DIY Hidden Buffet Storage Piece (Dining Room Update)

 

****Update 8/5/15***** This is now a two-part blog post as we have added geometric trim/molding to the buffet door fronts (seen in the two lead pictures above) and we have also built a bar in the corner. To see how to add the trim pieces to the door fronts after you see the buffet DIY plans below, you’ll find the second part of the post here.

Below is the post and plans for the buffet before we added the trim molding:

 

My dining room revamp project has turned out to be the longest ongoing room revamp project that I have ever had.  I think I started this project about 9 months ago and it’s very slow going.  You guys might remember a few months ago in a post that I mentioned that I was stuck on what to do in this space. So many of you gave me so many awesome ideas and feedback.  I took your advice and thought I would show you what we have done so far.

One of things I mentioned in that post was that I wanted to figure out a way to create a narrow buffet that had tons of hidden storage underneath.  I did not have a lot of space to work with because my table takes up so much room.  Here is what my dining room looked like before we built the buffet:

 

 

Several of you suggested that I put the buffet on the right side wall where I had the metal side table during Christmas:

 

 

I loved that idea and that is exactly what we did.  We built a very narrow buffet and put it on that right wall:

 

 

 

 

The buffet is not completely finished and I’m waiting on a marble piece for the top of the buffet, so envision the piece with a gorgeous piece of marble on the top:

 

 

 

I am so excited to final have additional storage for all of my china/serving pieces and also a long buffet for when I entertain.  By the way, the mirror is not completed either and I’m thinking about adding some narrow molding to create a geometric pattern on the mirror itself (I’ll do a post on it when it’s done). I will also do a cool paint treatment around the frame and molding.

This buffet was very easy to make and is only 16 inches wide, which does not interfere with the walking space around the table.  I actually worked with a contractor that I use frequently to help me build this piece, so that it would be extra, extra sturdy and hold up to the weight of all all of my china serving pieces.  Keep in mind, this piece could be made several different ways if you have flexibility with your measurements (standard stock shelving or plywood boards).  We just chose to cut down sheets of plywood to get our customized measurements in this narrow space.

So this is how we did it (a “rough” plan with measurements is at the end of the post) ;

We used 1 inch thick sheets of plywood that were cut down to 15″ x 34-34ths” on the two side pieces of the frame and then the bottom and middle shelves were cut to 15″ x 83-1/2″ and nailed to the side pieces.  A 1 x 6 was used on the bottom shelf to add reinforcement:

 

 

So the 1 x 6 at the bottom was trimmed down to the width of the bottom shelf and attached:

 

Next, two 15″ x 15″ pieces were cut and attached in between each shelf for additional reinforcement.  Two more reinforcement 1 x 6’s were trimmed and added underneath the bottom shelf for even more support.  The top of the buffet was cut 15″ x 85-1/2″ (2 inches longer than the two other shelves) because it was attached over the tops of the two side pieces to secure the piece.

A piece was cut down to 1″ x 3- 3/4ths ” and added to the front bottom base:

 

 

 

 

 

Next, the piece was put in the space in the dining room and the front was trimmed out  around the front and then a 1 x 3 piece was attached down the middle (for width enough to hold two hinges) and then it was caulked and painted (carpet was removed under the piece):

 

The doors were cut out of a sheet of MDF so they wouldn’t warp over time and the edges would be super smooth.  The doors ended up being cut down to 20-5/8 x 31-1/4th inches and attached with hinges and painted. A thin piece of 1/2 inch thick trim rounded on one edge was cut to finish out the end of the end of the buffet:

Ok, so I made a little “rough” plan of my measurements for those of you interested.  I got as close as I could to the exact measurements but please don’t completely rely on my plan as your plan.  I’m just sharing this to show in general to show you how it was designed and laid out. I may be off a 1/4 of inch or so.

 

Again, this piece could be made several different ways with different types of standard boards/stock shelving, etc..  Once we get the marble installed, this piece will be just perfect for us.

Thanks so much for stopping by and if you have any questions about anything I didn’t cover here, feel free to ask in the comment section and I will get back with you as soon as I can.

Have a wonderful 4th of July friends!

Cheers!

Cyndy