Last we left our laundry room renovation, we had just installed the new cabinets (the Hampton Bay line in Edson Grey from The Home Depot Canada). This was an exciting milestone! Finally, we could start to see the finish line to this long renovation that we started as part of the One Room Challenge, and which so far has taken us 11 weeks.

We can now move on to the finer details, one of which involved the building of cabinet end panels. But first, what is a cabinet end panel? 

Cabinet end panels are the decorative rectangular boards that are used to cover the exposed sides of a base cabinet or upper wall cabinet. Cabinet end panels are also called cabinet gables so you may hear that term used as well. 

End panels can be flat or finished. Finished means that the panel matches the style of the drawer fronts and cabinet doors (for instance, a shaker profile). Here's an example of a shaker style kitchen end panel. A decorative end panel is the perfect way to make your kitchen seem high end and gives the kitchen cabinets a more complete and cohesive look.

In a kitchen, you will typically have multiple or a run of base cabinets connected together. Kitchen cabinets may or may not have their sides finished; the substrate of cabinet frame is visible. If your kitchen cabinets terminate at a doorway or entrance, the side of the cabinet is exposed and you'll need a base cabinet end panel to hide it.

Though end panels are used mostly for decorative purposes, they can be used for functional or structural purposes as well. Here's several ways to use cabinet end panels and gables:

• As a refrigerator end panel to create the separate boxed area where a fridge sits
• If your dishwasher sits at the end of your cabinetry run, use an end panel to build in your dishwasher and support the countertop over your dishwasher
• To hide the sides of stacked pantry cabinets
• Use an end panel as legs to support a counter for a desk against a wall
• Use an end panel to support one end of a countertop and create a kitchen island or eat-in counter with room for stools underneath
• Build DIY gables to support a countertop over a washer and dryer

The cabinetry we used in the laundry room was actually finished and painted on all four sides. We could have left the cabinets as is; there was nothing to hide so end panels were not technically needed.

However, we needed to create our own custom panels for other purposes:

• to provide support for the counter over the washer and dryer
• to provide support for the counter over the open laundry cart niche
• to provide support for the counter over the basket storage shelving
• to hide the gap at the top of the storage tower
• to hide the sides of the stacked upper cabinets we used to create a storage tower
• to hide the side of the custom toe kick on the base sink cabinet

Building a cabinet end panel is not difficult to do. The process consists of cutting your material, scribing it to fit, finishing it with veneer, painting it to match your cabinetry, and then installing it. You'll need just a few simple materials:

• panel material
• tape measure
• pencil
• veneer edging to match your material
• iron
• small block of wood
• utility knife
• medium grit sandpaper
• extra high density foam roller and tray
• 1 quart of all purpose primer
• 1 quart of Behr Dynasty paint

The first thing to do in building a cabinet end panel is selecting your material. We wanted our panel to have the same smooth finish as the cabinets so we used sheets of 5/8 inch 4x8 melamine in white. We chose this material for several reasons:

• the 5/8" thickness of the melamine matched the thickness of the cabinet frame material so the proportions would 'feel right'      
• the cabinetry was made of furniture board also known as particle board. Melamine also has a particle board core. The materials would look and feel somewhat similar
• melamine is strong enough to support a countertop (unlike MDF)
• melamine paints easily
• melamine veneer edging was available to cover the rough edges

Step 2: Taking Measurements

Now that you've selected your material, you'll need to take measurements. In our particular situation, since we were putting a countertop on top of the end panels, we first needed to determine the height of that countertop. 

Taking into account breathing room between the top of the machines and the underside of the countertop, plus the thickness of the countertop (1.5"), we decided the top of our counter would be 3" above the machines. We then drew level line markings around the room for the panels that would sit to the left and right of the machines.

We wanted our first panel to go to the right of our dryer. We put the dryer in place and pulled it slightly away from the back wall to leave some room for the dryer vent and plug. 

• We measured from the back wall to the front of the dryer to get the LENGTH of the panel. It's very important to take into account space for plugs and cords, gaps, breathing room, and how flush you want the front of the panel to be with the machine - is it flush with the dials? Is it set back? How far do you want your machines to stick out?
• We already knew the finished height of the panel from the level line we had placed on the wall. However, we added 1" to that for scribing. This gave us the HEIGHT of the panel.

Step 3: Scribe for a Perfect Fit

Step 4: Attach Veneer Edging

Step 5: Painting Melamine Cabinet End Panels

Step 6: Install the DIY Cabinet Gables

Depending on where you are placing the gables, you can use nails, cabinet screws, or construction adhesive for installation. 

You can nail or screw through the face of the panel, or from inside a cabinet into the back of the panel (just make sure your nails aren't too long and poke out the face of the panel!). If you are nail through the face of the panel, you can put DAP filler over the holes and paint them. 

If you are using adhesive, clamp the panels to adjoining cabinetry if possible while the glue is drying.

If you are using the gables to support a countertop, you'll also need to add a "cleat" in between the gables. We used a 4" strip of melamine as our cleat and just screwed it into the studs. The top of the cleat aligns with the top of the panels. The countertop will be screwed in on three sides, into the two gables and into the cleat. 

Additionally, if your countertop is very long or very heavy, you may need another gable in the middle to support the weight of the countertop and prevent it from sagging.  Here's an example of a middle gable we made out of plywood.