Improvise a Wine Rack

The homeowner at my Eastwood kitchen project (these posts) installed an over-the-range microwave where an existing cabinet had been. The result was that there was an awkward space above it that wasn't very useful for much. He wanted me to make it into a space to hold wine bottles.

Sure, why not?

Basically, I just needed to add some kind of dividers to make 'cubby holes' for the wine bottles. The trick with this space was that I would have limited access in the cabinet. Here's the creative solution I came up with:

I ripped down a piece of cabinet/stain-grade plywood into strips that were the exact height of the opening. On the front I could get a couple brads in each of them to hold them in place, but on the back I wouldn't have access. The answer was to put some spacer blocks between each board along the back. They will keep the divider boards in the right spot and I could build the entire thing before setting it into the hole.

Once it was built I gave it a quick finish with leftover Waterlox from the butcher block that we used. (see this post). This gave the boards a natural color that matched the insides of the rest of the cabinets pretty well.

After some drying time, I slid the contraption into the hole above the microwave. I got it in position and nailed some face boards across the end of each divider. These would be caulked/painted to match the cabinets and hide the end grain on the divider boards.

I was fairly happy with the results. Now for the wine...

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Make A Hidden Butcher Block Cutting Board

We had a nice chunk of butcher block left when I cut out the hole for the sink. (More about the Ikea counters at this post.) The homeowner had the idea of making it a cutting board that would extend from the cabinets to add a little more counter space.

At first, I thought there wouldn't be enough space above the top drawer on this cabinet. There was about 1 3/4" available, but the butcher block was 1 1/2". That would only leave 1/8" margin above and below. In the end, it was perfect, but it was a tight fit.

The cutting board would be attached using 20" heavy duty drawer slides. They are supposed to hold 100 lbs which might be nice if someone decided to lean on the cutting board when it was extended.

I started the installation by cutting out the top cross piece so the opening would match the drawer below. Next, I built out the sides to match this opening so that the drawer slides would have a place to attach. After attaching the rails I was ready to cut the butcher block to fit.

The homeowner also had the idea of making the face of the cutting board wider so that it would cover the end of the drawer slides and match the drawers below. This was a great idea, but required some extra thinking before I made any cuts. The board would set back into the cabinet 20", but would need an extra 1/2" for the lip on the front.

I made some careful cuts trying to keep everything square so that it would slide right once installed. It took some adjustments, but it did fit and looked great. There's about 1/8" clearance between the cutting board and the countertop above. That's plenty to make sure there's no interference. These counters overhang quite a bit, so even with the lip on the cutting board it will be hidden until someone needs it.

We'll have to find some kind of drawer pull to put on the end after I've sanded and sealed it so that you have an easy way to pull it out.

It's fun to work with clients to see their ideas become reality, especially something that will be so functional- as long as you remember it's there!

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com

Make a Closet Into an Office

Last week I helped a client change a hallway closet into a small office space. It's a great way to hide all of your office equipment and desk that (if you're like me) often get's piled up with paperwork.

This particular closet was around 54" wide. The idea was to add a couple grounded outlets for computers and other equipment, then add a laminate countertop to use as a desk.

Thankfully, the closet is above the garage where I was able to find a grounded outlet to add these too. I removed the baseboard and drilled a 3/4" hole through the bottom plate into the garage. From here, I could string wire up through the wall to put one outlet below the counter and another one above.

I marked the locations for the outlets and used my small drywall saw to cut the holes. I soon discovered that this wall was only 2" deep and I would have to use shallow electrical boxes (pictured). Otherwise, the electrical installation went very smoothly.

With the outlets installed, I cut some stock laminate countertop that the homeowner picked out. I nailed some 2x4 supports around the perimeter so that the surface of the countertop would be at around 30" from the floor and be a comfortable height.

The side walls weren't quite square to the back wall, but I was able to get it to fit quite well. With the addition of a couple shelves and some keyboard drawers, this space is ready for work!

-Peter

www.CarpentryGuy.com