A couple of years ago we moved into a newly-built home in Charleston, SC. It was pretty basic Builder-grade, meaning it didn’t have a ton of the customized features that really make you go WOW. It also lacked some prime storage space (or maybe we have too many things to store). Recently, I’ve been working my way through the house finding ‘opportunities’ to pump it up a notch. The most recent project was adding a built-in in our loft where we have a sectional and a larger TV. I’d gotten my feet wet with smaller cabinets I built for the laundry room, and decided to tackle a larger project.

I’m not going to begin (or try!) to give you step-by-step instructions…because I may or may not be doing this correctly. I’m still learning, remember?? There are tons of plans, blogs and videos online by more experienced folks that will lead you through this. But I WILL offer some newbie tips if you want to tackle any type of woodworking project.

Tip 1: Start with a sketch of what you want - I always do a basic measurement then draw it out in my notebook. Once you have an idea of cabinets/drawers/shelves, etc, you can begin to come up with the larger plan.

Tip 2: Measure and sketch your spacing of the project on the wall. Use your level to make sure the lines are straight. It is OK to write on your wall …you will be covering it up or painting over it. It honestly helped me to visualize the layout of the finished built-in.

Tip 3: Have two drills ready if possible … one with a drill bit for the pilot hole, one for the screw bit. This will save a TON of time. If you don’t have two drills, just simply drill all your pilot holes FIRST, then change out the drill bit, and put in the screws.

Tip 4: Measure and level everything. I have made a few things now, and not everything has come out level (unfortunately), But I’m LEARNING. In our home, I discovered the floor was level but the wall angles were not. You will need to use shims to make adjustments and make sure each component is level (do NOT discard any wood scraps ….see below.)

Tip 5: Cut and remove the baseboards with a reciprocating saw. I’ve seen some built-ins that are built around the baseboard and it just doesn’t work (IMHO). It looks clunky and you will end up needing extra pieces to fill in around the existing board.

Tip 6: If you use Prebuilt cabinet bases like these at Lowe’s, remove and label the cabinet doors and hardware when removing them for painting. This way you can ensure you are placing them back in the appropriate spot. For this project, I simply labeled them 1 - 4 from left to right.

Tip 7: Reuse the baseboard and quarter-round that you removed. This is a way to save $$. Just be careful when removing the pieces. Set them aside and measure and cut the lengths/angles that you need to fit your project.

Tip 8: Do NOT discard any wood scraps. You will want to keep wood pieces on hand in case you need them for a future project. I mean, really, you should see my buckets/boxes of wood scraps. AND, I did dig through them to find pieces that would work as shims for this built-in.