DIY Built-Ins Around Windows

Measure the wall where you will build the cabinet. Transfer the measurements to one-quarter inch graph paper. Note each window’s size and location. Note the location of wall-mounted lights, outlets and switch plates that are wall mounted. Note the location of any floor vent that might be covered by the installation.

Draw the wall’s elevation scale. This view is as if you were looking straight on at the wall. Scale means that for every inch of real wall, you draw one-quarter inch on the paper. Tape a piece of tracing paper over your elevation. Draw the design of the built-in you are creating. Typically, you see covered cabinets along the bottom with open shelving above.

Remove the baseboard, light fixtures and outlet covers on the wall using a prybar and screwdriver. Most designs require cutting the windowsill flush with the inside window frame. Your design may extend to the window trim’s perimeter and not require these cuts.

Position your upper cabinets as base cabinets. Carpenter's usually use upper cabinets as built-in base cabinets because they are not as deep and so not use as much floor space. Build a 2-by-4-inch board kick plate that is the same width as the cabinet, but 2 inches less deep. Measure the cabinet’s width and cut two pieces of 2-by-4-inch board. Measure the cabinet’s depth. Subtract 2 inches plus twice the thickness of the 2-inch part of the 2-by-4-inch board. Wood measurements are smaller than listed.

Place the two boards on their 2-inch long side. Make the boards parallel. Position the two smaller boards between the long boards. Align the ends. Hammer two nails through the long board’s side into the end of each of the small boards. Position the kick plate under the cabinet to lift the cabinet off the floor. Repeat this for each cabinet in your design.

Measure the cabinet’s width, and then measure the cabinet’s depth and add 1 inch. Cut a piece of 1-inch board to these dimensions. Position the board over the cabinet so that the 1-inch extra overhangs the front. Nail the board to the cabinet top. Move a stud finder along the wall above the cabinet, and then draw a vertical line for each stud’s location. Open the cabinet doors and use the lines as a guide to screw the back of the cabinet to the studs. Use at least two wood screws per stud.

Measure the cabinet’s width, and then measure the height of the bookcase you want over the cabinet’s top. Cut plywood to this size. Cut two pieces of bookcase sideboard to this height. The sideboards should have predrilled shelf holes. Line up your holes and cut both boards at the same time. Label each board’s bottom.

Place the plywood flat on the worktable. Apply a bead of carpenter's glue down the face of each side’s edge. Stand one bookcase sideboard on end with the holes facing inward. Align the outside edges and then clamp the side to the plywood. Repeat this procedure for the second side. Keep your bottom labels at the plywood’s bottom side. Measure across the bookcase’s top. Cut one bookcase board to fit. Apply glue to the top edges of each side and the plywood. Press the board in place. Nail the boards together with a finish nail every 6 inches.

Turn the case upside down and finish nail the sides to the plywood. Insert a nail every 6 inches. Allow the glue to dry for 24 hours, and then remove the clamps. Position the bookcase on the cabinet’s top and align the edges. Screw the bookcase to the wall at the studs using a flush screwhead. Insert a screw every 12 inches.

Measure the bookcase’s inside depth and subtract 1 inch. Cut two pieces of quarter round trim to this length. Glue the trim piece’s flat sides with carpenter's glue. Position the trim edge against the plywood, and the side against the bookcase’s side. Screw the trim to the board on top of the cabinet using at least three screws. Nail through the bookcase’s side into the trim wood using four short, finish nails. Repeat this procedure for the second side.

Cut trim that fits around the bookcase’s using a miter saw. Attach the trim with finish nails every 8 inches. Cut shelves to fit. Press shelf holders into the holes supporting the shelves. Fill all nail holes with wood fill. Press the fill into the holes with your fingertip and wipe off the excess with a moist rag. Fill all seams, joints and gaps with caulk using a caulk gun and a wet-tipped rag to wipe off the excess with a moist rag.