Cabinets are versatile and can be used in many ways to add storage and help organise your home.
Our clever and creative Bunnings Workshop members have repurposed cabinets in many different ways. Get inspiration for your home from their project ideas.
1. Outdoor kitchen
Cabinets be used to create an outdoor kitchen, adding bench space and storage for barbecue essentials. Bunnings Workshop member @TerryD utilised Pinnacle garage storage cabinetry to create his outdoor kitchen.
Get more outdoor kitchen ideas for your home from our community members.
2. Bathroom vanity
Make your bathroom more stylish and functional by adding a bathroom vanity. Experienced member @Renowayoflife stripped, sanded and bleached a large varnished cabinet before repurposing it as an upcycled bathroom vanity with dual basins.
Don't miss our collection of 12 bathroom vanity makeovers.
3. Mud room
The mud room concept to store frequently-used items like shoes, bags and clothing doesn't require a dedicated room. @DonnaDrummond1 transformed an old cabinet that had been in a shed for half a century into a practical mini-mud room.
For more ideas, check out 15 mud room storage projects.
4. Dog crate
You can modify a cabinet to ensure it is well-ventilated, comfortable and secure space for a beloved pet to sleep. Wanting to make a stylish bed for her new fur baby, @havin_a_go upcycled an old TV unit to create a dog crate by replacing glass with mesh.
10 ways to make your home pet friendly and Dog kennels and beds offer more ideas for creating a safe and comfortable home for your pets.
5. Desk
Cabinets are a great way to store home office essentials and add more workspace. While upcycling a couple of dated filing cabinets, @ElleM added new fittings and an Acacia panel on top to create a simple home office desk.
Get more ideas from our Top 10 most popular desk projects.
6. Entertainment unit
Conceal messy cables and wires and store your entertainment devices using a cabinet. Creative Workshop member @KMP upcycled their entertainment unit by adding a Tasmanian Oak top and removing the centre drawers.
Get more inspiration from our collection of 10 entertainment unit projects.
7. Drinks cabinet
A cabinet can be transformed into a stylish drinks station for storing glasses, bottles and bar accessories. Workshop member @EdwardW created a wooden drinks cabinet a fireplace niche, while @diycollection repurposed cube storage with Pine moulding and hairpin legs to create a retro-style drinks cabinet.
Get more ideas on what to do with your cabinet with 8 inspiring cabinet projects.
8. Laundry storage
Cabinets can help make a laundry more functional by adding bench space and storage for cleaning products, linen and laundry baskets. @theDIYedit used Kaboodle cabinets, a timber benchtop and tiled splashback to transform a tired laundry, while @thecounselsreno also used Kaboodle cabinetry, floating shelves, a benchtop and tiles for their laundry makeover.
Get more great ideas from our Top 10 most popular laundry renovation projects, 10 ways to transform your laundry and 10 ways to maximise space in a small laundry.
9. Pantry or coffee station
Cabinets can be used to create a dedicated coffee station or help tame a chaotic pantry. member @naz1 upcycled plain melamine cabinets with embossed wallpaper for a coffee station with loads of storage, while @shaunbteam renovated his kitchen pantry using custom cabinetry to house his coffee machine and other kitchen appliances and create extra pantry storage.
Be inspired by our collection of 10 coffee station projects and 8 pantry ideas by Workshop members.
10. Kitchen island
Base cabinets can be joined together to create a practical kitchen island with extra storage and bench space. Resident Bunnings D.I.Y. expert @MitchellMc advises that joining several base cabinets is a common way to build an island bench, provided they are properly secured and evenly supported. @tiacunninghame’s Kaboodle kitchen renovation also used an island bench with a timber slab from Bunnings to help transform an open-plan kitchen.
See 20 versatile kitchen islands by Bunnings Workshop members.
11. Tool storage
Cabinets are ideal for organising tools, fixings and hardware in your garage or shed. @fhk56 designed custom timber workbench cabinets for fasteners and small tool parts, and fellow community member @Alx upcycled materials to create a mobile workbench with drawers.
Get more ideas from 10 ways to add garage storage and our Top 10 most popular tool storage projects.
12. Book storage or community library
An old cabinet can be turned into a bookcase or community library. @Renowayoflife created a community library using an upcycled cabinet for a local kindergarten.
Workshop community members shared advice how to upcycle a cabinet into a street library.
How to upcycle furniture
Resident Bunnings D.I.Y. expert Mitchell shared a simple step-by-step guide how to upcycle a bedside cabinet. Let us know if you need a hand with your own project.
