A comprehensive guide to creating DIY built-in cabinets with drawers! Packed with step-by-step photos, helpful advice, and clever techniques for building and fitting drawers, plus an excellent video!
Hiii!!! I’m incredibly excited to show you my newest DIY project today! My home office makeover is one step nearer to being finished. Have you followed along with my progress? I shared it here on The Home Depot blog! Can you believe I built these gorgeous built-in cabinets myself?! They look fantastic, and their functionality is SO GOOD. I designed these drawers to be extra deep and broad, allowing me to conceal nearly everything I’ve ever owned in them. But hold on… there’s even more! These drawers contain a small secret…
I truly needed filing cabinets for my home office, but I didn’t want them toappear like typical file cabinets, if you know what I mean. ‘Cubicle chic’ is definitely not the look I’m aiming for in this space. Instead, I wanted storage that resembled a beautiful built-in furniture piece, and this is the design I created! Have you ever seen filing cabinets look this good?! And here’s the surprising part – they were fairly simple and inexpensive to make. Two plywood sheets and several 1x boards put the price at roughly $150 per cabinet! BANANAS.
Keep reading for some helpful pointers and clever ideas, and make sure to watch the video to watch the entire process come together!
Get the plans
As usual, I prepared detailed, step-by-step plans for this DIY built-in cabinet. I format my plans like a recipe, so if you know how to follow a recipe, you can make this cabinet! The plans provide considerably more detail than this blog post and offer both beginner-friendly and intermediate options for creating the drawer dividers (the hanging file folder feature). This is an excellent starter project that delivers plenty of value for the effort. For your convenience, I’ve also added links to product sources for everything used in this room at the end of the post.
Prepare the plywood pieces
To begin, I sized the 3/4-inch plywood pieces with my circular saw and a straight-edge guide. I swapped the blade for one designed specifically for plywood, which produces smoother, more accurate cuts with less tear-out. In the photo on the left above, you can see my foam board insulation method – I use it as a cutting surface because it supports the full plywood sheet and shields the surface below. The foam board is affordable, simple to store, easy to handle, and I can cut into it repeatedly.
After cutting the side panels, I used a jigsaw to remove the bottom section for the toe kick. Since our baseboards measure 5 1/2 inches high, I made the notch that same height. If your baseboards are higher or lower, adjust the notch to match. Remember, though, that this adjustment could affect the measurements you use later. I clamped both panels together and cut them with the jigsaw. Securing them together reduced the chance of mistakes and meant I only needed two cuts rather than four. #worksmarter
Build the carcass
Next, I cut the toe kick components along with the central support board. I made 3/4-inch pocket holes in these pieces, then fastened them using 1 1/4-inch pocket screws and wood glue. Without a pocket hole jig, you can drill pilot holes first and assemble the carcass with ordinary wood screws and glue. I generally apply glue to every joint – I consider it inexpensive insurance.
Install the bottom
Once the carcass was assembled, I fitted the bottom piece. I positioned it in place and fastened it with wood glue and 1 1/4-inch brad nails. I then installed the upper supports using pocket screws and glue.
The plans contain every measurement and the complete materials list for this DIY built-in cabinet, along with a suggested plywood cutting layout. While arranging the cuts, I considered how to use the material most effectively to reduce waste and how to create the most efficient cutting pattern. I also paid attention to the grain direction in case you plan to stain your project.
Install the face frame
Next up is the face frame. For this stage, I chose solid 1×2 pine boards. Plywood isn’t ideal here because the layered edges would remain visible. I secured the face frame using wood glue and brad nails.
Building a drawer
All right, it’s time to make the drawers! Many people tell me that drawer construction and installation feels intimidating, but if you work carefully and consistently “check for square,” you shouldn’t run into major problems. At its core, you’re simply assembling a box. Measure the opening, then build the box to suit it. Standard drawer slides generally need 1/2-inch clearance on both sides, so the drawer box should be 1 inch narrower than the opening.
I began by cutting the drawer components from plywood and labeling each one to keep everything organized. Next, I bored 3/4-inch pocket holes in the front and back pieces. The front and back sections should always fit between the side pieces, rather than the reverse (refer to the photo above). When the side pieces are placed between the front and back, the repeated pushing and pulling of the drawer can eventually weaken the joints. I then assembled the box with 1 1/4-inch pocket screws and wood glue.
How To Verify It’s Square
When I tell you to “check for square,” this is what I mean. Use a tape measure to measure diagonally across all four corners – the two measurements should be identical. If they differ, squeeze the corners along the longer diagonal until both measurements match. Then clamp the box, drive in the screws, and allow the glue to cure. Once all four sides of each drawer box were assembled, I attached the 1/4-inch plywood bottom with wood glue and staples. I like staples better than brad nails for this step because they provide slightly greater holding strength.
Make sure to watch the video above to see how I attach the drawer slides. It’s not nearly as difficult as you mightthink!
Install drawer front
As the final step, I added the drawer front. After sliding the drawer into place, I positioned the front exactly where I wanted it and secured it with clamps. To maintain even spacing around the drawer front, I used my friend Brad’s card method. Then I inserted screws from inside the drawer box to fasten the front.
Smooth, paint, and complete
We’re nearly finished! It’s time to give this project its final treatment. I applied one layer of primer to the cabinet, followed by three coats of latex paint. The shade is Sherwin Williams’ Roycroft Bottle Green with a semi-gloss finish. After the paint had dried, we moved the cabinets into the room to install them! This is seriously the most exciting thing ever!!!
Fasten the cabinets to the wall studs and add the countertop
Because our floors are not completely level, we placed several shims beneath the cabinet before screwing it into the wall studs. Attaching the cabinet to the studs is essential, since opening both drawers simultaneously could cause it to topple. After the cabinet was firmly secured, my friend Josh installed the baseboards and shoe molding. I had a local stone company cut the countertops from a gorgeous Carrera marble slab, and then fixed them to the cabinet using silicone.
Hold on. one. hot. second. Let’s pause for a moment to admire this absolutely stunning marble top… I can’t even. Seriously, can you? I. CANNOT. EVEN.
Alright. Let’s continue.
Are you freaking out as much as I am?! Because I am completely freaking out about these DIY built-in cabinets! I absolutely adore the way this room is taking shape!
Here’s what remains on the list:
- Plan and construct a desk (it’ll sit in front of the built-ins, with my back facing the bookshelves)
- Extend the bookshelves downward until they meet the marble countertop
- Put in the final section of shoe molding
- Add (or create?) wall decorations/artwork
Seeing everything finally come together is going to feel SO GOOD. Stay tuned for the complete home office reveal…
Product References:
Interested in seeing more of my DIY cabinet projects? Take a look at this carved entryway cabinet, this desk featuring a concealed printer cabinet, or this printmaker’s cabinet!