Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
Install a Corner Cabinet
Anyone with a little carpentry experience can customize a room with a built-in curio cabinet using unfinished furniture. You can buy and install a corner pine hutch with fixed upper shelves behind center opening glass doors, a drawer and lower doors enclosing storage shelves, plus the materials to finish it for about $270. A carpenter will charge $430 for the job, so you're saving 37 percent by doing it yourself.

You'll need basic carpentry tools, including a miter box and saw, chisel and plane. The precision work required is using scrap wood or shims to custom-fit the cabinet to the walls, then trimming down the old baseboards and reinstalling them. Use silicone caulk to seal any gaps between the cabinet and the walls.

Clear away furniture so you have room to work and then prepare the corner walls by removing the baseboard trim, being careful not to damage it.

Pro vs DIY Cost and Time
Because of its bulky size you might have to pay a delivery charge; if you have a van or truck and transport it yourself, be careful handling it.

If you plan to finish the cabinet with stain, use a wood conditioner first to prevent a blotchy finish. Use a primer if you're painting it.

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