Convert Your Refrigerator Cabinet to a Wine Rack!

My husband and I are trying to sell our condo, and in an effort to get a quick sell, we decided to spend a weekend de-cluttering. When we got to the kitchen, I noticed the unsightly, clutter-covered top of the refrigerator like I had never noticed before. I remembered back to a pin that I found on Pinterest.com of a wine rack above the refrigerator. This seemed like the perfect solution, so my husband and I got to work.

DIYer FYI: To create this wine rack, you are going to need a table saw. If you don't have a handy husband, recruit a neighbor! If you feel uneasy asking a neighbor, the guys at Loews or Home Depot can cut wood for you as long as you give them measurements.

First, clear off anything from on top of the refrigerator and remove the cabinet doors. Then, you are going to want to prep your surface by cleaning off any grease or dust.

Then, begin painting the inside of the cabinet with acrylic paint. You want to try your best to match the paint color. I am using "Bittersweet Chocolate." The good thing is that this cabinet is high enough that you wont be able to notice if the color isn't matched perfectly.






Let the paint dry completely, and then do two more coats. If you don't let the paint completely dry, when you brush on more paint the brush will actually just remove the layer you just painted on.











The following measurements are based on a standard 36" by 12" cabinet. If your refrigerator cabinet is not 36" wide, you will have to adjust these measurements. 

For the shelves, you are going to have to purchase a pine board that is 12" wide, 48" long and 3/4" thick. 

Then, you are going to need the table saw to cut one-inch off the width of the board, so that it is 11" wide. 

Then cut a piece that is 10" long (because inside the cabinet is 10" high). This 10" x 11" piece will go in between the two cabinets so that the bottles will not roll from one side of the cabinet to the other. Screw this board in place by screwing from the bottom of the cabinet, into this piece. You will now have two boxes inside the cabinet. (P.S.- If your cabinet is already split into two boxes, skip this step!)

Now, you are going to need the table saw again. This next step was totally trial and error for my husband and me because we had a hard time figuring out the angles, but here is what we finally did.

We cut two board, each 17.5" long. Then, we marked one board R (right box) and the other L (left box). Set your saw at 63 degrees and cut each board in ONE CORNER at 63 degrees holding the wood horizontally. (See picture to the LEFT) Then, on the other side cut a 27 degree angle holding the wood vertically. (See picture BELOW)

The outside trim of the cabinet covers up the corners of the wood, so if those angles really confuse you, just cut your plank of wood a little bit shorter than 17.5" and hope that the trim covers it up. Then, you'll be able to just slide the left and right boards into place. They wont slide down because we have secured that wood piece in the middle of the cabinet. 

Ta-da, that's it! And now that it's all done, I'm kind of upset that 

I didn't think of this sooner so that I could enjoy it more before I move!