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Building Corner Cabinets Turn unusable corners into tasty kitchen storage. From "Wasted Spaces" episode DWSP-302

Custom cabinets turn wasted space into super storage.

Chad and Rebecca have outgrown their kitchen – so much that they've started stowing dishes and pans in the hall closet! Instead of spending thousands of dollars on a renovation, they turned to Karl Champley and the Wasted Spaces crew for help with their storage woes.

Luckily for Chad and Rebecca, there's a large dining room just off the kitchen – with a couple of awkward corners that are perfect for custom cabinetry. Karl helps the couple build giant corner cabinets tailored to their room, then add a wet bar for even greater functionality. He also shows them how to use paint and sanding techniques to give the new cabinets a great antique look.

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Building Corner Cabinets

Tools: scissors tape measure safety glasses marker, pencils circular saw nail gun screw gun jigsaw

Materials: wood glue screws nails roll of brown kraft paper pre-made cabinet doors ¾" birch plywood trim drawer runners door hinges

Figure A

• Design the cabinets. To build custom cabinets that fit perfectly in the corners of the dining room, Karl used a favorite low-tech tool: kraft paper. He cut pieces of brown kraft paper the approximate size of the cabinet walls and taped them to the walls to get an idea of what dimensions would work best in the space. Instead of a point that fits all the way into the corner, the cabinets are slightly squared off at the back to leave room for cords or pipes. One of the final cabinets will be plumbed in as a wet bar, the other will have a slide-out buffet server (figure A)

• Measure and cut lumber. Based on the paper template, the final cabinets will be 81" tall and 42" wide. Transfer the measurements from the kraft paper to birch plywood, then cut out the pieces using a circular saw. The pieces will include two side pieces, a narrow back, matching top and bottom pieces, and a few shelves. For the top, bottom and shelf, trace the shape from the kraft paper onto the wood. Keep the template for the shelves; it will come in handy when installing the completed wet bar cabinet.

  Safety Alert: Always wear safety glasses and use caution when working with a circular saw or other power tool.
  

  Figure B

• Assemble the basic cabinet. Working on a large, level work surface, assemble the cabinet (figure B). Apply wood glue to all joints, then secure the joints using a nail gun. Since the finished cabinet will be extremely heavy, reinforce the joints with screws.

  Safety Alert: Always wear safety glasses and use extreme caution when working with a nail gun. These powerful tools can drive a nail through wood – or a hand or foot – instantly.

• Add facings. Cut thin strips of plywood facing and attach along the exposed front edges of the cabinets. To add design interest, use wider pieces at the top and bottom of the cabinet and cut in a decorative pattern with a jigsaw.

• Attach trim. Use finish nails to attach trim molding to give the cabinet a more finished look.
  

  Figure C

• Paint. Prime and paint the cabinet, shelves and doors as desired. For this project, Karl used special antiquing techniques to give these simple cabinets a more interesting look.

• Create buffet surface. Karl and the homeowners installed a wet bar in one cabinet, and gave the other a slide-out shelf for buffet serving. To make this shelf, cut an extra piece of shelf lumber and trim down the sides so that it can slide in and out without hitting the cabinet facings. Prime and paint the shelf. Install drawer-slide hardware to the bottom of the sliding shelf and the top of the center shelf; the shelf should slide in and out smoothly (figure C). Cut a strip of plywood wide enough to hide the sliding shelf; prime, paint and install using a piano hinge for a flip-down cover.
  

  ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  	Building Corner Cabinets
  	Wet Bar Rough-In
  	Install Wet Bar
  	Easy Antiquing Techniques