Hallway Storage: Cabinets Galore!

When we added the mini-beam next to the chimney, I instantly knew we'd have a great opportunity to add some additional storage this hallway. My not-so-secret opinion on hallways is they are typically wasted space that can often be more useful not as a hallway... So I knew when we put the freezer in and committed to the office wall location that I was in trouble.

But the posts under the mini-beam gave me the perfect opportunity to finally find a permanent place for two salvaged cabinets that had been rolling around my parents' laundry rooms and eventually my house. The white doors already blend with the rest of the hall, and these were sturdy enough to be our temporary kitchen when we renovated upstairs. It's the perfect set up.

Once I knew these would be in the hall, I got a set of hardware for all the pieces that'd be there. The bronze fits nicely, and these perfectly fit with the one on the broom cabinet and some square ones that look like a more polished version of our kitchen.  I swapped those out right away.

The bigger issue was getting the proportions right and installing these in a way that the bathroom shut off valves could be accessed in an emergency. I knew almost immediately the valves would be managed with a magnetic access panel: no need to reinvent the wheel when I knew this works!  Once I knew how much space was reasonable, I put together a base for these to sit on. The stack of two was only 60" tall, so I wanted to elevate it a bit. I used 6x lumber to raise them 5 1/2". The same amount that would be on the soffit above.

Soffits

Above these cabinets is an array of plumbing for the kitchen and the water heater. Above the walkway is a duct for the kitchen. Figuring out how to soffit these without it coming down into the walkway was a bit of a puzzle, but I accepted that if the ductwork was painted out, I could reduce the size of the soffit by several inches! So, I framed around the plumbing only. This gave me a very square area that was easy to frame and to install bead board.

Across the basement, we have two types of ceilings: sheetrock and bead board. The sheetrock ceilings are all one plane. This is in the two bedrooms and the bathroom. The spaces with soffits all have bead board: the halls, the office, and the library. Years ago. I made an angled soffit for the office, and I was able to use some of the bead board left over on the soffit in the hall.

Walls

The cabinet sides once installed were surprisingly rough. These were laundry room utility cabinets, not necessarily made for their looks! So, I added drywall and trim up the side to frame in the chimney and make these fit snugly in the hallway. A little edge band makes these overlay doors look more custom and inset in the cabinet.

The door to the access panel slips in on a board installed in the top of the cabinets. Tucked in with magnets, it's impossible to see that it is removable with the doors closed. It's the perfect secret hidey-hole when it's not for getting to the plumbing valves.

Billy

Even with the two salvaged cabinets, the broom cabinet, and the library full of shelving... I wanted a bit more closed storage. I found that a small Billy bookcase and a wide Billy from Ikea fit the remaining wall perfectly. So, I added these too! Sometimes, even with a whole room of bookshelves, it's nice to have some closed storage. These are the perfect cabinets for things like board games and craft supplies!

With hardware that matches the rest of the hallway and a nice expanse for working, I plan to add a wooden top to break up the expanse of white through this hallway.  I have a few other spots that need tops, so I’ll do a batch of them together! Overall, I found a way to add more pockets of workable storage into this house without losing the bungalow charm in the process.