My 1912 house had an ugly pair of old kitchen cabinets topped by a laminate counter on the upstairs landing. It filled an awkward niche where the roofline meets the wall, approx. 68" wide by 24" deep. I wanted something that looked nicer and was a more efficient use of the space.

Old cabinets - before tearout.

I ripped out the cabinets and designed my own shelving unit for the space. I made the shelves especially deep at 18" to accommodate large boxed games and oversized books. I used tight knot pine for the shelving (primed and painted) and sized some shelves to fit four IKEA baskets, one pair of bamboo baskets and one pair of rattan baskets.

New built in shelf unit, awaiting games and books.

A piece of bead board behind the shelving added a touch of early 20th century detail. I have old bead board in other places in my home as well. The new shelves are simple but practical. The entire project cost me about $250 in materials including the bead board, paint, and IKEA baskets.

Detail of shelves with storage baskets.