The transformation of $6 hotel nightstands into a wall-to-wall built-in desk for two is continuing. Previously we removed the hardware, sanded, and primed all six cabinets to prepare them for painting. Before painting, however, we needed to do some construction: attach cabinets in pairs and raise them about four inches so they’d reach standard desk height.
We decided to place the assembled cabinets in the sunroom first to see how they fit in the space. Moving these heavy pieces back and forth isn’t fun, so we had initially set them aside while sanding and priming. Once positioned, though, it became clear the original plan—three pairs of cabinets along the wall—felt too cramped. The configuration left very little room for chairs and felt tight overall. (Ignore the beginning of construction on the far left cabinet in the photo and the paint swatches on the wall — we were still deciding on paint choices.)
After this quick space test we removed two of the cabinets and arranged four along the wall instead: two in the middle and one on each side. That layout felt much better. It created the breathing room a desk should have while still providing plenty of storage combined with the double-wide two-tier file cabinet on the opposite side of the room.
Since these were so cheap, letting go of two cabinets wasn’t a hard decision—even if we lost a couple of dollars and some time spent priming and sanding. We may end up repurposing the extras; a play kitchen has already been floated as an idea.
For construction, our goals were: (1) visually connect the two center cabinets so they read as one wide cabinet instead of two separate pieces, and (2) raise the cabinets about four inches to reach a comfortable desk height with room for chairs to slide under. After considering more elaborate options like building shallow drawers or raising the cabinet bases, we chose a simple, budget-friendly method.
I bought several 1×4 boards—some pre-primed—and cut them to form a frame that would lift the cabinets four inches. Using a pocket-hole jig I attached the front and sides, then secured the frame to the cabinet tops. For the back pieces I used unprimed 1x4s where they wouldn’t be visible to save a few dollars.
To strengthen the top and prepare for a countertop, I added internal 1×3 support pieces that spanned the frame and attached to the cabinet top. Then I laid leftover 1×4 slats flat across the top to create a platform for fastening the countertop later. Those slats were adjusted with washers when it came time to level everything so the countertop would sit on one smooth plane.
With the build-up and connection complete, the next step was painting. We chose white to match the adjoining dining room built-ins and to help the new desk feel like it has always belonged. For this project we tried Benjamin Moore Advance in Decorator’s White with a satin finish. The Advance formula is self-leveling for a smoother finish, durable thanks to an alkyd formula, yet water-based and low-VOC—an attractive combination for cabinetry.
The paint is pricier than standard options, but a quick conversation at the store earned a small discount. We bought a gallon so we’d have enough left over to tackle future cabinet projects. Sherry used a brush for corners and a small foam roller for large, smooth surfaces. The Advance covered very well; one coat looked good and two-to-three thin, even coats produced a flawless result.
Each coat took about 30 minutes to apply, but the paint requires extended drying times between coats, so the painting stage stretched over several days. We painted doors in a well-ventilated sunroom to avoid little hands and paws getting into the wet paint and kept Clara and the dog out of the office while the bases were painted in place.
We intentionally left cabinet interiors in their natural wood tones rather than painting them. We like the contrast of crisp white fronts with unpainted interiors since wood holds up better to wear in the interior of drawers and cabinets.
After painting and reattaching the doors, the center pair reads like one wide cabinet. We debated caulking the seam between the two doors but decided to wait until everything was reassembled; once the doors were on the seam was much less noticeable.
We still plan to add baseboard trim around the bottom and trim the ends so the cabinets look fully built-in and to hide any remaining wood-toned legs. Next up: countertop installation and trim details. For now, here’s the budget breakdown so far:
- Cabinets (Habitat for Humanity ReStore): $6.30
- Kilz Clean Start No-VOC Primer: $0 (leftover; would be about $20 new)
- Electric sander & sandpaper: $0 (already owned; about $25 to buy)
- Benjamin Moore Advance paint (Decorator’s White, satin): $40 (after discount)
- Pre-primed & unprimed wood to build up cabinets (Home Depot): $51
- TOTAL: $97.50
We’ll share countertop details and final trim photos soon. For now we’re excited to start using the double desk—functional, attractive, and built on a modest budget.