A small hallway with an uneven wall and an awkward gap between the laminate flooring and baseboards gained a practical makeover using two IKEA GULLABERG shoe cabinets. The project turned an unfinished-looking passageway into a more functional storage area without taking up much space.
The home had previously been used as a rental, and its mismatched finishes and incomplete renovations included a partially patched doorway in the hallway. Although the original plan was to open the area up, repair the wall and replace the flooring, the work was left unfinished for several years.
The GULLABERG cabinets were chosen because they are less than 9 inches deep and can be mounted on a wall, including over existing baseboards. A single cabinet would not have covered the full opening or suited the hallway’s length, so two units were joined side by side to create the appearance of one larger piece.
For the top, the two original boards could have been installed together and finished with wood filler. Instead, the project used one new MDF board painted to match the white cabinets. Wood filler was also applied along the seam between the cabinet and the wall to give the installation a cleaner appearance. A color-matching service helped the new top blend with the units.
The finished area was completed with a gallery wall, a large faux pottery vase, candlesticks and a basket tray for keys and small items. The original gray knobs were replaced with brushed-gold accents. The result provided additional storage, covered the visible flooring and baseboard gap, and gave the narrow hallway a more polished look.
Sources: Apartment Therapy.