The perfect intermediate project for anyone looking to tackle their next DIY!

This post has been a few years in the making and I’m so excited that I can finally share our finished hallway with you. This was a slow project with many long breaks, but I couldn’t be happier with the finished result. If you’re looking to spruce up a tiny hallway or add some functional storage to a narrow space, this easy IKEA HEMNES shoe cabinet hack is for you.

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WHAT YOU’LL NEED

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The Hallway Project

Let me set the stage to give you an idea of what I was working with before completing this HEMNES shoe cabinet hack…

When we first moved into our house back in 2020 it featured four tiny bedrooms, one of which led off of this hallway. One of the first renovation projects we tackled was to combine two of these smaller bedrooms to make a large primary bedroom. This resulted in the hallway door being patched since we no longer needed it. We reframed the door and covered the frame with drywall. However, since the rest of the house is plaster, we kind of left it at that for a bit – anticipating we’d tackle drywalling the hallway in the near future.

Well, spoiler alert – life got busy and that never happened. So, the patched door frame and uneven drywall-to-plaster transition remained until I couldn’t take it anymore. On a whim, I decided to patch the rest of the door to hide the old door frame. Surprisingly, it worked pretty well, and while the wall is definitely uneven it’s almost impossible to notice.

The only thing I couldn’t hide was the missing baseboard where the door used to be. The baseboards in the hallway are original to the home, probably from the early 1900s, and are 7″ tall. While I’m sure I could find matching baseboards if I looked hard enough, I wasn’t about to go through that effort for a small section of baseboard we are likely to replace eventually. So instead, I brainstormed other ways to finish off the space and hide that awkward space by the floor.

That’s when I decided to go the functional storage route and add some thin IKEA HEMNES shoe cabinets. I knew that two cabinets would look the best due to the length of the hallway, but I wanted it to look like one long cabinet. Luckily, Pinterest had my back here. I soon discovered this popular HEMNES shoe cabinet hack. I knew this was the solution.

Sourcing the Cabinets

The HEMNES shoe cabinets can be purchased from IKEA in two different sizes. One has two compartments and one has four compartments. I went with the four-compartment option to maximize storage.

While I could have purchased the cabinets new, I was on a mission to make this project as affordable as possible. So, I decided to scour marketplace in the hopes I got lucky. My patience paid off because I managed to score both cabinets on Facebook Marketplace for a fraction of the original price. If you’re hoping to save some money, I recommend you do the same!

Quick Tip: If you hope to paint the cabinets a custom colour, ensure you purchase the grey or black/brown options. These colours can be easily sanded down and primed for paint, whereas the white cabinet features a glossy finish that is difficult to repaint.

Joining the HEMNES Shoe Cabinets

Next, it was time to join the cabinets into one larger piece. I wish I could take credit for the method I used here, but alas, I turned to more experienced professionals for this part.

This video by YouTube user Scott Taylor (@scott.charles.taylor) is what I referenced. I’d highly recommend watching it for a detailed step-by-step breakdown of the project.

In short, you need to use a drill bit to create screw holes on both sides of that middle joist. To do this, use painter’s tape to mark the exact depth of the holes on the drill bits and be careful with your measuring. At the end of the project, you’ll be left with one extra post/leg, and the tops of both cabinets.

This may sound daunting, but trust me, if I can do it you can do it. While I love DIYs, this was the first DIY of this kind that I tackled. I’m notoriously bad at measuring and unreliable with a drill, but I was able to do it! My best advice is to take it slow and triple check your measurements.

Replacing the TOP BOARD

Once you’ve joined the two cabinets, I’m happy to report that the worst of the measuring and drilling is over. Now, you get to decide what to do about the top of the cabinet. The easiest option is to use the existing top boards and attempt to fill the crack that will be left between them. Note that you will need to drill new holes in each board since they will sit further out than usual. Alternatively, you can cut a new single board or try something more artistic like live-edge wood or a slab of counter top.

While I wanted to do a natural wood top, I opted for a painted piece of MDF board since I didn’t want the wood to clash with the existing red-toned laminate floors (ugh). I simply installed the MDF board on the top of the cabinet, used wood filler to patch the seams against the wall, and then painted it to match the rest of the cabinet. Home Depot’s color matching service came in handy here for getting the perfect shade of paint.

Final Touches and Decor

The last step was to replace the cabinet hardware and add decor. I went with these gold knobs from Amazon, and this set of gallery wall picture frames to feature some recent family photos. A couple of candlesticks, a large stone-effect vase that I DIY’d, and some faux olive stems (these ones are my fav!) finished off the look.

If I’m being honest I think this is one of my favourite DIY’s that I have completed. It’s the epitome of a DIY on a budget, and is a fantastic intermediate solution for us while we wait for a larger renovation. I’m thrilled with how this IKEA HEMNES shoe cabinet hack turned out. It’s certainly a huge upgrade from the bare drywall patch we were dealing with before. I’m obsessed!

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