Building your own kitchen cabinets sounds like a project for experienced tradespeople, but Shaker-style cabinetry is genuinely within reach for a competent beginner. The reason is the design itself: Shaker cabinets use flat panels with simple rectangular frames, no curves, no carved detail, and no complex joinery. Every component is a straight cut. Every joint is a right angle. The difficulty is not in the individual steps — it is in the precision and quantity of cuts required. Get that right with a good drop saw and a reliable tape measure, and the result will look like it came from a cabinet maker.
Why Shaker Style Is the Right Choice for Beginners
Shaker cabinetry originated in the 18th century with the Shaker religious movement, who believed in functional simplicity. That philosophy translates perfectly to DIY construction:
- No curved parts: Every component is a rectangle. All cuts are straight lines.
- Flat panels: No raised panels, no routed profiles, no template work.
- Forgiving with paint: Shaker cabinets are almost universally painted white or a neutral colour. Paint hides minor imperfections in joints and surfaces that would be visible in a stained finish.
- Timeless style: Shaker works in contemporary, traditional, coastal and farmhouse kitchens. It is the most re-sold cabinet style in the Australian property market.
Australian Standard Kitchen Dimensions
Australian kitchens follow standard cabinet dimensions that work with standard appliances and benchtop materials. If your cabinets match these standards, you can use off-the-shelf benchtops, appliances, and plumbing fittings without custom adjustments:
- Base cabinets: 870mm tall (to top of carcass) × 600mm deep. With a 40mm benchtop and 30mm kickboard, finished height is approximately 940mm — standard Australian bench height.
- Wall cabinets: 720mm tall × 300mm deep. Mounted with the bottom of the cabinet at 550mm above the benchtop (1420mm from floor), giving 550mm of work space between bench and cabinet.
- Kickboard space: 100mm high × 60mm deep at the base of all floor-standing units.
Cut List: Single 600mm Base Cabinet
| Part | Qty | Dimensions (mm) | Material |
|---|---|---|---|
| Side panels | 2 | 770 × 560 × 18 | 18mm ply or MDF |
| Top rail (rear) | 1 | 564 × 90 × 18 | 18mm ply or MDF |
| Bottom panel | 1 | 564 × 560 × 18 | 18mm ply or MDF |
| Back panel | 1 | 800 × 600 × 9 | 9mm ply |
| Fixed shelf (optional) | 1 | 564 × 542 × 18 | 18mm ply |
| Face frame stiles (vertical) | 2 | 800 × 45 × 20 | Solid pine |
| Face frame rails (horizontal) | 2 | 510 × 45 × 20 | Solid pine |
| Door stiles | 2 | 670 × 55 × 20 | Solid pine |
| Door rails | 2 | 500 × 55 × 20 | Solid pine |
| Door MDF panel | 1 | 560 × 400 × 9 | MDF |
| Kickboard | 1 | 600 × 100 × 18 | MDF |
Carcass Construction
The cabinet carcass is the structural box that everything hangs on. Use 18mm structural plywood — it is stronger and more screw-retentive at edges than MDF. Cut all panels on a table saw or circular saw with a straight-edge guide. Accuracy here matters: a carcass that is out of square by even 3mm will cause the door to bind against the face frame.
Assemble the carcass by fixing the side panels to the bottom panel and the rear top rail using 50mm screws and construction adhesive. Pin the back panel into a 9mm rebate (routed or cut with a table saw) in the rear edge of all four carcass panels. The back panel holds the box square — do not skip it.
Iron-on edge banding covers all exposed ply edges. Apply with an iron set to medium heat (no steam), press with a roller, and trim the overlap with a sharp chisel or edge banding trimmer.
Face Frame Construction
The face frame is a rectangular grid of solid pine attached to the front of the carcass. It covers all exposed edges, provides the door hinge mounting points, and gives the cabinet its Shaker character. Join the stiles and rails with pocket holes (two per joint). Assemble the frame flat on your bench, check it is perfectly square, then glue and pin it to the carcass face with 40mm brads. Clamp the frame to the carcass while the glue sets — 4 clamps, one per corner.
Making the Shaker Door
A Shaker door is the most satisfying part of this build. It is essentially a picture frame (the four solid pine pieces) with an MDF panel floating in a groove inside it. The construction method:
- Run a 9mm-wide × 12mm-deep groove along the inner edge of all four door frame pieces using a router or table saw.
- Cut the MDF panel to fit the groove with 1–2mm clearance on all sides (allow for paint thickness and seasonal movement).
- Join the four frame pieces with pocket holes at each corner, trapping the MDF panel inside. Do not glue the MDF panel — it must be free to move.
- Sand the assembled door flat on the bench. Fill any pocket holes on the face side with timber putty.
- Apply primer, then two coats of semi-gloss enamel. Sand lightly between coats with 240-grit.
The finished door looks like a classical Shaker panel but is built from three common materials with basic tools.
Hardware: The Details That Make or Break the Build
Soft-Close Hinges
Blum Clip-top hinges (35mm cup, 110-degree opening, with integrated soft-close damper) are the industry standard for inset and overlay cabinet doors. They are available at most trade hardware stores and some Bunnings stores. Blum hinges are adjustable in three directions after installation, which makes it easy to get all doors perfectly aligned even if your face frame is slightly off-square. Use two hinges per door for doors up to 700mm tall, three for taller doors.
Drawer Slides
Blum Tandem or Grass Nova full-extension soft-close drawer slides are worth the extra cost over basic ball-bearing slides. They pull out completely (so you can access the full drawer depth), close silently, and last for decades of daily use. Install them precisely — a 2mm difference in height between the left and right slide will cause the drawer to bind. Use a self-adhesive levelling spacer (supplied with Blum slides) to achieve consistent height.
Handles
Brushed nickel bar handles (128mm or 160mm hole-to-hole centres) suit Shaker style best. They are available cheaply from Bunnings, online, or through tile and hardware importers. Use a handle jig (a simple drilled timber template) to ensure all handles are at exactly the same height and the same distance from the door edge.
Finishing the Kitchen Run
Once all your cabinets are assembled, install them in sequence: wall cabinets first (easier to install before base cabinets are in the way), then base cabinets. Level each cabinet individually with plastic levelling feet and check level across the tops of all base cabinets before scribing the kickboard.
A single base cabinet like the one in this cut list takes a full Saturday to build if you are new to cabinetry. A complete 10-cabinet kitchen takes most people 4–6 weekends. The material cost saving over a kitchen renovation quote is typically $4,000–$10,000.
Want the Full Kitchen Plan Library?
If you are planning a full kitchen build or want detailed plans for wall cabinets, pantry units, and drawer boxes, Ted’s Woodworking includes thousands of cabinet and kitchen plans with precise cut lists, hardware specifications and step-by-step instructions. It is the most detailed plan library available for home builders.
