What We Discovered Behind Our Wall!

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Let’s rewind for a sec. When we first moved into our home, this wall in the kitchen was totally blank and begging for some personality. I figured it’d be the perfect spot for a simple wall rack to hold a few cute things, think cutting boards, dish towels, and other slim decor pieces. So, I grabbed some scrap wood and whipped one up! If you’re curious about that little weekend DIY project, you can check out the full tutorial here (spoiler: it’s beginner-friendly and a great way to add functional charm to a kitchen wall).

While we were working on turning our old coat closet into a saltwater aquarium and hidden cat litter box setup (which I shared in my last post), we made a surprising discovery. The wall behind the kitchen wall rack turned out to be completely hollow. Naturally, we had to investigate. We cut into the back of the wall from inside the closet and stuck a phone in there with the flashlight and video camera rolling to get a better look. Sure enough, it was empty space just sitting there, waiting to be used.

Once we confirmed that the space inside that triangle-shaped wall was truly hollow, it was time to say goodbye to my beloved wall rack. I still loved that thing so much. The plan was to repurpose it and bring it back somehow, hopefully as a clever hidden door to access the new storage area. I mean, what’s better than turning something cute and functional into a secret entrance for DIY kitchen storage? My neighbor, Shane, helped me reach the higher areas while Tyler was cooking dinner.

Side note: skip the wood glue or construction adhesive when building things like this wall rack. If you ever want to remove or repurpose it later, glue can leave a mess behind that’s a pain to deal with. Brad nails alone are strong enough to hold it up and make removal way easier down the road. Trust me on this one.

Once we had the wall rack off, I grabbed a hammer and went to town on the wall—partly for demo purposes and partly just for fun. Let’s be honest, swinging a hammer is oddly satisfying. Plus, it makes for some great behind-the-scenes content when you’re documenting a DIY kitchen wall transformation like this one.

Next, I handed the drywall duty over to Tyler. His mission? Cut out a clean, square opening between the two outer studs so we could start planning our hidden kitchen storage nook. But before making any final cuts, he decided to triple check the space was clear…by sticking his head inside the wall. He nearly lost his hat in there, but hey, that’s commitment to the DIY process.

After confirming the space was good to go, Tyler grabbed the multi-tool and carefully cut out the section where we planned to build a custom built-in shelf. It was finally time to start turning that hidden wall cavity into usable kitchen storage. He used a round drywall blade on the multi-tool, which is perfect for getting clean, straight cuts. If you’re doing a project like this, it’s definitely worth having the right blade, it makes cutting into drywall for built-in shelving way easier and way more precise. Before making any cuts, we marked the location of the outer studs using my stud finder. It’s the kind that also detects electrical wiring, which gave us extra peace of mind that we weren’t about to cut into something dangerous hiding behind the wall. If you’re tackling a DIY wall storage project like this, a stud finder with wire detection is a total must-have.

There was one issue though, a stud ran right through the middle of the wall. Not ideal when you’re trying to create built-in storage. We already knew it would be there, so before we made any cuts, we double-checked in the attic to confirm this wasn’t a load-bearing wall. Always better to be safe than sorry. Once we were sure the wall wasn’t structural, Tyler went ahead and cut the stud out so we could move forward with the DIY kitchen storage nook.

Once the wall was cleared out, I got to work cutting down the plywood to start building the shelf. My go-to method for cutting plywood is super beginner-friendly and keeps things precise. I use a long, straight board as a guide, clamping it down exactly 1.5 inches over from where I want my cut. That’s because my circular saw blade sits 1.5 inches over from the edge of the saw’s base plate (or guide plate, whatever you like to call it). I rest the plywood on 2x4s laid on their sides, which gives me space to clamp and keeps the blade from hitting the ground. You can also use a big foam insulation board from the hardware store to support your plywood, but I find it harder to clamp that way. This method is one of my favorite DIY plywood cutting hacks for clean, straight cuts without a table saw, it’s also easier for large pieces of plywood like this.

A track and track saw is definitely on my DIY wish list—I’ve heard it makes cutting plywood way easier and way more precise. If you do a lot of woodworking or home projects like this, it sounds like a total game-changer for clean, straight cuts without the extra setup.

Next, I added pocket holes to the plywood using my Kreg Foreman. If you’re someone who uses pocket holes as much as I do, this tool is a total game changer. It makes the whole process faster, cleaner, and way more efficient, especially when you’re building custom shelving or DIY built-ins like this kitchen storage nook. I use it A LOT when building all kinds of furniture too!

I gave the plywood a quick sand with 220-grit sandpaper on my orbital sander to smooth everything out, then started assembling the cabinet box. My daughter helped hold it steady while I screwed the pieces together, DIY is definitely a family affair around here. When I’m building cabinet boxes like this, I always use wood glue along with screws for extra strength. It really helps create a solid, long-lasting hold, especially important for DIY kitchen storage projects where the cabinet will be holding some weight over time. I use a Glu-Bot for applying wood glue, and let me tell you, it makes the process so much easier! Just squeeze and go. No more shaking the bottle or waiting forever for the glue to run to the tip like with traditional containers. If you’re doing a lot of woodworking or DIY cabinet building, this little tool is a total time-saver. I didn’t add the shelves just yet because I hadn’t decided on the spacing. Plus, I planned to attach them later from the inside, screwing up into the bottom of each shelf for a cleaner look and sturdier hold using pocket holes.

I didn’t catch this part on video (classic move, I forgot to hit record), but I added 2×4 blocking to the bottom of the wall opening to raise the cabinet box about 8 inches off the floor. That’s where we had cut the drywall out. Once the blocking was screwed into place, we lifted the cabinet box into the wall so it sat flush with the drywall edge. I secured it using brad nails straight into the studs on the left, right, and bottom. It fit like a glove, and it’s always satisfying seeing a custom-built piece slide right into place. Ellie approves.

Next, I cut down some shelves and grabbed a few kitchen items I planned to store in this space to help figure out the right shelf spacing for the bottom 2 shelves. Once I had a layout I liked, I cut down some spacers out of scrap plywood (you can see them in the first photo) to rest the shelves on while I installed them. I used a level to make sure each shelf was perfectly straight before screwing it into place. Before installing the shelves, I added edge banding to the front edges so you don’t see raw plywood, it gives the shelves a much cleaner, finished look and makes them appear like solid wood. This little step makes a big difference in any DIY built-in project. Plus, it’s super easy to install using an iron and trimming the excess off with a razor knife.

I did make a little mistake when cutting the outer cabinet box, I forgot to account for the thickness of the back piece of plywood, so the top and bottom shelves ended up just a bit too short. Instead of taking everything apart and rebuilding it (no thanks), I came up with a quick fix. I cut small strips of plywood to fill the gaps at the top and bottom, then glued and brad nailed them into place. Once the face frame goes on, you’ll never know they’re there. Just one of those little DIY cabinet fixes that saves time without sacrificing the finished look.

Yes, I totally use my kitchen countertops as a workbench when building face frames, or cabinet doors, and I’m not even sorry about it. It’s a flat, solid surface, easy to clamp to, and best of all, it’s air conditioned. I built the outer part of the face frame using 1×3 primed pine and screwing it together using wood glue and pocket holes, measuring to the inside of the plywood and leaving about a 1/8-inch reveal. That little reveal helps cover the raw plywood edges of the cabinet box and gives everything a cleaner, more finished look. It’s one of my go-to tricks for professional-looking DIY cabinets.

Next, I did a quick test fit and had my daughter help hold the face frame in place while I measured where the middle horizontal piece would go. I planned to split this cabinet into two openings so it would have two doors instead of one large one. Not only is it easier to build and hang two smaller cabinet doors, but I also think it looks a lot better, more balanced and polished, especially for a custom built-in storage cabinet like this.

Once I confirmed the frame size was right and marked where the middle piece needed to go, I attached it using wood glue and pocket holes. It came together really clean, and pocket holes always make the process quick and sturdy, especially for something like a face frame.

Once the face frame was assembled, I set it in place and used a long level to make sure everything was plumb and perfectly aligned. Then I secured it using my brad nailer with 2-inch brad nails. It fit snug and clean, always a satisfying moment in any DIY cabinet build.

Here’s a close-up of how it turned out. Covering all those raw plywood edges with the face frame makes such a difference, it really gives the whole cabinet a clean, finished look. To wrap up the face frame, I filled all the nail holes with drywall putty and caulked around the edges, always making sure to use paintable caulk. Once everything was dry, I gave it a fresh coat of paint using Alabaster by Sherwin-Williams, which is the same color as our walls. It helps the cabinet blend in and feel like it’s always been there. I like using putty over wood filler because you can smooth it out with a wet paper towel or baby wipe, no sanding and no dust cloud to deal with.

Once the face frame was in place, it was time to start building the cabinet doors. The way I make them is pretty simple, definitely not expert-level, but it works great for DIY projects like this. I basically build the doors almost the same way I did the face frame. I use 1×3 primed pine for painted builds (and if I’m staining, I’ll use 1x3s in whatever wood matches the project). I join the pieces with pocket holes, and I go with a 1/2-inch overlay on the face frame using these hinges meant for 1/2-inch overlay. Bonus, these hinges or soft close!

To recess the panel into the back of the door, I use a router and this router bit to carve out a groove around the inside edges so the center panel sits flush instead of sticking out, hopefully that makes sense. It actually snowed here in Texas while I was working on these, but I wasn’t about to lose momentum. I dragged a table out to the back patio and routed everything under the awning like a true DIYer on a mission.

For the door centers, I ended up using some beadboard I had left over from another project. I originally planned to repurpose the old wall rack somehow, but it started to get a little too complicated. In the end, I decided regular cabinet doors would work just fine, and honestly, the beadboard added a nice touch of texture that gave a similar feel to the original wall rack. It was a simple solution that kept the look cohesive and added some extra charm to the finished piece.

Once the doors were built, we got them installed. I held them in place while Tyler screwed them into the face frame, he’s taller, and I have a hard time reaching the top since I’m 4’11 and our ceilings go up 9.5ft! Teamwork makes the DIY dream work, right?

What do you think? Do you like the look of the hidden storage cabinet? I’m really happy with how it turned out. It’s one of those projects that started as a “maybe someday” idea and turned into something super functional that feels like it was always meant to be there. Plus, finding bonus space in the kitchen is always a win.

Lastly, the doors needed hardware. I went with the same cabinet hardware I’ve used throughout the kitchen and on the built-in aquarium cabinet to keep everything feeling cohesive. I love when little details like that help tie separate DIY projects together, it makes the space feel more intentional and pulled together.

So what do you think? If you discovered a hidden hollow space behind one of your walls, would you turn it into extra storage too? It’s such a fun way to make use of unused space and add something totally custom to your home.

Here’s another quick peek inside the cabinet. We mostly use this space to store larger kitchen items, and it’s been perfect for that. We also keep our bulk Costco trash bags in here since it’s right next to the trash can, it just makes sense and keeps everything super convenient.

What do you think, do you prefer the original wall rack with just a little bit of decorative storage, or do you like the look and function of the built-in cabinet better? I loved the charm of the wall rack, but I have to admit, the extra hidden storage has been a game changer in our kitchen.