Here’s How to Build an Easy DIY Hall Tree with Storage Bench

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A hall tree is a great addition to your entryway, foyer or mudroom. It’s a handy, catch-all storage area for things you use outside the home, especially if you include a storage bench. It can be used for coats and gloves in winter; hats and umbrellas in summer; and backpacks, dog leashes and keys all year-round. Aside from functionality, a hall tree can also be a beautiful display piece that sets the stylistic tone of your home. Follow DIY Expert Keisha Boutilier’s easy steps to build your own hall tree!

Here’s What You’ll Need*:

* Lumber may vary depending on your location. To see all your options, use our Store Locator to find the Home Hardware Building Centre or Home Building Centre closest to you.

Here’s How to Make It:

Our entryway has long been a clutter zone for jackets, shoes, bookbags and a million other things. I’ve been trying to figure out how we could utilize and organize this space to make life easier when entering and leaving the house—especially on hectic school mornings. Drew and I decided a hall tree with a storage bench was the best solution. We were excited to get started and headed out to our local Home Hardware to make it happen. They’re our building gurus! We found everything we needed and the staff as usual was super helpful.

Step 1: Building the Frame

We started with the frame, using our 2” x 4” pine boards to outline the ideal size of the hall tree for the space. We settled on 6.6-foot height and 4.5-foot width. Drew used a pocket hole jig to drill the holes and screw in the four centre pieces so we could attach our MDF and beadboard later.

Step 2: Installing the Bench

Next we cut out two pieces of MDF from our 4’ x 8’ sheet for the top and bottom of the bench, smoothing and sanding down the edges of both.

Step 3: Installing the Backboard

Once the bench was nicely secured down, Drew cut a larger sheet of both the MDF and the beadboard. We secured the MDF first with screws and wood glue, then nailed in the beadboard. We really wanted to make sure the structure was strong and durable.

Step 4: Installing the Lattice Moulding

We installed lattice moulding around the sides of the beadboard, cutting each piece down to hide the edges that were gaping open. Drew used the brad nailer to secure those down.

Step 5: Installing the Bench Sides

We deliberated a bit on how best to fill in the sides of the bench. Our beadboard seemed like the best option to maintain a consistent look. Luckily we had some extra pieces and cut them down to squares big enough to cover each side.

Step 6: Installing the Top Shelf

For the top we used our 1” x 10” pine and created a little shelf. After screwing that in, we went around the entire hall tree and filled our holes, making sure it was completely covered and no raw gaps were showing.

Step 7:

Once that dried for 24 hours it was time to paint! I went with a pretty BeautiTone seafoam colour called Blue-Tiful, applying three coats to withstand the rigor of constant usage. Then we screwed in the hooks, using a level to make sure they were aligned evenly.

I love how this turned out and am grateful to Home Hardware for helping us find everything we needed.

Having a homemade hall tree instead of store-bought model makes it more meaningful to me. Transforming raw materials into something so useful and beautiful is a really self-empowering feeling for Drew and myself. We came together as a team and really made it happen. I also have a sense of ease from knowing how well-built our hall tree is: I have no fear of it ever coming apart or being destroyed by children! It’s also something that will come with us if we ever move. It feels so nice having this hall tree to keep all of our things organized and cleaned up. Most of all, I’m so happy that our new hall tree finally makes the space feel cozy and complete. Just take a look at these before and after pics and you’ll see what I mean!