Drag an orange dot to resize; a dashed line shows when it snaps to a common size. Click a dot, then use the arrow keys to nudge 1/8″ (hold Shift for 1″). Every size can also be typed in the panel.
Checks
- The top passes the sag check.
- Open before use: slide the appliance out onto the open counter (or at least open the door fully) before you switch it on, and let a toaster or kettle cool before you close the door.
- Verify every clearance in your appliance’s installation manual. Models differ, and the manual wins over any number in this plan.
- No heat-producing appliance runs inside a closed cabinet. Toasters, toaster ovens, air fryers, kettles and coffee makers run only on an open shelf or out on the counter.
- Plug into an outlet that is already there. This plan adds no wiring. Don’t use an extension cord for a heating appliance; if the cord won’t reach, move the piece or have an electrician add an outlet.
Shopping list
| Qty | Item | Est. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1×4 pine board, 6′ (board) | $6.60 |
| 1 | 3/4″ birch plywood, 4×8 sheet (sheet) | $68.00 |
| 1 | 1/2″ birch plywood, 4×8 sheet (sheet) | $52.00 |
| 1 | 1 5/8″ wood screws (box of 100) | $9.00 |
| 1 | Wood glue (bottle) | $5.00 |
| 1 | 3/4″ iron-on birch edge banding (25 ft roll) | $9.00 |
| 1 | Full-overlay cabinet hinge (pair) | $9.00 |
| 1 | 5/8″ pan-head screws (slides, hinges) (box of 100) | $6.00 |
| 1 | Cabinet pull (each) | $4.00 |
| 1 | Felt floor pads (pack) | $5.00 |
| 2 | Lift-up door stay, soft-close, with screws (each) | $28.00 |
About $202 · rough estimates, check the store
Parts
| Part | Qty | Length | Width | Material | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Side Edge-band the front edge. | 2 | 16″ | 14″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
| B | Top Edge-band the front edge. | 1 | 22 5/8″ | 14″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
| C | Bottom | 1 | 22 5/8″ | 14″ | 1/2″ birch plywood |
| D | Back rail | 1 | 22 5/8″ | 3 1/2″ | 1×4 pine board |
| E | Lift-up door Edge-band all four edges. | 1 | 15 7/8″ | 23 7/8″ | 3/4″ birch plywood |
Cut list
3/4″ birch plywood, sheet 1 of 1
1/2″ birch plywood, sheet 1 of 1
1×4 pine board, 72″ → D 22 5/8″
Kerf 1/8″ included. Every cut runs edge to edge.
Have the store cut it
Most home centers rip sheets on their panel saw. Show them this; do the short crosscuts at home.
- 3/4″ birch plywood: rip into strips 15 7/8″, keep the rest.
- 1/2″ birch plywood: rip into strips 14″, keep the rest.
Steps
- Tape measure
- Speed square
- Pencil
- Drill/driver
- Clamps
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Dust mask
- Circular saw and a straight edge (or have the store cut the sheets)
- Sander, 120 and 180 grit
1Before you start
Read every step once, start to finish, before you buy or cut anything. Each step names the parts it uses by letter; the parts list gives their sizes.
Set up somewhere flat with good light. A pair of sawhorses with a sheet of plywood on top makes a fine work table.
Wear safety glasses whenever a tool is running, hearing protection for saws, and a dust mask for sanding and for cutting treated wood or sheet goods. Tie back long hair and loose sleeves. Keep children and pets out of the work area.
- Tip At the store, pick straight boards: hold each one up to your eye and look down its length. Skip boards that bow, twist or have big knots near the ends.
- Tip Measure twice, cut once. Most mistakes are a misread tape, not a bad cut.
2Cut and label the parts
Cut every part on the cut list. Cut the longest parts first: if one goes wrong, it can still become a shorter part.
To mark a cut, hook your tape on the end of the board, make a small V with its point exactly at the measurement, and draw a square line through the point with a speed square. Put an X on the waste side.
Cut on the waste side of the line, so the blade's kerf (about 1/8″) comes out of the scrap, not your part. Cut sheets with the good face down when using a circular saw: the blade splinters the top face.
Write each part's letter in pencil on a face that won't show, and stack the parts by letter.
Sand the faces before assembly while they're flat and easy to reach: 120 grit, then 180.
✓ Lay the parts out and count them against the parts list. Measure a few: if one is off by more than 1/16″, recut it now.
STOP. Let the saw reach full speed before it touches the wood, keep both hands clear of the blade's path, and never reach under a board you're cutting. Support long boards on both sides of the cut so the blade doesn't pinch.3Measure the spot
Pick a stretch of counter at least 25″ wide, against the backsplash, with an outlet beside it or inside the garage's width.
Measure from the counter to the bottom of the upper cabinets in three places and use the smallest. You entered 18″; the garage is 16″ tall.
Unplug and move whatever lives there.
✓ The garage fits with at least 1/2″ to spare above it.
4Edge-band
Iron edge banding onto the front edges of the sides (A) and top (B), and all four edges of the door (E). Trim flush and sand the corners.
✓ No banding overhangs a face anywhere.
5Build the box
Glue and screw the top (B) between the sides, flush with their top ends and front edges: 3 screws, 1 5/8″, through each side.
Glue the bottom (C) between the sides at the bottom, and drive 3 screws through each side into it.
Fit the back rail (D) on edge under the top at the back, flush with the back edges, and screw through each side into its ends. The back stays open so cords reach the outlet behind.
- Tip The 1/2″ bottom is thinner than the sides. Predrill and drive the screws gently so they don't blow out its face.
✓ Measure the diagonals of the front: they match within 1/16″.
6Hang the lift-up door
Drill two 35 mm hinge cups in the inside face of the door (E), 1/2″ deep, 7/8″ from its top edge, 3″ in from each end.
Screw the hinge mounting plates to the underside of the top, 37 mm back from its front edge, lined up with the cups. Clip the door on: it now swings up.
Fit a lift stay on each side, following the instructions in the pack, so the door stays up by itself when open.
Screw the pull to the outside of the door, centred, 1 1/2″ up from the bottom edge.
✓ The door rises, stays open on its own, and closes with even 1/16″ gaps.
STOP. Fit both stays before you use it. A door hinged at the top falls shut hard without them.7Set it on the counter
Stick felt pads under the sides so it doesn't scratch the counter, and slide it back against the backsplash.
Plug in only what you'll pull out to use. Every time: open the door, slide the appliance onto the open counter, then switch it on.
✓ Each appliance slides out with its cord still plugged in, and the door closes on it without pinching the cord.
STOP. Never run a toaster, toaster oven, air fryer or kettle inside with the door closed.8Finish
Ease every sharp edge and corner with 120-grit sandpaper so nobody gets a splinter.
Sand all over with 180 grit, always along the grain (the direction the wood fibres run). Scratches across the grain show through stain.
Wipe off the dust with a barely damp rag and let it dry.
Paint, stain or a clear coat (water-based polyurethane is the easiest). Apply thin coats with the grain, let each dry fully, and sand lightly with 220 grit between coats.
Let it dry for the time on the can before using it.
- Tip Try your finish on a scrap of the same wood first: stain looks different on every board.
Conceptual layout, material estimate and assembly guide from the sizes you entered. Not engineering, not a building plan, not stamped or approved. Confirm measurements on site; follow local codes and product instructions; anchor tall pieces before use. Using this plan means you accept the Terms of Use.