Introduction
Unlock hidden storage space anywhere in your house with this project for recessed, built-in shelves. Install a single, open box of shelves, or two boxes and add a set of glass doors.In almost every room of your house, you can find tons of storage space hidden between the two sheets of drywall. Simple recessed, stud-space cabinets like the two we show here are great for capturing some of this wasted space, and they’re some of our favorite built-in shelving ideas. We’ll show you a couple of different ways to build them.


The first version on the left is a basic built-in shelf project built using common carpentry tools and a drill. We used a pocket hole jig, but this is optional. You can get excellent results by simply nailing the parts together. Even if you’ve never built a cabinet, you’ll be able to finish the basic shelf project in a weekend.
The second project, a glass door cabinet, is a bit more challenging and requires a few more tools. You’ll need a table saw and a miter saw to make the precise cuts required. You’ll also need a pocket hole kit to assemble the doors and a router with a 3/8-in. rabbeting bit to cut the recess for the glass. If you use concealed hinges like we did, you’ll need a 35-mm Forstner bit to drill the hinge recess holes. The video below will help with rabbeting.
Video: How to Cut a Rabbet Joint with a Table Saw
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