How to Create a Kitchen Office

This HouseCall took Ron to Tampa, Florida where Maryann Jorgenson and her husband Larry have been busy expanding and refurbishing their home ever since they moved in.

The Jorgensons have taken advantage of their spacious kitchen by using one corner as a home office, where bills, mail and cancelled checks are sorted and filed. Unfortunately, it has also become the "clutter corner." Ron's challenge was to help them create a kitchen office that would not only keep them better organized, but would also blend in well with the rest of the kitchen.

Click Here For a list of what you will need in order to complete this project.

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1. Design
Take measurements and draw sketches of what you would like to see in the room. Take these rough sketches to your home improvement center, where the kitchen design staff can help create a flexible plan that may include several different options.

The entire corner office can be designed with modular units and the home center will deliver everything you need for the job. You can order all pre-assembled cabinetry, if you would perfer not to put it together. This saves a lot of time.

2. Attach upper cabinets together

The upper cabinets are designed to mount on the wall while the lower ones sit on the floor, secured to the wall studs so that they can't move.

The first step is to open the shipping boxes and lay the cabinetry out so that you can see everything.

Begin by attaching the three upper cabinets together into one section. Because the three cabinets will become awkward and heavy once they were attached, remove the doors from the cabinets to reduce the weight.

3. Locate wall studs
It is essential that the cabinets are attached to the wall studs. Locate these studs using an electronic stud finder.

A wood cleat serves as a temporary ledge to help support the weight of the upper cabinet assembly while you are attaching it to the wall.

If you encounter a small lip or overhang, which creates a small gap between the two cabinets and prevents the sides from being flush, you will need to fill that gap before attaching the cabinets.

Lay the first small cabinet down on its side. Then use a piece of scrap wood that is the same thickness as the overhang to fill the gap along the back edge of the cabinet. Tack the wood strip into place with a portable pin nailer.

With the shims in place, attach the three upper cabinets together. Begin by tracing the front edge of the smaller cabinet onto the side of the larger center cabinet. Then mark and drill four clearance holes.

Before driving in the screws that attach the two cabinets together, slip a small plastic disk over the screw. After the screw is tightened, slip a plastic finished cap on top of the disk to conceal the screws and create a finished appearance.

Hold the two cabinets together and use a power driver to drive in the screws. With pilot holes, the two cabinets should go together easily.

4. Attach cabinets to wall
Lift the three attached cabinets into place and rest them up on the cleat that was attached earlier. While the cleat supports most of the weight, shift the cabinets until they are in line with the marks on the wall indicating the locations of the wall studs.

After the cabinets are aligned, hold them against the wall while making the final attachments. Drive four screws through the pre-drilled clearance holes and into the wall studs. Use the finishing caps for an attractive installation.

5. Attach base cabinets
The next step is to join the two base units together by temporarily clamping the middle drawer section in between the two lower cabinets.

Screw the sections together, using a drill fitted with a flexible shaft that is designed for tight spots just like this one.

Once the lower cabinets are in position, secure them to the wall studs. Drill a large hole in the drawer support so the driver can pass through the first section then secure the back section to the wall stud. Attach a screw to the end of the extended bit holder and pass it through the large hole and into the shank hole. Drive the screw through the backside of the cabinet and into the wall stud.

6. Attach countertop
With the bottom cabinets secured to the wall studs, tack wood strips across the tops. Adding an extra 3/4" in height will raise the countertop just enough to ensure the front lip will clear the drawers. Apply construction adhesive in an S pattern to the wood strips to attach the countertop.