I am going nuts. Here is what I want for storage in my office craft room space:
- Base cabinets with open shelving that are 24″ front-to-back (like kitchen cabinets), so that I can add a 25″ deep work surface counter on top.
- The overall installation needs to be 36″ high – also just like a kitchen.
- On legs.
- The inside sides need to have those little pegs on the side to you can adjust shelf sizes. I’ll add brass grommets.
- In my dreams, chunky natural wood frame, with white shelves.
- In my dreams and here’s where it gets really complicated: I’d like the design to allow me to adjust the width of the shelves and back and therefore, the width of the cabinet to fit the exact dimensions of my space. Like: The legs and side pieces would be a fixed depth and height (24″ deep, 36″ high with the legs and counter). The width of the shelves and back (if you wanted a back) could be adjusted easily by cutting down the shelves or using different sizes of shelves.
- Affordable — considering I am talking about a simple wood frame, and am fine with piney legs and MDF shelves.
Kinda sorta like the Ikea Varde freestanding kitchen cabinet unit above (now discontinued but see Ikea kitchen islands section for proxies available today) — but my design need to be shelves only and needs to be infinitely adjustable in width. Haha, that’s all I need: “infinitely.” Does anyone know of something available to suit my needs?? I have already spent, like, 30 hours online looking, and I am finding it’s constitutionally impossible for me to “settle“.
So far, the closest I am coming is the idea of using Ikea Akurums (1) in plain white (2) without the doors (3) put onto natural wood legs and (4) somehow, further framed by me in some kind of wood, to get the white-within-wood effect. However, this does not allow infinite flexiblity, as the Ikea Akurum shelf-only cabinets go only up to 24″. Also, I am not too keen on going the Ikea route. Ingredients of these pieces include and I quote: “Particleboard, Polypropylene, Melamine foil, Fiberboard, Acrylic paint”. I an not anti-plastic, just anti-plastic in this particular room quest. And third, even at “just” $70, this Ikea cabinets strikes me as overpriced compared to other items on their site. I think that because it’s called a “kitchen cabinet” the price is about $30 too high. For plastic, and those legs are even extra…
Meanwhile, I am doodling a design of my own — one that tries to use stock lumber and woodworking pieces — even though I have never tried to design furniture before.
lynda davis says
Pam, see if the above the refrigerator wall cabinets from Ikea might work. They are 24 inches deep and since they are wall cabinets they just attach to the wall. Then you could use a standard butcher block or other countertop for the top. I think the cabinets come in 30 and 36″ widths and a couple of different heights. You could add legs or leave them floating. You could leave the backs off, if you wanted. Also you can leave spaces between two cabinets and just add shelves to span the space and the counter could cover the whole length. You could add legs, or leave the cabinets floating. Remember the cabinet prices include the doors and hinges and shelves. If you get cabinet boxes only it is far cheaper. You could use the maple butcher block to cover the sides too and use wood shelves instead of the melamine.
http://afloridagirl.com/2012/02/20/denny-for-the-den/ this is a 12″ floating storage unit, but you get the idea. You can also think how you might use 12″ by 36″ wall cabinets on their side to create open shelves above the 24″ deep cabinets. There are sites on the net about how to use Ikea cabinets in interesting ways.
pam kueber says
hmmm.i did not see these. yes, they are 24″ deep. 30″ and 36″ wide, and offer heights 15″, 18″ and 24″ tall. (while the base cabinets with shelves is 30″ high). same idea, i think — just more heights, which certainly provides more alternatives. CAN you order without the doors and save $$? does Ikea let you do something “custom” like that???
JP says
What about vintage wood cabinets without doors. You could be the reverse of all those folks that put their old metal cabinets in their basements when they updated their kitchens to wood. You would still have to frame out the inside of the drawers. But I think a kitchen is the only thing that will easily adapt to the built in u shape you are looking for.
pam kueber says
I like those wood cabinets — a lot — but for a kitchen. I need on legs… don’t want big block o’ wood.
JP says
If you want a kitchen, could you get an actual kitchen, perhaps the white one down the street from your house and get the inside framed out in birch? Remove the doors and drawers. Didn’t you feature a kitchen in which the vintage cabinets were put on legs. Not sure it will work or if this is getting into crazy custom land, but it sounds like you want a kitchen.
pam kueber says
trying to avoid more steel kitchen cabinets in the house. basement is cold. steel is cold.
JP says
Can you just take the doors off kitchen cabinets? They have shelves. They come in many configurations.
pam kueber says
Are you talking about the Akurums? They only go up to 24″ wide. Strangely, price now shows as $46 online; I coulda swore it was $70 yesterday. I am losing my mind.
Tammy says
Most of the expense is for the doors or drawers – if you look up the components & just price the box itself, they are way cheaper than complete cabinets.
TappanTrailerTami says
Yes, go inspect Pam – it pays sometimes to think outside the box, using stock items. I’ve kinda become an expert in that since I have my kitchen cabinets already, and have remodeled and re-purposed them to suit, a jillion times over (in my head). As a result, I never look at cabinets like I used to…anything is possible!
Let us know what you find out – at $169 a cabinet, you’d probably be hard pressed to get the birch wood, on legs, and everything else you wanted from a carpenter for the same price 🙂
pam kueber says
That Varde is $349. Too much.
TappanTrailerTami says
U shaped isn’t that hard, now you just have corners to deal with. I was looking at this cabinet on IKEA – just delete the doors and the center upright, and add another cross support in the top for the countertop of your choice….get more than one and stick side by side if you need more width. You could actually cut the doors in half and use them for shelves also if you wanted so they don’t go to waste.
Then you could put vertical shelf supports in so you can vary height and width of the shelving to suit.
You can see how it goes together here:
http://www.ikea.com/assembly_instructions/varde-sink-cabinet-146×90-cm__MNC07_PUB.PDF
Shelf supports like this:
http://www.knapeandvogt.com/standard__~~~__bracket_shelving.html?page=products.18.81
Otherwise, I vote with the masses and say consult a carpenter!
pam kueber says
You know, T3, I had never looked at the install instructions for the Varde. It does appear it might be infinitely adjustable as to width — if you cut down the bottom and back. And may what I see are holes there to add more shelves? There is one of these at my coffee shop and I am good friends with the owners. I will go inspect! They know I am nuts…
Elisa says
What if you built a custom faux “base” (counter top and cabinet surround) which inclosed an “infinitely adjustable” shelving system like this–http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2020063/18933/20-Supported-Shelf-Bracket.aspx with white painted boards/wire baskets.
pam kueber says
yup, you’re getting my idea… here is link live i hope: http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2020063/18933/20-Supported-Shelf-Bracket.aspx
ELK says
I would go with at least getting estimates from a cabinet shop. In my experience, they do tend to be less money than you would think. Not so cheap as Ikea but not totally budget busting either. It comes down to choice of materials and how much knicky-knacky detailing. Plus, you should add in the value of your time, i.e.; spent in assembly of the cabinets, to your cost calculations. I would take my plans and go see a local. They might even have some awesome base cabinet from which to work. Retro gods love you and you do love to reuse so chances are probably high for a result like that!
TappanTrailerTami says
Hello Pam – you are usually so spot on and clear, but you lost me here:
In my dreams and here’s where it gets really complicated: I’d like the design to allow me to adjust the width of the shelves and back and therefore, the width of the cabinet to fit the exact dimensions of my space. Like: The legs and side pieces would be a fixed depth and height (24? deep, 36? high with the legs and counter). The width of the shelves and back (if you wanted a back) could be adjusted easily by cutting down the shelves or using different sizes of shelves.
Oh, and you used the word “infinitely” yikes! “Infinitely” and “exact dimensions of my space” do not appear to go hand in hand.
What are the measurements of the space where you are trying to locate this? You *must* have some maximum width you can use, right? What is that measurement?
I only ask, because you can have highly adjustable shelves all day long, but that still doesn’t require the back and ends of the cabinet to move – in my mind the back and ends should be built (or bought) with the total available width to start with.
I think Ikea has the option you need, but let me know what width of space you are trying to fill…!
pam kueber says
U-shaped. this is too hard to explain.
Edwin says
I concur- hire a trim carpenter… one that specializes in finish work. Will be totally worth it as much use as you will get out of your creation.