HomePlus Basic Storage Cupboard Cabinet, Dakota Oak

Here are a few things - - We assembled the unit on a carpet. We had it laid down and followed the instructions on paper as well as the you tube video link provided on the instruction manual. - When we were assembling the U shaped base, we realized that if we aligned 3 of the screw holes, the 4th would not. So we used a power tool to create a slightly shifted hole. We did not need to use a drillbit . Just used the screw itself to do that. - Putting in the doors using the hinges - that was the trickier part - the doors are a bit mis-aligned from the top but only slightly mis-aligned at the bottom but luckily its not too visible from a distance. - There is a gap between the doors from where you can see about 1/2 inch of the shelving. I think we need to adjust the hinges to close that gap. It is not looking bad though. - The unit is located in our dining room and fits in nicely. It was a bit wobby until we added the shelves and dumped some heavy items on the bottom shelf. - After the storage items are loaded ( I am using it as a pantry ) it is steady and has weight and our cats are having a great time using the top of the unit as a hideaway. The dining table is working as a launch pad. lol - Note that the holes they made on the cardboard for the back from where to slip out the metal strip to attach to the wall was not in the middle so the strip comes out twisted. It would not be easy to get that comfortably attached to the wall.

The cabinet overall is a great product and easy to assemble. The finish is good and easy to clean. The variable choices for shelf designation is great, offering lots of choices. There are a couple of things that could be improved. 1) the backing of the cabinet is made of thin cardboard that is tacked on and does not provide any structural strength and if items are placed hard against could break. 2) The doors have spring loaded hinges that keep them closed but in my opinion are a bit week and should of had a magnetic catch at the top of each door.

We bought three of these for storage of various items. They have plenty of room for us, and I also like the adjustable shelves. We only wished that they were just a little bit taller. Still having issues trying to get the doors to fit closer together when they are closed.

Alright so I will be honest, I had a few issues with this thing. First of all, mine came with the Left and Right ends totally broken in half. This was likely due to the package being mishandled somewhere in transit. Luckily, and I want to stress this part, Sauder will send replacement parts if any of them come broken. Free. Via UPS. They actually had them to me in less than a week. Off to a halfway decent start. Now as far as putting the thing together. Instructions are crystal clear. Just take your time, look at the pictures and make sure there are holes where the holes are supposed to be. I made a mistake but it was an easy fix (put the top on upside down, realized finished side goes inside the cabinet). The bottom piece is brilliant. The wood gets held together by joining it on plastic feet which are then attached to the bottom via screws. Super easy but you will need a long neck screwdriver. The back is where things might get a little hairy. Make sure the back is EXACTLY how you want it because the backing has pre-punched holes for the nails and it makes it very easy to hammer them too close to an edge and splinter it (this happened to mine, but not too bad and I was able to pull some nails out and move it back into place). The doors are a bit tricky but all the adjustments are there. Depth, height and horizontal movement can be adjusted by tightening and loosening screws and moving the doors themselves. Honestly the only thing I didn't love about the doors is the center of them is a piece of very thin wood that was slid into it, and you can hear it sort of wiggle around and make a sandy noise. Think of it like the door is a window, and they used cheap glass to fill it. The last thing to do is put the shelves in. Honestly this part is usually the easiest you just jam the studs in and plop the shelves on top. I don't know if we just got unlucky but... our shelves did not fit at first. We had to loosen the top piece which holds the whole thing together to get them in and even now they are SNUG. We won't be adjusting them because we probably cant get them out now. After retightening the top the whole thing is essentially a solid unit. Feels sturdy at least. Minor gripes aside It's a good pantry, and under $200 I really can't complain. If you're not looking to spend $400-500+ then you're either going to buy something that's hard to build / prone to fall apart or you're going to buy something wholly decent. I think that's what this is. A solid budget pantry, and one I could recommend.

It takes a bit of time to assemble. Perhaps for a novice, the hinges require a bit of extra time. I am a novice.