Guest Room Nook Cabinet Project

 So the builder left this big nook in-between two closets in the guest room. I suspect it was meant for a dresser but it's a dumb space that I've been struggling with since we moved in. 

It's been a reading nook with bench, a desk, I've moved dressers and cabinets in there. Nothing looked right. 

After the success of the towel nook in the bathroom, I knew that installing a base cabinet in this space would finally put an end to my torment of finding the right solution to this space. So that's exactly what I did. 

I bought a cabinet from Home Depot for about $200. I went with a cabinet and not drawers because I wanted to store my sewing machine and other crafting tools. And I got a butcher block top for about $100 to go on top. 

First, I had to pull out the rug, because installed cabinets need to be placed on solid floor. That was easy, other than those annoying tack strips. 

Then, I pushed the cabinet into place and secured it to the wall. I got lucky with the floor being level, so no shimming was involved. Phew. 

I bought two filler strips with the cabinet to go on both sides to close up any space. The opening was about 44" and the widest cabinet was 42" -- so I had little gaps on both sides to fill. Once they were cut to size, that was pretty simple. 

The challenge was the butcher block, as it had to be cut to size and work around the sides of the nook. Let's just say I don't have the right tool to cut into butcher block, and the powerful circular saw I do have terrifies me, so mistakes were made. But, I'm going to do my best to figure it out. For now, there are small bits of cardboard to make sure nothing falls into the abyss next to the cabinets. OK? 

The last step was reinstalling the baseboard around the bottom, which required some shimming and building out. But I think I got to a good place, though it could use a little paint touch up next time I have trim paint out. 

SO, there you go. The dumb nook makes sense. 

I added a second shelf above for my fabric and cute things. And a lamp. And it's ready to organize craft and sewing things. And also for guests to plug in their phones or drop their toiletries. 

I love a quick and easy project that helps make this house make the most sense. AND be the most practical and functional.