Custom Kitchen Cabinets 01

Kitchen And Bathroom Renovation : Custom Kitchen Cabinets 01


The simple base cabinet and hanging wall cabinet shown here use the same basic construction as professionally built kitchen cabinets, but because they are custom-designed, trimmed, and finished to blend into the room, they become permanent built-in features of your home.

These basic cabinets are built with maple plywood, which gives them the look of fine custom-made cabinets, but at a much reduced cost. The base cabinet has extra-large drawers that are well suited for storing table linens.

You can use the methods shown here to build a single based cabinet with a wall cabinet above it or several cabinets side by side (for a full wall of storage or display).


Tools & Materials

Electronic stud finder
Cordless screwdriver
Hammer
Tape measure
Utility knife
Router with bits
(3⁄4" straight, 1⁄4" rabbet)
Drill and bits
Right-angle drill guide
Pegboard scraps
Pipe clamps
Level
Sander
Circular saw
Power-driver screws
(3⁄4", 21⁄2", 31⁄2")
Pocket screw jig
Wood glue
Biscuits, splines, or dowels
Finish nails (1", 2", 3", 4")
Shims
Pin-style shelf supports
3⁄4" plywood
1 × 3, 1 × 6, 2 × 4 lumber
1 × 3 maple
Finishing materials
Drawer and door hardware
Trim or base shoe molding
Wood putty
Countertop hardwood

Building your own custom cabinets from scratch is not necessarily a cost-savings venture, but it allows you to populate your kitchen with sturdy cabinets made of high-quality materials with the exact tone and appearance you want.