Mudroom Bench with Drawers

Cut the frame parts and assemble two ladder frames — 3" self-tapping screws, or 1-1/2"-setting pocket holes with 2-1/2" pocket screws.

Build the second frame stacked on top of the first, corner to corner. The drawer slides span between these frames; 'identical' isn't a virtue here, it's a functional requirement.

Attach the plywood side panels to the frame ends — 2" screws, or nails and glue. The bench silhouette appears.

Read the slide instructions first, then build three boxes to fit your openings: for standard 1/2"-clearance side-mounts, the box is the opening width minus 1", sides as long as the slides.

Pocket-holing the boxes? Put the front pocket holes INSIDE the box (the drawer face frame hides interior faces later is not true — the outside face shows through the opening). Bottoms go on with glue and 3/4" brads or narrow-crown staples.

Set 2x4 scraps inside the bench as spacers, rest each cabinet-side slide member on its spacer, and screw to the frame. The spacer trick guarantees left and right slides sit at identical heights — which is the entire game with drawers.

Attach the drawer-side slide members to the boxes per the slide instructions, and set each box into its cabinet slides.

Cycle every drawer fully. Binding or rubbing gets fixed NOW — slide screws loosened, shimmed, re-driven — because after the face frames go on, access gets worse and motivation gets weaker.

Fasten the plywood top with 1-1/4" brads and glue (screws hold better but show — your call on a piece this visible). Ease the front edge well; the backs of knees meet it every shoe-tying.

Pocket-hole the 1x2/1x4 face frame together flat on the bench (3/4" setting, 1-1/4" screws), then attach the completed frame to the front with brads and glue. Building it as a unit first is why the reveals come out even.

Build the three 1x3 drawer face frames and attach each to its box with brads and glue, holding an even 1/8" gap on all sides — playing-card stacks make good shims. Add the knobs, finish the whole piece, and reclaim the front hall.