Step 1: Pick a cabinet already loaded with manufacturer’s accessories, such as pullout trays and wastebaskets, to save labor. You can also retrofit almost any cabinet with these items, available at most home centers.

Step 2: Embellish plain doors with decorative molding. Depending on the style, this may be as simple as cutting molding to length with a miter saw, predrilling, and tacking it on with tiny brads.

Step 3: Install a butcher-block countertop, cutting a small hole in it as a drop-through for trash, if you like. If you cut the hole, you’ll need to eliminate the drawer on that side and secure the drawer front to make it stationary. Periodically seal the butcher-block top with food-safe penetrating oil to prevent moisture damage.



Step 4: Cover the sides and back with thin panels of wood, called skins, sold by the manufacturer. Add a strip of wood or ¼-inch finished plywood at the bottom to hide the unfinished toe-kick.