A kneewall is a short wall that meets the slope of the roofline in an upstairs room. By cutting a hole in a kneewall and installing a recessed cabinet, you can turn the wasted space behind it into a useful storage area.

Because the body (carcass) of a kneewall cabinet is not visible, it can be built using ordinary plywood and simple butt joints. The face frame and drawer faces, however, should be built with hardwood, and finished carefully.

The project shown here fits in a space that is 30" wide — the standard width of two adjacent stud cavities with a center stud removed. Before beginning work, check the spacing of studs and the location of electrical or plumbing lines behind your kneewall. Your kneewall may have a removable access panel, which makes it easy to check behind the wall.

You can make the cabinet wider or narrower to fit your wall stud spacing, but regardless of size, be sure to leave a few inches of space between the back of the cabinet and the rafters.

Project as Shown
Key	Part	Material	Pieces	Size
A	Header and sill	2 × 4s	6 linear ft.
B	Pedestals	2 × 4s	2	14' × 15'
C	Sides	3/4' plywood	2	28 1/2' × 19'
D	Top and bottom	3/4' plywood	2	30' × 19'
E	Shelves	3/4' plywood	2	28 1/2' × 19'
F	Back panel	1/4' plywood	1	30' × 30'
G	Face frame	1 × 4 oak	11 linear ft.
H	Shelf rails	1 × 2 oak	5 linear ft.
I	Drawers

Pedestals installed behind the kneewall create a sturdy base for the cabinet. Built from 2 × 4s, the pedestals raise the cabinet so it fits above the baseboard. Raising the cabinet also makes drawers more accessible.

Face frame is 1 × 4 hardwood, which will cover the rough edges of the wall opening. The shelf rails are made from 1 × 2 hardwood to maximize the size of the drawer openings.