Expert: Jamie Yocono - 8/19/2005

Question
We have two cubby holes on either side of our fireplace that measure roughly 35.5 x 33.5 x 19.

My wife wants to build cabinets to go into the cubbies with two doors, no drawers and adjustable shelves.

Any recommmendations?  Do I need to build a carcass for the cabinet or can I use the existing cubby walls?  Do I need more than basic support for the face plate or will a 1 inch wood frame around the face plate be enough to support the doors?

Thanks!

Answer
Hi Eddie,

I'm pretty sure I can picture the wall area in which you describe, and I'll try to discuss a few things to think about. Sounds like a relatively easy project, and certainly doable if you have some basic skill and some decent tools.

You probably need to think about 2 distinct things- the hanging of the shelves, and the mounting of the doors.  

Shelves first....you can definitely use the existing walls in the niche as your walls, meaning- you don't have to cover them with something else.  But you probably need to mount some sort of shelving uprights that will hold some sort of shelf pin or bracket. You're probably not going to find studs where you want them, so I would mount the 4 shelf uprights to the walls, using some sort of toggle bolt or a good plastic anchor system. If you paint the uprights the same color as the walls, they will blend in and virtually disappear.  You probably will want to mount 2 on the left wall, and 2 on the right wall, each about 2" in from the corners. Add the pins or brackets, and you will have instant adjustable shelving!  It might be easiest to start with this, since the opening will be free of any wood to obstruct you.

As far as the doors go- I am not sure if you want to mount them on the inside of the opening, or apply a frame to the outside and hang the doors outside of the opening. The difference is fairly important. Either way, you probably have a 2 x 4 stud inside those front corners. So you definitely have wood there to mount the framework. But I don't think a 1 x 1 frame is big enough. You probably have 1/2" drywall on the walls, so that only leaves you with about a 1/2" to mount the wood frame to the wood stud. It's just not enough.

You will need to make a frame, although it can be fairly simple as far as joinery goes. You just want something relatively square and flat, where you will be able to mount the hinges.  A frame on the outside will probably be easiest; I'm just not sure it will work in your particular situation.

Either way, I would pick out your hinges before you build the frame. The hinge will determine not only how big of a frame you need, but also the size of the doors.

Each door is going to roughly be 17" wide by 33" tall. That really isn't a big door, so weight isn't an issue. But here's a recommendation- I would try to find a hinge that allows you a little adjustabliilty. Some of the euro-hinges (called cup hinges) allow for adjustment in 3 directions- horizontal and vertical, as well as in and out. They are easy to adjust, and for rookies, they make things pretty simple. But you have to have a certain size (1 3/8") drill bit (and a drill press) to install them, so that might not work out for you. But if you can- try to use those cup hinges.

I would make that frame (if it's an outside mounting one) out of 1 x 2" material, and a nail gun would really help you out here, if you have one. You can "stick build" the frame, meaning build it piece by piece, right on site. You're basically just framing the outside to give yourself a place to mount those hinges.

If it's an inside mounting frame, you probably need to build it out of something a little different, like 2 x 2's. That will give you enough wood to mount to the jamb area, as well as leave enough wood for you to mount the hinges. Try to think ahead and visualize how the wood pieces will meet each other, so you can anticipate any problems ahead of time.

Take your time, and do some planning. It's an easy project, and I suspect it's going to look great. Good luck, I hope this helps. Feel free to write back with any other questions you might have after reading this.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
www.wooditis.com
Las Vegas, NV