How to Build a Built-In Bathroom Cupboard

The bathroom cupboard is home to the majority of household bacteria. A cluttered bathroom counter only creates more opportunities for bacteria to grow. A quality bathroom cupboard will help you maintain a cleaner and healthier bathroom.

Measure
Begin by measuring the space on your counter or on the floor of your bathroom for a bathroom cupboard. It will only be a waste of money to purchase or build a cupboard that does not fit in your bathroom!

Prefabricated
The cheapest and arguably the easiest option is to purchase a prefabricated cupboard. Cupboards specifically designed for a bathroom can be found at stores specializing in bedroom and bathroom accessories. Pay attention to the size - again, do not purchase a cupboard that is too big (or too small) to meet your needs. A prefabricated cupboard will probably require some assembly, but the amount needed will be minimal compared to building a cupboard from scratch. Also, for an extra fee, the cupboard can usually be assembled by the store employees. If this option is not available, you can find a friend or neighbor to assemble the cupboard for a small fee. Once the cupboard is assembled, you can purchase small self-adhesive plastic squares to apply to the bottom corners of the cupboard. Lifting the cupboard just an eighth of an inch will prevent the cupboard from sitting in splashes of water and deteriorating.

Design
For the most natural look, you will probably need to design a built-in bathroom cupboard. This is a cupboard that is not only flush with your bathroom walls, but is actually built in to your bathroom walls. Building a bathroom cupboard is usually a much more involved process, but generally results in a higher quality product. If you are not comfortable designing the cupboard yourself, consult with a local furniture designer. This person can help you figure out the best way to build the cupboad, while tearing out and replacing as little of the walls as possible.

Building
Once you have your cupboard design prepared, you can build the cupboard yourself or contract it out. Your designer probably knows local builders who can make your cupboard high quality for a fair price, or your designer may even also build the cupboards. This can be a good choice if you are not comfortable with tearing out the walls or countertops, or if you need to change the plumbing in any way. It can also be a good choice if, like many homeowners, you do not own the necessary tools for major building projects. However, if you are comfortable with building the cupboard and using the necessary tools, you can find the materials at your local home repair store.