Stacked Cabinets

Hello everyone, hope your weekend's were fun and productive.  I made it through a few projects at home that I'll photograph as part of our living room update soon, but I wanted to drop in and post one of the greatest ideas that our good friend "Martha" has ever had.  Stacked Cabinets. 

When I came across this, I thought that it might be the best idea, and one of the simplest to achieve.  You can also use this project in several different rooms in your house:  Kitchen, Dining Room, Entry, etc... I encourage you all to get creative!  If you don't have enough storage space, but don't have room to add extra cabinets in your kitchen, or don't want to spend a ton of money on a new sideboard or curio cabinet, try this on for size.


Photo: Martha Stewart

Head to a flea market, a Habitat for Humanity Restore, or even a local second hand shop and look for a set of double lower and upper cabinets.  Make sure that the lower is a little wider than the upper.  Keep in mind also, that upper cabinets are usually 12" deep, while lower ones are 24" deep, so you will have an automatic step back. 

In the photo above, the upper cabinets have glass doors, which can make the cabinet pair a curio cabinet style display case, allowing you to show-off your dishes, nick-knacks, etc.  However you could go with solid doors for hidden storage, or even remove the doors & have an open shelf cabinet on the top and/or bottom.

Sand, prime and paint both sets the same color.  You can use crown molding to dress up the tops of both cabinets and get matching pulls to make the set appear to match. 

The top of the lower cabinet will most likely need a new flat surface, as not all cabinets have a fininshed surface on top, so you can go simple or go fancy with a new top for your cabinets.  For the simple approach, pick up a 3/4" sheet of plywood to cover the lower cabinet top.  Then add matching trim to both the top and bottom cabinets.  For a fancier and more modern approach, get a remnant slab of granite, soapstone, concrete, etc. to act as a "countertop" and place the upper cabinet on that flat surface.

You can bolt the cabinets together, or keep them separate & attach the upper cabinet to the wall with a tie-back.  You can choose from several different attachment options, but make sure that the upper cabinet is secure.  There is a chance that the floor or the furniture may not be level, which could be a disaster if the cabinet is not properly secured.

You can use this as a curio & server in your dining room.  It can be used as extra storage in your kitchen or eat-in area.  You can put it in a mud room fully equipped with baskets & bins to keep winter gear, toys & even outdoor tools kept neat & put away. 

I thought it was a wonderful idea & wanted to share it with everyone today as a quick & easy DIY project for your home.  It is also eco-friendly, as you can re-use someone's old cabinets -another great example of up-cycling! 

Have a super week, everyone!