mudroom

The shoes all lined up make me very happy!  Once I add legs, the shoes will line up on the floor, and we will have more shelf storage.

DIY Cedar Planked Closet Mudroom

As you can see, I moved the old deer mount advent calendar into this closet and it works perfectly to store our keys.  And yes, we have a lot of keys.  Some of them, I don’t even know where they go to, but I am afraid to throw them out and then discover I need them. 😉

deer mount key rack

 

I also brought in some favorite books and a deer (duh!).

white painted deerAnd a vase with a squirrel on it.  Both the deer and vase were thrifted finds I spray painted white several years ago.

squirrel vaseNot only is this space now beautiful thanks to the Cedar Safe planks, but it really flows with the rest of our house and the hall is much more inviting and not such a creepy place.

Here you can see how it sits in relation to our front entry.

DIY Cedar planked closet mudroom

And of course directly across from it is the kids art wall, which just makes me smile every single time. At the opposite end of the hall, you can glimpse the pale pink guest bathroom.

kids art gallery wallThis project really only took us one day of serious labor, and the prep I was able to complete in about an hour the day before (minus trim priming and painting).  Chris and I are not serious power tool people… we’ve only once before done a project that required us to really put our heads together and plug in our saws (our industrial pipe built ins), so I was a little nervous about taking on this Cedar Safe planked closet.  But in the end it turned out to be a relatively easy way to beautifully update a space as long as you use the proper tools.  And I should also mention that it smells AMAZING!  I used to avoid walking down that hall because the closet was so hideous, but now it’s gorgeous and even smells lovely!

And I am left feeling so confident with this project that Chris and I will be taking on another DIY together this summer.  We are 2 for 2, so let’s see if we can make it 3 for 3

Sharing here: Inspiration Gallery

 

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Filed Under: hall, making our home, My House, Organization

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Comments

  1. Kristin @ bliss-athome.com says

    June 3, 2015 at 7:56 am

    Looks so great and is a perfect wall treatment for your home 🙂 xo

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 6, 2015 at 4:55 pm

      thank you, friend!

      Reply
  2. Dana says

    June 3, 2015 at 8:08 am

    Great transformation! You’ll have to do an update post and tell us how long the scent remains…randomly curious?!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 6, 2015 at 4:55 pm

      so far it’s been up for a month and a half and still smells amazing!

      Reply
  3. Jaime Costiglio says

    June 3, 2015 at 9:32 am

    Great transformation Cassie! So smart to take the doors off and make the space completely functional. And of course the cedar planks are icing on the cake, the smell is divine! Thanks for the mention, we still love the kids bathroom just as much as the day I installed it. Nice work.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 6, 2015 at 4:53 pm

      thank you so much! glad you are still loving your bathroom!

      Reply
  4. CedarSafe Closets says

    June 3, 2015 at 9:47 am

    Cassie, your mudroom closet looks amazing! I love all of the animal accents, and the white shelves really go great with the cedar!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 6, 2015 at 4:53 pm

      thank you so much! i love the planks- they look and smell amazing!

      Reply
  5. Suzanne says

    June 3, 2015 at 9:49 am

    I am so impressed! It looks great and I bet it smells good too. I love the smell of new cedar! You could always add a few hooks on the right side for the kid’s jackets. From experience, I know that my kids will never actually hang them up in a closet on a hanger lol! But maybe that is just my lazy kids 🙂 It looks amazing!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 6, 2015 at 4:53 pm

      it does smell amazing! i just love it! 🙂

      Reply
  6. sarah dorsey says

    June 3, 2015 at 10:17 am

    so so good! love it Cassie!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 6, 2015 at 4:53 pm

      thank you, sarah! it was so awful before!

      Reply
  7. Debbie @ Refresh Restyle says

    June 3, 2015 at 10:27 am

    It looks great!! Great tip for laying it out in the sun!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 6, 2015 at 4:52 pm

      thank you, debbie!

      Reply
  8. [email protected] says

    June 3, 2015 at 11:11 am

    This is awesome, Cassie! I love the idea to remove the doors – it makes such a beautiful little alcove!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 6, 2015 at 4:51 pm

      thank you, brynne!

      Reply
  9. [email protected] this top that says

    June 3, 2015 at 12:21 pm

    cassie, just love what you have done with the cedar planks. you guys are just too cute.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 6, 2015 at 4:51 pm

      thank you so much, laura!

      Reply
  10. Gwen says

    June 3, 2015 at 12:31 pm

    Cassie! That is gorgeous! I bet it smells amazing, too!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 6, 2015 at 4:51 pm

      it does! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Jessica @ Dear Emmeline says

    June 3, 2015 at 3:54 pm

    such a big difference! seeing it in person, it definitely feels so open and smells AMAZING!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 6, 2015 at 4:50 pm

      thank you! it still smells so good!

      Reply
  12. [email protected] Chronicles of Home says

    June 3, 2015 at 8:42 pm

    What a great idea, Cassie! I love how this sad little closet is such a pretty focal point now. And functional to boot 🙂

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 6, 2015 at 4:50 pm

      it was really sad, wasn’t it? it’s happy now!

      Reply
  13. Deb Owen says

    June 3, 2015 at 11:29 pm

    Love it! What a great project and a great solution!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 6, 2015 at 4:49 pm

      thank you, deb!

      Reply
  14. [email protected] says

    June 4, 2015 at 7:02 am

    Such an improvement. Love the white with the cedar planks.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 6, 2015 at 4:49 pm

      thank you- it is soooo much better. it was such an eyesore.

      Reply
  15. designPOST interiors says

    June 4, 2015 at 3:08 pm

    I love this so much! You are creating a perfect modern cabin/nautical feel in your house and I dig it!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 6, 2015 at 4:47 pm

      thank you- great description!

      Reply
  16. [email protected] says

    June 4, 2015 at 9:41 pm

    I love the cedar! Such a great, custom touch.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 6, 2015 at 4:47 pm

      thank you, kim!

      Reply
  17. Kennesha says

    June 6, 2015 at 2:57 am

    Looks so great Cassie! I just love the way this turned out. Changed the whole look of the hallway! xo

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 6, 2015 at 4:47 pm

      thank you, friend!

      Reply
  18. Krista @ the happy housie says

    June 6, 2015 at 10:50 am

    Ok. This closet turned out incredibly! Oh my! What an awesome makeover – so nice to have that space at your entry. The cedar is such a warm contrast to the white shelf. Awesome job Cassie!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 6, 2015 at 4:47 pm

      thank you so much, krista!

      Reply
  19. Gretchen says

    June 7, 2015 at 6:29 pm

    Looks so good! What a perfect use for that space….love the cedar! And can I say that, as a coat closet-less person myself, I’m jealous even of your doors falling off before closet :).

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 8, 2015 at 8:44 pm

      thank you so much, gretchen- it smells amazing!

      Reply
  20. gail says

    June 9, 2015 at 2:24 pm

    Beautiful job! Y’all make a great team… let’s go 3 for 3. 🙂

    I had no idea that it comes looking purple like that. Good to know the sun helps work it all out.

    gail

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 10, 2015 at 8:32 pm

      thank you, my friend! i think we will attempt it. 😉

      Reply
  21. Krystine www.KrystineEdwards.com/blog says

    June 11, 2015 at 7:53 am

    That is amazing! I cannot wait to finally create a mudroom! The cedar adds so much and how it contrasts with the walls! LOVE it!

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      June 12, 2015 at 3:17 pm

      thank you so much! it still smells wonderful, too!

      Reply
  22. [email protected] says

    February 29, 2016 at 5:18 pm

    So, of course I love the mudroom space. BUT, I love the kids “create” gallery wall. Now, I’m on a mission to make one for myself. Just got to decide where.

    Reply
    • Cassie says

      March 1, 2016 at 9:50 am

      thank you! they are proud to have it in a space that isn’t a “kid” space, ya know?

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Adding Legs to an Ikea Kallax Bookcase - Primitive and Proper says:
    March 7, 2016 at 5:00 am

    […] you don’t recognize this space, it’s our mudroom in a closet.  I created this space last year after the closet doors broke, and it was just a hot mess of […]

    Reply
  2. Not Jo-Mama's Shiplap & Other Wall Treatments - Cassie Bustamante says:
    September 19, 2016 at 7:07 am

    […] to work with Cedarsafe and I turned our dark hall closet with broken doors into an open and light cedar planked mudroom.This closet still smells amazing, and the cedar grain gives it so much richness and character.  At […]

    Reply
  3. Halloween Home Tour - Cassie Bustamante says:
    October 14, 2016 at 6:38 am

    […] entry.  This door is our “front door” and it faces our stairs, downstairs hallway and cedar closet-mudroom. Upon walking in our home through this entry, the living room is to the left and the dining room to […]

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Hi, I’m Cassie!

I believe that you don't have to spend a lot of money to live a beautiful life and be your best self.  Here you will find budget friendly ideas to live happily, healthily, sustainably, and most importantly authentically.  We all get one chance at this life, and this ordinary girl plans to make hers extraordinary. How about you? Read more...
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Hi! I'm Cassie.

Mother, wife, shop owner, blogger, writer, incurable diy-er, furniture painter, coffee and wine drinker, friend. Seeking happiness and passing it on. Read More…

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