Better Homes and Gardens (Australia)
Kitchen space savers
Turn a few pieces of timber into clever storage solutions for the busiest room in your home
DIY clutter busters and storage solutions
Big or small, your kitchen can always benefit from storage and organisational hacks. Instead of trying to find an off-the-shelf product that suits, you can build bespoke solutions. Maximise cabinet space with a simple shelf, free up bench space with a pull-down cookbook stand, slide your chopping boards into an under-cabinet holder and keep your drawers sorted with adjustable dividers. And you can do it all with a few lengths of timber, a couple of tools and basic DIY skills. Now that’s clever!
PROJECT 1 COOKBOOK STAND
Freestanding cookbook stands are great, but end up being another item to find room for in your cabinets or on your benchtop. Install a pull-down stand you can fold up away when it’s not needed. Now you see it, now you don’t!
Gather your supplies
• 184 x 19mm x 1.2m dressed pine (1)
• 42 x 19mm x 1.2m dressed pine (1)
• Black piano hinge (1)
• Cabinet knob
• Ball catch
• 65 x 12mm x 1.2m Tasmanian oak
You’ll also need
Handsaw; PVA glue; nail gun or hammer and nails; wood putty; sandpaper; clear varnish; paintbrush; hacksaw; drill; various drill bits; 40mm screws
Here’s how
STEP 1 Use handsaw to cut 184 x 19mm pine into two 250mm lengths to create shelves. Further cut 50mm off the width of one piece. Also cut 42 x 19mm pine into two 250mm lengths to create battens.
STEP 2 Spread glue along edge of 1 batten. Sit wide shelf on top so the batten is flush with its edge. Nail together.
STEP 3 Spread glue along edge of narrow shelf and sit batten on top so the shelf is flush with its edge. Nail together.
STEP 4 Fill all nail holes with wood putty, let dry and sand smooth. Apply
2 coats of clear varnish. Allow to dry and sand lightly between coats.
STEP 5 Use hacksaw to cut piano hinge into two 250mm lengths. Sit shelves on bench and butt the edges without battens together. Sit piano hinge on shelves, predrill and screw to shelves using supplied screws.
STEP 6 Screw piano hinge to top edge of batten attached to wide shelf so the knuckle of the hinge is flush with the outside edge of the batten.
STEP 7 Drill a hole through the wide shelf near the join with the narrow shelf and attach the handle to the opposite side as the piano hinge. Also screw the tongue part of the ball catch to the narrow shelf near the join.
STEP 8 Open the stand and hold against underside of cabinet so the back of the stand is against the splashback. Slightly move the shelf to adjust the slope of the stand if required then screw through piano hinge into cabinet to secure.
STEP 9 Screw latch part of the ball catch to the underside of the cabinet so the tongue on the stand fits into it.
STEP 10 Construct a U-shaped frame out of the Tasmanian oak to fit around the book stand. Cut the joins on an angle to create mitred joins in the corners, then glue and nail together. Put in position and screw through bottom of cabinet into frame with 40mm screws.
PROJECT 2 DRAWER DIVIDERS
Store-bought drawer inserts are very useful for holding utensils, but may not be quite right for your needs. By mounting notched blocks in your drawers you can adjust your dividers to create custom-sized slots. Clutter sorted!
Gather your supplies
• 18 x 18mm x 1.2m Tasmanian oak (1)
• 65 x 8mm x 1.2m dressed pine (1)
You’ll also need Handsaw; timber blocks; drill; 5 and 10mm bits; sandpaper; sanding block; 30mm screws; clear varnish; paintbrush
Here’s how
STEP 1 Cut 2 lengths of Tasmanian oak to suit the internal width of your drawer. Bring them together then starting 50mm from 1 end, mark every 20mm along where they meet. Stop about 50mm from the other end.
STEP 2 Place timber blocks on either side of the marked pieces and clamp the lot to hold them together tightly. At each marked point on the Tasmanian oak, drill a hole using a 5mm bit. Centre the drill bit on the spot where the two pieces meet. Swap to a 10mm bit and predrill each hole to make it larger.
STEP 3 Separate pieces and sand lightly to smooth rough edges. With top of timber about 60mm from the bottom of the drawer, screw to inside of drawer with 30mm screws.
STEP 4 Measure distance between ends of holes in timber at each end of drawer and cut required number of dividers to this length. Use sandpaper and a sanding block to round ends of dividers.
STEP 5 Apply 2 coats of clear varnish to the dividers. Allow to dry and sand lightly between coats. Insert dividers into timber blocks on drawers.
PROJECT 3 CHOPPING BOARD HOLDER
Most chopping boards end up lurking in the dish strainer or living on the bench at all times. You can solve this problem by adding a simple holder under a cabinet.
Gather your supplies • 35 x 21mm x 1.2m Tasmanian oak picture frame moulding (1)
You’ll also need Handsaw; sandpaper; clear varnish; paintbrush; drill; 4.5mm drill bit; countersinking bit; 45mm screws
STEP 1 Use handsaw to cut the 35 x 21mm Tasmanian oak picture frame moulding to length so pieces are slightly shorter than the depth of your wall cabinets. STEP 2 Lightly sand, then apply 2 coats of clear varnish to moulding pieces.
STEP 3 Drill 2 clearance holes through long side of each mouldings with a 4.5mm drill bit. Countersink holes for head of screws with a countersinking bit. Screw mouldings to underside of cabinet with 45mm screws. Make the distance between the mouldings slightly longer than your chopping board.
PROJECT 4 CABINET SHELF
Boost storage with a basic butt-jointed shelf. Measure inside your cabinet to determine the width and height of your shelf. Mark 184 x 19mm dressed pine into a shelf top and 2 sides, then cut using a saw. Apply PVA glue to top edge of one side and butt against shelf, using a quick square to check for square. Nail through shelf top into side using a nail gun to secure. Repeat gluing and nailing for other shelf side. Apply 2 coats of clear varnish to shelf, allowing to dry and sanding lightly between coats.