Inside: Details on how to install an Ikea-like hanging credenza cabinet in the living room or office.
I promised I’d get this tutorial up for you and here it is! This project is a great beginner to novice DIY that anyone can do (with a little attention to detail) and I love that it can give a custom look without breaking the bank. Here’s how to install a hanging credenza cabinet using stock cabinets from the hardware store!
I definitely wrote a post about this when we originally hung this exact white cabinet in our living room about four years ago – but since we decided to move it into my office to create better flow, I figured I could update the post and process to be a little more clear. However, if you want to have a look at that original post, you can see it here.
By the way, before we move on you may want to pop over to these other DIY Credenza and Furniture Makeover posts I’ve done. It seems I have a few in my catalogue! LOL
- My Blushing Bombshell Playroom Credenza retrofitted from an old bedroom dresser set
- These bold and creative furniture upcycle projects
Install a Hanging Credenza Cabinet
Here are the supplies you’ll need to create your own floating credenza (affiliate links)
- stud finder
- level
- power drill and/or impact driver
- cabinet hanging screws
- adjustable saw horse or some sort of brace for the bottom cabinet (I’ll explain this)
- stock cabinets in whatever size you want
- laminated top board*
Note – I’m thinking of restaining this board with this new-to-me type of stain. I used it recently in the living room for open shelving and I love the colour way more!!
Here was my office before. As you can see, it needed to be streamlined and simplified. I’m going to be using this area as a backdrop for a lot of my Storyhouse Co. videos and web trainings, so I want it to be clean and a reflection of me and my style. Not a jumbled mess and mish mash of furniture. 
The credenza in the living room, you’ll recall, looked like this. We were using it kind of as a sideboard with bar accessories and such in it. It only took a few minutes to clear out so we could take it apart. Here’s the thing most people don’t realize about this piece – it’s three separate kitchen cabinets. Yep. Yep it is. They are 13″ deep and 17″ high. Not a standard cabinet size – which is why I think it looks custom. But we bought these off the shelf in flat packs and assembled them ourselves. The size, I think, is meant to go above a fridge or microwave hood vent. 
The biggest challenge to hanging a credenza with stock cabinets is the measuring to make sure they are straight and at an acceptable height. It’s not much different from hanging actual kitchen cabinets, except you’ll be putting them much lower on the wall. 
Here’s something to consider as well – outlets. In the living room, the credenza didn’t have any outlets beneath it, so we were able to hang it lower on the wall. It only had about 14″ clearance beneath it (just enough for baskets to slide in).
[convertkit form=818698]In the office, however, the wall is shorter and the outlets are closer together, so both of them are beneath the credenza. In order to create enough visual and functional clearance, we ended up hanging the credenza 18″ off the floor. 
The trick when hanging something like this is to hang with the bottom measurement as your reference point. Adjust a saw horse or find a stool or something that is the exact height of the bottom of your credenza and use that as a guide.
Ensuring each of your cabinets has the same bottom height will automatically make them level on the top and trust me, it’s so much easier to hang this way! You’ll want to use a stud finder to make sure that at least one wall screw from each cabinet is into a stud. Then just line your cabinets up one after the other.
The last step is to put your top onto the credenza unit and you are DONE! I might add some fun leather pulls to it now that it’s in my office – but let’s see how things shape up shall we?
I’ve got a full office update post coming soon as well, including news about what we found behind the bead board when we pulled it down and the new ideas I have for the rest of the room – including colour!!
Let me know if you try this project, I’d love to see your credenzas too!
Here are other posts you’ll love
This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. See our full privacy and disclosure policy here.
