Intro: Angled Sliding Door Cabinet

My master bathroom was like bathing in a closet. I had to do something to make it feel less claustrophobic. To do this, I ripped out the closet and a "box" covering a pipe sticking out of the wall. To avoid replacing the ceiling, I opted to build a cabinet at an angle to cover the holes in the ceiling and keep the room feeling open.

Materials and Tools:

(all lumber should be at least as long as your cabinet.)

1/8" plywood

1x12 board (This board is for the bottom of the cabinet. If you'd prefer less depth, buy a narrower board.)

Two 2x2 boards

Two 1x4

Two pieces of 3" trim

1" wood screws

1.5" wood screws

2.5" drywall screws

table saw

drill

drill bit

spade bit

sander or sandpaper

paint

STEP 1: Before

Before I outline how to build the cabinet, here's what I did first.

First, I ripped out the door, wall, and shelves that made up the closet. Then I tore out the "box" surrounding that weird pipe that jutted out of the wall.

Then, I patched the gaps in the drywall and put up 1/8" plywood to avoid replacing a lot of drywall. I patched the seams with joint compound and painted.

Lastly, I built a smaller box around the pipe that would line up with the bottom of the cabinet.

Now, lets build a cabinet.

STEP 2: 45 Degrees

Set your table saw blade to 45 degrees and put the guide as close to the blade as you can or where it will cut the 2x2 in half diagonally. You'll need two of these the length of your cabinet. I chose to cut two different boards since I couldn't quite cut the board in half. One side was larger and more sturdy than the other, so I set aside the smaller ones for another project on another day.

STEP 3: Grooves

Cut the end of one of your 1x9s to 45 degrees.

Reset the blade to 0 degrees and lower it to a height that is a little under half the board's thickness.

Set the guide to cut about 1/4" from the 90 degree edge and cut the length of the board. Move the guide out slightly and cut again. Repeat this process until you have a groove wide enough for the 1/8" plywood to fit comfortably.

STEP 4: Repeat

Repeat the previous step but put the grooves on the opposite side of the board as pictured. Make sure the grooves line up with the corresponding grooves on the other board.

STEP 5: Mount Bottom Shelf

Mount the 1x12 using two pieces of 2x4 with 45 degree angles on each end to create brackets.

Drill some pilot holes for countersinking screws into the angled side of the 2x2 you cut.

Screw the 2x2 into the front edge of the 1x12 shelf.

STEP 6: Add Rails

Drill pilot holes into the grooves of the board that will sit on the 2x2 and have the 45 degree angle sit flush with the edge of the shelf.

Screw it into place.

STEP 7: Top Rails

This is the tricky part. Use a square to mark where the doors will sit within the grooves at 45 degrees. Use a straightedge to extend the lines all the way to the ceiling.

Use the square to find where the railing at the ceiling should be placed and mark the back edge.

STEP 8: Mount 2x2

Drill countersink pilot holes in the other 2x2 and mount it into the ceiling where the 45 degree angle lines up with the mark you made on the back of the railing.

STEP 9: 2nd Railing

Screw the second railing into the 2x2 on the ceiling so the grooves line up with the marks you made and the angled edge is flush with the front of the 2x2.

STEP 10: Doors

Cut sheets of 1/8" plywood that fit into the grooves. I opted for 6 narrow doors because I laser cut them in the next step and any larger wouldn't fit in the laser. You could cut as few as two doors.

STEP 11: Finish Ceiling

If your ceiling isn't patchy like mine was from the demo of the closet, you may not need to do this step, but I cut a piece of plywood to fit the ceiling and framed it out with some leftover 2x2.

STEP 12: Laser and Enjoy

Laser cut a pattern into the doors and enjoy your new cabinet.