Today we are giving my living room some much-needed storage by installing these off-the-shelf cabinets from Lowe's.
I have one single width and one double width for each side of my fireplace, and these are actually narrower upper cabinets that I’m going to show you how convert to lowers cabinets for tight spaces.
Then I’m going to tell you about my favorite paint and primer combo for a lasting, durable finish, as well as work on a custom rustic wood counter top and matching shelves to turn this very boring room into a stunning, rustic feature wall. So let’s get into it!
Base Construction
Alright, we are starting by building a base for these cabinets to sit on. Standard counter height is somewhere between 34-36 inches high and these cabinets are only 30” tall, so I’m going to find the base height I need by subtracting the cabinet height as well as my expected counter height and any difference the flooring is going to make. I need to make up 5 inches, so it worked out well for me to use standard 2x6 lumber which is 5 1/2 inches in width.
I’m building a simple box to sit flush with the cabinet walls on either side with a 4” tow kick. I also added a second piece in the middle to sit under the joint between the two cabinets and to give our box a bit more rigidity.
Base Install & Prep
Once both bases are ready, I’m going use them as a guide for cutting out the existing baseboards with a multitool, as well as the carpet and carpet pad, which I marked with a Sharpie and cut out with a box cutter.
Before I put the cabinets in place, I’m going to use a long straight edge to mark out my studs so I can attach everything quickly and securely, starting with a couple screws of the base into the wall.
I have several outlets along these walls, so I’m going to carefully map out their exact location onto the back of my cabinets and use my multi tool again to cut an opening for access. Now, you can’t uncut this back panel, so be sure to check, double check and triple check your measurement! And with any luck you should have a nice clean opening.
Cabinet Install
If you have any issues with levelling, now’s the time to put some shims under your cabinet to straighten things out. Otherwise, we’re going to screw directly through the cabinet backer board into our studs. I’m also going to clamp the two cabinets flush, drill a couple pilot holes and screw together through the face frames. This will give them that perfectly seamless look with no gaping.
Then it’s time to repeat everything on the other side - first pulling up the carpet and getting the base installed, then mapping out the outlets and cutting access holes, and finally levelling and screwing in each cabinet until everything’s feeling sturdy and secure.
Design & Color
Up next is painting, starting with the wall. After much consideration and design planning, I chose to go dark on one wall only with SW Black Fox, which is a really dark brown. Going dark will help shorten this room toward the kitchen and give a more cozy feel to this larger open concept part of my house that can feel very long. Paint color can have a massive effect on how a room feels, so if you’re room’s feeling a bit blah, try one of these paint schemes.
Also, I highly recommend both finding inspiration pictures and doing a mock up of a room before you begin any project. I used the Procreate app on my iPad to make about a hundred combinations of paint and cabinet colors until I knew I was going to get the exact look I wanted. I’ve also used SketchUp for dimensional planning, Canva for creating collages of inspiration pictures or specific furniture or fixtures I’m planning to buy. Plain old paper and pencil crayons works in a pinch too!
While that’s drying, we’re going to cover the particle board sides with this handy veneer panel that makes the cabinets look more like solid wood. And then we'll take the doors off and head to the shop!
Painting
My secret paint combo for a durable, professional-grade finish is BIN shellac oil-based primer to start, followed by Sherwin Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel on top. I’ve used this combo on my kitchen cabinets, in bathrooms, on furniture, and combined with really great prep it lasts years and years, even in high touch areas.
We actually painted these in tandem with our hallway bath vanity, which you can learn more about here.
For this project I had the rare opportunity of being able to skip the primer, because they were unfinished wood, which meant they already head great adhesion, and we’re not worried about bleed through because we’re using such a dark color.
If you’re working overtop of another finish or with anything other than wood, check out my kitchen video for an in depth tutorial on how to make your paint last.
Counter & Shelves
To create these rustic wood countertops and shelves, we followed a similar process to this 10ft table we built out of standard dimensional lumber. You start by edge gluing the boards, then you use a wire wheel and die grinder to grind out the wood’s softest pulp. Finally, some sanding, stain with my favorite color Early American, and then oil-based polyurethane for a rock hard, proof finish.
We installed the shelves using some beautiful cast iron brackets that match our coat rack, and then drilled fresh holes for these gold bar pulls that match our kitchen. Then it’s time for some styling and we are ready for the final reveal!
The Reveal
From boring grey to bold and earthy, this living room has quickly become one of our favorite rooms in the house.
Our audio equipment, blankets and games are all loving their new home plus we can’t wait to fill up the shelves with new books and pictures. And the best part is that all in this project was only about $600! I’m actually really impressed by these off-the-shelf cabinets and would definitely use them again for secondary, low-traffic storage like this.
Let me know what you think of this project and I’ll see you next time.