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To make cabinets comfortable, you must pay attention to the furniture.” We don’t want to cut corners like, “It’s just storage furniture. So this time, we DIY a cabinet that combines interior design and practicality; the key is to use mesh panels for the doors. Since the contents can be moderately seen, you can arrange your favorite miscellaneous items as if they were on display. Once the materials are cut to size, the essential work is the same as assembling a box.
The finishing touch is a wax coating that gives it a vintage or glossy look. We recommend using it as a bedside accessory case or a café corner in the living room to store your favorite coffee goods.
The doors are also easy to DIY. Without doors, bookshelves, open shelves, and homemade TV stands can collect dust and look bad. Many pieces of furniture can be retrofitted with hinged storage doors as a DIY project. This section explains how to make doors, including materials such as wood and hardware.
Necessary Tools
- Laminated wood
- Plywood
- Table leg
- Round washer
- Screw
- Magnet sheet with adhesive
- Wood dowel
- Iron drill
- Hexagonal dowel screw
How to Make
(1) Inking and making dowel holes
Cut each piece of wood to size. After inking the location of the preparation holes, drill dowel holes with a drill for dowels.
(2) Assemble the main body
Use thin 40mm screws for assembly. After fixing the screws:
- Put a small amount of wood glue in the screw holes.
- Insert the dowel.
- Cut the protruding part with a dowel saw.
As shown in the picture, the dowel saw is easier to cut if you hold the blade with your fingers. After assembling the body, angle the corners of the wood with a planer or file.
(3) Painting
Apply to the main body, backboard (inside only), shelves, and legs. When applying the wax, take a sponge and rub it on. After painting, wipe off excess wax with a rag. Do not paint the backside of the backboard as it may stain the wall during installation. You should install the sidings on the inside of the backboard before painting.
(4) Installation of parts
After painting, attach the shelf support (NEXT 30P angle), backboard, and legs to the main body. Screw the shelf support in the desired position.
(5) Attach the door
Attach the hinges to the “rust-proof panel” that will become the door. First, mark the mounting position and drill holes with an iron drill. After drilling the holes, attach the hinges in two places using Sara’s tapping screws. Once the position of the door to the main body is determined, fasten the hinges to the main body.
About Storage Doors
Disadvantages of Not Installing Storage Doors
There are many different types of storage furniture. Open shelves without storage doors, such as bookshelves and color boxes, can quickly put things in and out of them and create a stylish display by arranging them neatly.
However, the drawback is that they tend to collect dust and require a lot of cleaning. Another disadvantage is that if the stored items are not suitable for display, they may not look good and adversely affect the room’s atmosphere.
People who are not good at open shelving
People who are not good at organizing things tend to make a mess of the contents of their storage furniture. In this case, open shelving without storage doors is not suitable. Even if you are trying to store and tidy things properly, if you can see the contents of the messy shelves, you will be left with a cluttered atmosphere.
For those who find frequent cleaning a hassle, open shelves that are easily soiled are also incompatible. If you have visitors, you will be embarrassed.
Storage doors are practical
If storage doors are attached and kept closed at all times, dust is less likely to accumulate inside the shelves. As a result, frequent cleaning is unnecessary compared to open shelves such as bookcases or homemade TV stands. It is hassle-free. Also, even things that are “out of sight and therefore not neatly organized” can be prevented from being visible at a glance, as long as the door cannot be opened.
Whether good or bad at tidying up, you can safely store things you don’t want to be seen in the first place.
DIY Storage with Doors
Once you understand the disadvantages of open shelves and the practical advantages of storage doors, you will want storage furniture with doors. However, the price is higher than open shelves because of the doors. It is a good choice if you are looking for more storage while keeping costs as low as possible.
Sometimes you may not see a type with doors like a bookcase. You may want to add doors later, such as on a homemade TV stand that does not have doors. DIY storage doors can solve those problems.
How to Attach a Door With DIY
Making Doors Visible by Retrofitting
Even if you want to retrofit your DIY doors to a color box, bookcase, or TV stand, don’t do it without thinking. It would be best if you had an idea of what you want it to look like. The materials you need and how to make them will vary depending on the storage cabinet. Also, if you have a clear image of the finished product, you can proceed with the DIY project smoothly from the design stage.
Measure the Size of the Shelf Accurately
Once you have an image of what you want the hinged door storage shelf to look like, you can proceed with the DIY work. First, measure the size of the frame to which the door will be attached. The size measurement must be accurate. If the size is off, there will be a gap when the hinged door is closed, or if the door is the type that fits inside the shelf, it will not be able to complete.
There are several shelves available, but all should be appropriately measured, as they may appear to be the same size but be slightly different.
Prepare Materials
The primary material needed to make hinged door storage shelves is lumber. You can procure this at a home improvement store. Many stores will cut the purchased lumber to the desired size. Cutting wood takes a little time, so it is recommended that you request this service.
Even though it is a paid service, it is not expensive, so please ask for it. Ask them to cut it according to the size on the blueprint you just made. It is too early to show and explain.
Hardware is Another Essential Material
The base material for a hinged storage door is wood, but it is not the only material used to make the door. Metal hardware is an essential part of making it function as a door. As mentioned briefly in the previous section, metal fittings called hinges are necessary to make a hinged door.
In addition, hardware that acts as a stopper should be installed to prevent the door from opening and closing. All hardware is widely available at home centers. Choose a design that matches your initial image.
Easy Kit if the Size Fits
For standardized shelf sizes, such as specific color boxes, kits are available for DIY retrofitting of storage doors. If the size of the shelf you are thinking of attaching the door to matches the size of the frame, we recommend using a kit.
Hinged storage doors are easy to install. However, they are not suitable for shelves of different sizes, such as bookcases or TV stands. Compare the size of the frame you measured with the kit’s instructions.
DIY Doors: Ideas
Making a storage door with ideas
The storage door-making methods described above are essential. You can create various other storage doors by yourself, depending on your ideas. Let’s try your choice of DIY storage doors according to your use and budget. Here are two examples of DIY storage doors made from materials other than regular wood.
DIY storage door using grilled netting
You can use grilled netting as a storage door. It is difficult to find a baking net that fits just right on a shelf, so cutting a large piece of baking net is a good idea. Secure around the edges with cloth or wire. Joints are more accessible if you do not use hinges but wire and ties to secure the rod.
DIY Gorgeous Cabinet Door
The unevenness of the latticework creates a decorative and luxurious look. Since a lattice door is like a fence, it has gaps. The gap can be eliminated by attaching a wooden board from the backside. A coat of paint will make the door even more excellent.
Conclusion
We explained how to make a DIY storage door and install it later. Many storage pieces of furniture without doors, such as color boxes and bookshelves. Without doors, they tend to collect dust and require more cleaning.
If you don’t want to display them as stylishly as open shelves, install doors to keep dust out and hide them.
