Whether you want to repurpose kitchen cabinets or you want to get creative with new cabinets, there are varied ways to use them outside of the kitchen. Their solid structure and built-in storage make them ideal for many uses.
These eight ideas for upcycled kitchen cabinets are just the beginning.
1. Command Center
Use an assortment of kitchen cabinets to custom design your command center. There are no rules so be creative. You might use small cabinets (intended for the upper wall) on the floor to create cubbies to store shoes. Use taller pantry cabinets to create lockers—with or without doors.
2. Reading Nooks & Banquettes
Shorter cabinets can be repurposed as a bench for seating. That seating can stand alone in the foyer with a little padding and upholstery on top. Or it can be nudged into a corner as a reading nook that doubles as storage for books, blankets, or throw pillows.
Cabinets are also excellent for banquettes in the breakfast nook or in-kitchen dining. You can store unused china, linens, appliances, and more. Cabinets are multi-tasking heroes offering you storage and furnishing all in one.
Command center, mudroom lockers whatever you want to call them, these cabinets create invaluable storage for the whole family. Usually located near an entryway, the command center allows you and your family to stow shoes, coats, and bookbags all in one place. No more tracking dirt all the way up to the bedrooms!
3. Hide Away
Upcycle your kitchen cabinets to put some polish on an otherwise utilitarian space like the laundry room. Put the washing machine and dryer behind closed doors to create a space that can always look tidy and clean. Use cabinets in basements and garages where water heaters or water softeners might otherwise stand out like a sore thumb.
Hiding large appliances in the kitchen (like the refrigerator) is on-trend. Some appliances even come with cabinet front designs. You can achieve the same thing with kitchen cabinets. Repurpose them as a front for your larger kitchen appliances.
4. Desk & Office
Create a built-in feel in the office by using cabinets to make work spaces. Put two or three sets of cabinets along a wall, place a countertop, and voila, you have workstations. You can create a full size desk the same way with two cabinets and countertop.
Add more storage to an office with wall cabinets placed above the desk space. Or remove doors and use the shelves as bookcases. Cut holes in the back of cabinets so you can conceal corded items like printers inside the cabinet where they are still accessible and usable.
5. Entertainment Center
Entertainment centers come in all shapes and sizes but they all have one thing in common, they need plenty of storage space. Room for the TV, room for game consoles, room for speakers and sound systems, and organization for the cords are all necessary elements of the entertainment center.
Repurposed kitchen cabinets are a perfect fit for an entertainment center, plus they become a permanent part of the room. You can custom configure your center to fit all your components and leave out anything that’s not helpful to you. It’s really the best way to create an entertainment center for a reasonable cost and with simple installation.
6. Mattress Platform
Cabinets make for a solid mattress platform and they include the storage. Choose a shorter cabinet meant for the upper bank of kitchen cabinets so you have the right height for a bed. You’ll want to place plywood on the top of the cabinets to create a flat surface for the mattress. A box spring is unnecessary with a cabinet platform, which provides a supportive surface for the mattress.
Get creative and make a headboard out of cabinets also. A pantry size cabinet that is tall and narrow is just the thing for a headboard. Paint it or decorate it any way you like then enjoy the extra storage space.
7. Console Table
Minimal depth, tall cabinets with a countertop of some sort are perfect for upcycling into a table for the foyer or behind the sofa. Refinish it in your favorite style or purchase new unfinished cabinets and start with a clean canvas.
The right handles or knobs can really take your console cabinet table to the next level. Choose something with plenty of style that will make the piece stand out.
The surface you select for the countertop can also set the tone for your console. Plywood can be painted to match the cabinet. Or select an upscale material like stone or concrete to finish your table.
8. Garage Storage
Instead of buying one of those expensive garage organizing systems, simply repurpose your kitchen cabinets in the garage. The storage needed in your garage is so similar to the kitchen that it’s a no-brainer to use them for the garage too.
If you’re not concerned about garage storage being in perfect condition, upcycling used kitchen cabinets will save you money. It doesn’t hurt to go with new cabinets either. You’ll probably still save money and get an organized and nice looking garage.
Ready to get creative with cabinets? Whatever your next project, consider upcycling kitchen cabinets. They are the multi-tasking solution you’ve been waiting for all over the house.
