Rift-Cut White Oak Mudroom

A mudroom gets abused. Wet boots, backpacks, hockey bags, the dog. So the wood matters more here than almost anywhere else in the house.

This one is rift-cut white oak. Rift-cutting gives oak a straight, even grain instead of the wild cathedral pattern, and that grain stays flat and clean for years instead of warping or looking busy. It's the same reason it shows up in high-end furniture.

The piece is a bench with two deep drawers, four hooks, two cubbies up top for the things you grab on the way out, and a tall cabinet for the things that shouldn't be on display. It was designed to the wall, so it fits edge to edge with nothing to patch.