So remember that microwave we scored a great deal on a few months ago? Well, we ended up returning it.
When we first bought the larger microwave, a few readers asked why we needed such a big unit. That made us realize we don’t use the microwave that often — a bowl of soup, reheating leftovers, defrosting items here and there. After removing the kitchen’s original black over-the-range microwave (which had been as wide as our oven at 30″), the idea of a new 30″ microwave sitting next to the pantry suddenly felt overwhelming.
We had thought about building the microwave into the pantry area like we did in our first kitchen, but that placement would have pushed the unit right up against the window, which didn’t appeal to us visually.
After living without heavy upper cabinets for a couple of weeks and enjoying how open the kitchen felt, we returned the large microwave and bought a much smaller countertop model for $84 — it’s only 18″ wide. Sherry likes to call it “modestly sized.” For scale, here it is next to a tea mug.
We didn’t plan for the new microwave to remain on the counter forever. The plan was to build it into a cabinet so it could be hidden when not in use.
One of our old upper cabinets — the one that used to hang to the left of the old over-the-range microwave — happened to fit the new microwave almost perfectly. The frame is a bit snug around the front edge, but inside there’s roughly two inches of extra space on each side.
The challenges were twofold:
- The cabinet was too tall for its new location next to the pantry, so it would hang oddly low unless shortened.
- The cabinet wasn’t deep enough for the microwave to sit flush while still allowing proper ventilation and clearance at the back.
To resolve this we needed to adjust the cabinet’s height and depth, then hang it next to the pantry with a new door. That would let us hide the microwave most of the time while allowing it to vent safely when in use. We’d already had an electrician install an outlet where the cabinet would hang so the microwave would have power.
Many custom kitchens incorporate built-in microwaves, and they can look clean and function well. It’s important to check your microwave’s documentation for ventilation requirements: some models only need the clearance provided by their little legs, while others have vents on the side or back that require extra space. We kept that in mind as we modified the cabinet.
First up was trimming the cabinet down to size. I removed the metal shelf rails with minimal effort, then took careful measurements, marked and double-checked everything, leveled, and cut the three sides with a jigsaw along the lines I drew.
After cutting, the cabinet looked like the result of an awkward magic act — but it was a necessary step toward getting the height right.
Next, I cut a hole in the back for ventilation and notched the bottom-right side of the frame so the microwave door could swing open freely. Notching the frame allowed us to shift the microwave slightly to the right inside the cabinet, giving the left-side hinges more room to operate. This notch will be hidden once a cabinet door is installed.
Here’s a view showing how the microwave protrudes out the back — this helps ventilation because there will be an open column behind the cabinet for air to flow upward and out the top.
From the front, the modification is less obvious — once the door is attached that notched section will be concealed.
I added a shelf above the microwave by nailing in small fixed ledges to support it. The cabinet still needed a top and additional support in the back so it could sit a few inches away from the wall to provide ventilation and a solid place to attach screws when hanging.
We sketched a plan, bought lumber from the hardware store, and built a new top from three pieces: a thin sheet of plywood, a front pine trim, and a scrap 2×4 to secure everything. It looked rough at first, but functional.
Along the back I screwed in doubled 1×4 blocks so the cabinet would sit a couple of inches off the wall while still offering solid wood to anchor the screws. We cut wide channels in some of those blocks so air could move freely up and out the back of the cabinet.
On the side I clamped a thin piece of plywood, cut it to size and nailed it in place. After these adjustments the cabinet started to read more like a finished unit.
With the help of my assistant we hung the modified cabinet next to the pantry. I also drilled holes in the left side to take advantage of the gap between the cabinet and pantry frame to aid venting.
We placed the microwave inside and plugged it into the outlet the electrician had installed a few weeks earlier. It’ll look much better once the cabinet gets a door, is painted, and receives new hardware, but even now it’s starting to feel more finished with a few cookbooks and plates added for visual balance.
Update: The routed area at the notch will only be visible when the cabinet door is open. Many cabinets don’t look pristine inside — they hold cookware, blenders, Tupperware and more — so we don’t worry about interior imperfections as long as the exterior looks tidy. We plan to share the door installation soon.
With this cabinet in place we have 14″ of space to the right between the side of the cabinet and the window over the sink. The planned 12″ deep floating shelves on the oven wall will leave the same 14″ between their front edge and the right side of the window, creating a balanced look.
Returning the large microwave and selling a few old items has helped our budget: we got $255 back for the jumbo microwave, sold the old over-the-range microwave for $90, the kitchen table and chairs for $120, and the old granite counters for $350. After buying the new smaller microwave for $84, we’ve recouped around $731 — a welcome refund as we work through the kitchen makeover.
We can’t wait to get the cabinets painted and the new backsplash installed, but we’re keeping a realistic timeline. Our next steps are practical and detail-focused:
- Trim down the doors for the cabinets we added.
- Add window trim and build a windowsill (we stripped the window over the sink earlier).
- Add toe kick around the cabinet bases for a unified look; we’ll hold off on shoe molding until after the cork floors are installed.
- Remove cabinet doors, ensure they hang straight, fill gaps and old hardware holes with wood putty, and sand.
- Prime everything.
- Paint — the part we’re most excited for. We’re still deciding between white and a soft gray-beige tone.
After painting, there’s still lighting, cork floors, backsplash tile, floating shelves, and a built-in range hood to tackle. One cabinet day at a time. How about you — what projects are happening in your kitchen? Remodeling, holiday cooking, painting, or lots of microwaving?