{"id":7038144,"date":"2026-08-15T18:55:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T18:55:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/uncategorized\/installing-the-cabinets-building-the-doors\/"},"modified":"2026-08-15T18:55:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T18:55:22","slug":"installing-the-cabinets-building-the-doors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7038144","title":{"rendered":"Installing the Cabinets + Building the Doors"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Welcome to the sixth installment of our DIY Mudroom Lockers Series<\/strong>! In this project, we\u2019re transforming our ex-pantry closet into a custom, built-in mudroom locker system \u2013 a functional drop zone that conquers clutter from coats, bags, shoes, and everyday essentials.<\/p>\n

This is the stage where everything finally comes together, and where patience is tested more than ever. Up until now, we\u2019ve been focused on structure: cabinet carcasses, face frames, and overall layout. In this phase, we shifted into the meticulous details that truly define a finished, custom look.<\/p>\n

Rather than opting for standard shaker doors and flat-slab drawer fronts, we made our own custom trim by routing a beaded profile into solid walnut. Next came one of the most demanding parts of the build: installing inset doors and drawers and dialing in those tight, even reveals.<\/p>\n

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If you missed the previous posts in this series, you can catch up here:<\/p>\n

Mudroom Locker Series<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Tools & Hardware Used:<\/h2>\n

Custom Door & Drawer Front Trim<\/h2>\n

From the start, I knew I didn\u2019t want basic shaker doors or slab drawer fronts. I wanted something more custom, more furniture-like, and a little more traditional.<\/p>\n

So instead of building that detail into the door frames themselves, we made our own trim from solid walnut. Using a beaded router bit<\/a>, we milled thin strips, mitered each corner, and carefully attached them to the doors and drawer fronts.<\/p>\n

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This subtle detail adds depth and refinement without competing with the walnut grain or brass mesh panels. Here are the three drawer fronts with the applied molding, in clamps while the glue dries. By the way, this band clamp <\/a>is super useful if you make picture frames or similar things.<\/p>\n

And here are the upper cabinet doors, assembled and glued up, waiting to be installed. These doors do not have the beaded trim yet.<\/p>\n

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Installing the Upper Cabinet Doors<\/h2>\n

With the trim complete, it was time to install the upper cabinet doors. We\u2019re using inset doors with concealed soft-close hinges<\/a>, which means every measurement has to be extremely precise. Unlike overlay doors, inset doors sit inside the face frame opening, so even the smallest inconsistencies are noticeable.<\/p>\n

We installed the hinges on the doors first, then mounted them to the cabinet boxes.<\/p>\n

From there\u2026 it was all about adjustments.<\/p>\n

The Reality of Inset Door Reveals<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s talk about reveals and how meticulous you have to be to achieve tight, even reveals around inset doors and drawers. Our goal was to achieve a consistent, even reveal around each door. We ended up with a reveal of less than 1\/16\u2033<\/strong>, which is honestly tighter than we originally planned.<\/p>\n

We installed, adjusted, stepped back, tweaked again, and repeated that process over and over until everything was as aligned as we could get it. While it\u2019s not absolutely perfect, it\u2019s as close as we could realistically get \u2013 and visually, it looks clean and consistent. I just have to remind myself not to look too closely \u2013 I tend to zero in on the flaws and forget to give myself enough grace.<\/p>\n

Fine-Tuning with Adjustable Hardware<\/h2>\n

One thing that made this process much more manageable was using adjustable hardware. We used these cabinet hinges<\/a> \u2013 they\u2019re soft-closing, concealed for frameless cabinets with inset doors. <\/p>\n

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These hinges allow for:<\/p>\n