How to Design a Plan for a Wooden Storage Cabinet

Measure the space you have available for the cabinet and draw a to-scale perimeter on graph paper. Write down the scale so you don’t forget. A sample scale might be two squares on the graph paper equal 1 inch.

List what you plan to store. Specify everything you want to put in that cabinet. Divide the items by general weight class, so you know how many heavy things need to go on the bottom shelves.

Divide the list further by ease of stacking; separate those things that can’t be stacked due to fragility or shape.

Count the groups on your list. This gives you an idea of the minimum number of drawers or shelves you need.

Play around with adding drawers, bins and shelves to the drawing to find an arrangement that you like. Unless the cabinet will be very short, keep drawers lower than the top level. Keep in mind that the cabinet may be taller than you, making higher drawers difficult to access.

Plan what extras you might want. This Old House website notes storage doesn’t have to be just shelves; add pegboards for tools or pot-lid racks if the cabinet will be in the kitchen, for example.

Research the type of wood you want to use. While you can always finish or paint the wood, the original color of the lumber will influence how much paint you have to use or how dark the finished wood will be. Speak with lumberyard or home improvement store associates about weight limitations for different thicknesses of wood. If you are planning to store a lot of heavy items in the cabinet, weigh each shelf or drawer group to find the weight that will be in each section. This helps the yard or store personnel point you toward the appropriate lumber thickness.

Visit swap meets, flea markets and resale shops to look for old cabinets from which you can salvage decorative doors or trim, or even usable frames and lumber. Tim Carter of Ask the Builder writes that this might not work for all of your plans, but it is an option if you can find the materials.

Pretend to open cabinet doors in the space in which you’ll eventually put the cabinet. See if one or two doors will be more convenient given what will surround the cabinet once it’s installed.