How To Make DIY Built-Ins with IKEA Cabinets
AKA my foolproof formula for DIY built-ins that look custom but are secretly beginner-friendly
If you’ve ever wanted built-ins but assumed they required custom cabinetry, pocket holes, and a deep well of patience, I have good news: they don’t!
I’ve done probably eight sets of DIY built-ins across four houses (you can see some of the past ones here and here), so I’m now a self-appointed expert in how to slap together some stock cabinets and trim to make something cool.
The secret is to break them down into layers that each do one job — base, cabinets, shelves, face frame, trim, and finishing. Once you stack them together, you’ll have something that looks far more expensive (and complicated) than it actually is.
Let’s break down step-by-step how to make DIY built-ins:
Tools:
- drill,
- level,
- miter saw (or circular saw),
- clamps,
- brad nailer,
- stud finder,
- caulk gun,
- paint supplies
Materials:
- 2x4s,
- pre-made cabinets (IKEA Besta or stock kitchen cabinets),
- 1×6 pine boards,
- 1×2 face frame pieces,
- trim/baseboard,
- wood filler,
- caulk,
- primer,
- paint
Build a 2×4 Base for Your DIY Built-Ins
This is the foundation (literally). It raises the cabinets just enough to add a baseboard later and makes the whole thing look like it’s actually a natural part of the room.
It’s essentially a rectangle of 2x4s on their edges, made to be the exact width and depth of your cabinets.
Usually we’d remove the baseboard where the base will go and push the base up against the wall, but this time we experimented with just attaching our base right to the baseboard and it worked well too with less mess, so either way works!
Add Your IKEA Cabinets (or Other Pre-Made Units)
This is where you save yourself hours of work. For my current living room project, I used the 20cm (~7-inch) deep IKEA Besta units because my living room is narrow and I didn’t want to slam my hip on the corner every time I came into the room.
For other DIY built-ins, I’ve used standard kitchen cabinets from the hardware store when I needed more storage or depth and they’ve been great, too.
To install the cabinets, you’ll first want to secure them to each other. I usually clamp two together, then add a long screw from the inside of one of the face frames into the other one. Then just keep going to secure as many units as you’re using together, making sure they’re flush at the front and level along the tops as you go.
From there, lift the cabinets onto the 2×4 base and secure them into the wall (again checking for level and shimming if needed).
Add the Shelves
The shelves are the step where everything really starts to come together and the dopamine starts hitting again.
The shelves on my living room built-ins are made from 1×6 pine board, which when combined with the depth of the face frame (¾ inch), makes it just about the perfect depth to match the base. I also added a countertop piece between the cabinets and the shelves which was made of another 1×6 with a 1×2 along the back to extend it out the front a bit, but that’s mostly because I was too lazy to go get a bigger piece of wood and/or rip down a wider piece. Still looks good!
Anyway, using pine boards is much simpler to me than doing plywood, and it gives consistent board sizes plus no tear-out, so a win-win, especially for a beginner.
I wish I had something more legit to tell you about spacing and measuring, but honestly I use painters tape to visualize how many shelves I want and the spacing, but if you’re doing standard book shelves, I generally go about 12” between shelves.
It’s really helpful to sketch out the shelves, too, so you can keep track of all your measurements. Make sure to account for the thickness of each piece of wood as you go, too (i.e. if you’re measuring how wide your shelf pieces will be, it’ll be the overall width you want the piece minus the thickness of the two vertical pieces).
Once your pieces are cut, it’s time to assemble. Lay the vertical boards on the floor or workbench, mark the top and bottom, and decide where you want the first shelf to sit. From there, mark out the rest, making sure to account for the shelf thickness each time.
Screw the shelves in place between the vertical boards to build your structure, checking that everything stays square as you go. I’ve started adding one last shelf right at the top, and I 100% recommend it — it hides any uneven ceiling lines and makes the whole thing look far more finished.
Mounting: For my most recent DIY built-ins, I secured them by screwing from inside the IKEA cabinets up into the vertical pieces of the shelf structure, and then from the upper piece of the shelf into the beam we have along our ceiling.
You could also screw a piece of 2×4 along the back of the shelves on top (so it won’t be seen), and then screw the 2×4 into the studs in the wall, or you could add 1×2 cleats along the underside of the top and bottom shelves and then screw those into the studs as well.
Add the Face Frames
This is where things start looking custom and very fancy. I always use 1×2 select pine or poplar for the face frames — it’s straight, smooth, fairly cheap and easy to paint.
The face frame will go along all the fronts of the 1×6 (or 1×8 or whatever depth you’re using) shelf pieces to make them look a little beefier.
Run the vertical pieces first, then fill in with the horizontals. I like to measure and label each piece because you can’t assume they’ll all be the same even though you tried your hardest and measured twice and all that other sh*t.
When you attach them, make sure to nail them in place with the vertical pieces aligned flush on the outer edges (so the overlap is in toward the shelf), and the horizontal pieces are flush with the upper part of the shelf (so the overlap goes downward under the shelf).
Tip: When you’re doing the horizontal pieces, prioritize them being flush with the vertical trim at the front, and if there’s a gap between the horizontal face frame and the shelf, you can just tear up a little piece of cardboard and put it in the gap (shove it down so it’s not sticking out) so that when you nail it in place, it should stay flush. You can fill that gap in later with wood filler, don’t stress.
Trim Everything Out
I’ve said it many times but trim and caulk should run for president because they’re an iconic duo. Don’t judge your project too harshly at this point because these two little steps will help a lot, I promise.
First, you’ll add baseboards to the bottom where you’ve currently got the 2×4 base still showing. This is easy, just cut 1x4s with either mitered or butt joined edges and nail them to the 2×4 around the whole base.
For my latest project, I went all the way to the ceiling, so I had to cut some filler for the top and added some decorative trim like this little cute rounded piece.
Trim is really just a suggestion, so you can go as wild as you want with the decorative bits, but I think it looks really good if you do go the whole way to the ceiling and try to match any ceiling molding you currently have.
Caulk, Wood Fill, and Paint
Next caulk and wood fill. No one likes this step, but I promise it’s the difference between “that’s a nice DIY” and “wait, did you have these custom built?”
Remember, wood filler is for flat surfaces (like nail holes or cracks), and caulk is for where two surfaces meet (like the inside corners of your shelves).
Make sure to prime before painting, especially since you’re making DIY built-ins with IKEA cabinets (that glossy finish chips so easily otherwise!). I lightly sand the door fronts and frames before priming, and I use BIN or KILZ primer over the entire thing (cabinets and wood shelving).
Paint choice depends on the vibe. For my living room, I went with White Duck Half by Dulux for a soft neutral that makes the shelves feel like part of the wall. Semi-gloss or satin sheen is the best for durability and wipeability.
Lastly, “they” say to wait a few days before adding anything to the shelves so it can cure but I’m impatient and usually only last a day or two and it’s been fine for me, so do with that information what you will.
To sum it up: the DIY Built-Ins Equation
Base + Cabinets + Shelves + Face Frame + Trim + Paint = Built-ins fancier than you ever thought you could make!
Whether you’re working in a narrow living room like me or trying to carve out more storage in a home office, this formula works every time. Hopefully this is helpful in trying to visualize how DIY Built-Ins with IKEA Cabinets come together, but I’ve also got a highlight over on Instagram that may be helpful, too!
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