While building our dream home, I knew I wanted moody blue built-ins that flanked my fireplace with functional drawers. I drew it up to scale on my computer and built each of the cabinet boxes.

We tested a few blues, and landed on Van Dusen Blue by Benjamin Moore. First, we started by prepping all of the cabinets to be sprayed. This was because I wanted to try this new paint line that is fantastic for spraying. This is where things really went awry because my color match didn’t match. After painting, it came out way brighter of a blue than I selected, but we were in a time crunch so I installed them to troubleshoot later.

With a million things on our list to do, and limited time and energy, I ordered the doors painted and took my sample door in to get it color matched again. Unfortunately, this time in a paint line that could be rolled (so I thought). The color was great, but the paint line that they gave us was not for rolling. This totally screwed up the built-ins with all of this added texture. I thought maybe a user error, so we sanded it down and tried the paint again. Unfortunately, it still gave us even more texture.

The Finished Built-Ins:

This project had me feeling a little like Goldilocks. Too bright, too light, too bumpy, just right. But after five Van Dusen blues, I think we did it!

Feeling intimidated by built-ins? Start with a hybrid project. This is where you build the boxes, but you order the doors to fit. The ceilings in this room are 15 feet tall, so I opted to build the drawers 40 inches–taller than a countertop. And the total height of the built-in is 10 feet tall. I am just smitten over how these glass doors look in this space!

Feeling anxious about trying out this type of project yourself? DIY Beginner Basics is the online course that teaches YOU how to DIY. Not only will you learn how to use power tools, build cabinet boxes, and paint, but you’ll also gain the confidence to tackle your own projects. Try a FREE lesson from the course today!

Want to see the IG Reels from this project? Check them out by clicking the pictures below!

Sources:

Cabinotch – Cabinet Frames
Nieu Cabinets – Doors
Glass Insert for Doors – Found Locally
Paint: Van Deusen Blue by Benjamin Moore
Built In Lights – Hinkley Regis LED Light

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