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This is a small kitchen island built around one specific storage problem: hiding two trash bins somewhere other than a cabinet floor. The whole cabinet is a 3/4" plywood box trimmed in 2x2 and 1x2, sized to a 27-1/4" x 22-1/2" butcher block or countertop — small enough for a kitchen that doesn't have room for a full island, but still a real work surface on top.
The trash tray rides on a single pair of 24" full-extension drawer slides, set 8-1/2" up from the base, and it's built like a real drawer — sides, a back, a bottom, and a face frame — even though its actual job is just carrying two loose bins rather than folders or utensils. Measure the gap between the installed drawer sides before cutting the back and bottom panels; that gap should land close to 16", but a hand-built plywood carcass rarely lands on the plan number exactly, and a tray that's cut a hair too wide will bind on the slides.
Build both side panels identically as flat plywood-and-1x2 assemblies before they ever meet a leg — trim the plywood into its 2x2 leg frame on the bench, where it's easy to keep square, rather than fighting to fit a panel into an already-assembled box. When you build the drawer face, keep pocket holes off the areas that stay exposed after the drawer frame is installed; a visible pocket hole on an otherwise clean drawer front undoes a lot of the careful trim work underneath it.
Before buying bins, measure them against the tray opening — the design assumes two standard 10-gallon plastic bins each under 16" wide, 24" tall, and 11" deep; anything larger won't slide in.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 2x2, 8 ftLegs and front trim. | 2 each |
| 1x2, 8 ftSide and back trim. | 1 each |
| 1x2, 4 ft | 1 each |
| 1x4, 10 ftDrawer sides, face frame. | 2 each |
| 3/4" cabinet grade plywood, sheet | 1 each |
| Drawer slides, 24" full extension | 1 set |
| Cabinet screws, 2" | 8 each |
| Countertop or butcher block top, 27-1/4" x 22-1/2" | 1 each |
| Drawer pull or handle | 1 each |
| Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4" | 40 each |
| Brad nails, 1-1/4" | 30 each |
| Wood glue | 3 oz |
Overall cost: $$$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Legs2x2 | 4 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 34 1/2" |
| Side trim1x2 | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 23 1/4" |
| Side panels3/4" cabinet grade plywood, sheet | 2 | 3/4" × 23 1/4" × 30 1/2" |
| Front trim2x2 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 18 1/2" |
| Back trim1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 18 1/2" |
| Back panel3/4" cabinet grade plywood, sheet | 1 | 3/4" × 18 1/2" × 30 1/2" |
| Drawer tray sides1x4 | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 23 3/4" |
| Drawer tray back1x4Cut to fit the gap between the installed drawer sides — treat 16" as an estimate. | 1 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 16" |
| Drawer tray bottom3/4" cabinet grade plywood, sheetCut to fit. | 1 | 3/4" × 16" × 22 1/4" |
| Drawer face stiles1x4 | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 27 1/4" |
| Drawer face rails1x4 | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 11 1/4" |
Buy 9 boards at 8 ft.
2 boards
1 board
1 board
Drill 3/4" pocket holes on both ends of the 1x2 side trim pieces and attach to the 2x2 legs, flush on the back side, with 1-1/4" pocket hole screws.
Check that a plywood side panel fits inside the assembled 2x2 legs. Drill 3/4" pocket holes along the panel's long edges, about every 8", glue the back side of the 1x2 trim, then nail the panel down with 1-1/4" brad nails and screw it to the legs. Repeat to build a second, identical side panel.
Drill 3/4" pocket holes on both ends of the remaining 1x2 back trim and attach to the back of the cabinet with 1-1/4" pocket hole screws. Set the pocket-hole jig to the 1-1/2" setting, drill two pocket holes on each end of the 2x2 front trim, and attach it at the front of the cabinet.
Fit the back plywood panel inside the back opening, drill pocket holes along its side edges, and attach the same way as the side panels — this completes the carcass.
Draw a level line 8-1/2" up from the base on the inside of both side panels. Separate each drawer slide into its cabinet and drawer members. Position the cabinet member so the line is centered on its screw holes, set in 3/4" from the front leg, and screw it in. Repeat on the opposite side.
Draw a level line 1-1/2" down from the top edge of each 1x4 drawer tray side. Attach the drawer member of each slide with the line centered in its screw holes — remember the second slide installs as a mirror image of the first.
Slide the tray sides into the cabinet and measure the actual gap between them — it should land close to 16", but cut the back panel to your real measurement rather than the cut list number. Attach it inside the tray with pocket hole screws.
Measure the tray's actual bottom opening, cut the plywood bottom panel to fit, drill 3/4" pocket holes on all four edges, and screw it into place.
Build the drawer face frame from the stiles and rails with 3/4" pocket holes and 1-1/4" pocket hole screws, keeping pocket holes off the parts of the frame that stay visible once it's installed.
Center the face on the tray with an even gap on all four sides, attach with 1-1/4" brad nails and glue, then pull the drawer out and add a few screws from the inside for extra hold.
Attach the countertop or butcher block top to the cabinet with cabinet screws driven through the underside of the side trim. Add a pull to the drawer face, sand, and finish.
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1 board
2 boards
2 boards
Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →