How to Make Recessed Bathroom Shelving

Draw the outline of the location of your recessed shelving on the bathroom wall with a pencil. Cut a hole in through the drywall in the middle of this space using a utility knife. Locate the studs inside the wall and adjust the outline for the hole so that the sides fall on the inside faces of the studs to each side of the hole that you cut. Cut a full-size hole that measures 14 1/2 inches wide (the distance between two studs) by 20 inches tall, being careful to make it level and square.

Build a box with outside dimensions that are the same as the hole that you cut. For a box that is 14 1/2 inches wide by 20 inches tall by 3 1/2 inches deep, cut two pieces of 3/4-by-3-inch pine to a length of 20 inches and four pieces of 3/4-by-3-inch pine to a length of 13 inches.

Lay out the four pieces you cut in Step 2 with the ends of the 13-inch pieces butting into the ends of the 20-inch pieces to create a frame with an outside dimension of 14 1/2 by 20 inches. Hold the 20-inch pieces against the ends of the 13-inch pieces and drive screws through the 20-inch pieces into the ends of the 13-inch pieces. Position the other two 13-inch pieces horizontally within the box at the heights where you want shelves and screw them on by putting screws through the 20-inch pieces and into the ends of the 13-inch pieces.

Cut a piece of 1/2-inch-thick plywood to 14 1/2 by 20 inches. Lay the piece of plywood on top of the frame so that the exterior edges are even. Attach the plywood to the frame by nailing through the plywood and into the frame with finish nails.

Put the finished box into the hole in the wall. Secure it in place by driving screws through the sides of the box and into the studs.

Cut two pieces of 3/4-inch-by-3-inch pine to a length of 18 1/2 inches and two pieces of 3/4-inch-by-3-inch pine to a length of 19 inches.

Position one of the 18 1/2-inch-long pieces that you cut in Step 6 vertically along the side of the installed box, flat against the face of the wall, so that the side of the piece of wood is flush with the interior side of the box, the bottom edge of the piece of wood is even with the bottom interior side of the box and the top edge of the piece of wood is even with the top interior side of the box. Secure the piece of wood by nailing it into the edge of the box and the stud with finish nails.

Repeat Step 7 on the other side of the box with the other 18 1/2-inch-long piece of wood.

Place one of the 19-inch-long pieces of wood that you cut in Step 6 horizontally so that it spans the top of the box and the two vertical pieces of wood that you installed in steps 7 and 8. The ends of this piece of wood will line up with the outside edges of the two vertical pieces, creating a top and two sides of a finish face frame for the recessed box in the wall. Nail this piece on with finish nails.

Nail the other 19-inch-long piece of wood on at the bottom of the box.

Paint the box and face frame with primer and with finish paint.