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How This Closet Island Came Together: Veneered Drawers, Primer and Baskets

A 2025 closet-island update details iron-on veneer edge banding, shellac-based primer, a planned clear coat for plywood, and a basket order that arrived incomplete.

By ThatPainter Team Published

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The closet island update documents three finishing decisions: edge-banding the drawer fronts and doors, priming those pieces before paint, and adding baskets to the shelves. Kristi Linauer’s account also shows where the project hit a snag: she ordered ten baskets but received nine, with the remaining shipment containing the wrong item. Her post is a first-person project update, not a product comparison or a universal finishing guide.

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What changed in the closet island?

The update follows the island from unfinished components toward a more finished, organized piece. Linauer describes adding iron-on veneer edge banding to the drawer fronts and doors, priming the island components, and finding decorative baskets for the shelves. She also planned to leave the plywood interior unpainted and protect it with a clear coat. The post records those choices and the work in progress; it does not report a completed durability test or compare alternative finishes.

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For readers following the project, the main distinction is between the visible exterior components and the interior storage. The drawer fronts and doors were being prepared for paint, while the plywood interior was intended to retain its wood appearance under a clear finish. That division lets the island’s outside and inside have different treatments without implying that one is inherently better for every closet.

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The source page’s date line displays both June 27, 2025, and July 10, 2025. The account is therefore best read as a 2025 project update rather than evidence of current product availability. Read Linauer’s original closet-island update for the project photographs and the full first-person account.

How did she finish the drawer fronts and doors?

Linauer applied iron-on veneer edge banding to the drawer fronts and doors, then trimmed the excess with a sharp utility-knife blade and hand-sanded the edges with 100-grit sandpaper. She emphasized sanding as part of making the banding look neat, saying, “Sanding wood veneer edge banding is a critical step in making it look nice.”

Her warning was about control: she preferred hand sanding because it gave her more control over the veneer and corners. She cautioned that a power sander could remove too much material or take off a corner. That is her reported technique and concern, not the result of a controlled tool comparison. For this particular detail, the practical point is to avoid treating the thin veneer edge as if it were a broad, forgiving surface. An aggressive pass can affect the edge itself, so the method she chose favored a slower, more controllable touch.

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The materials she named for this part were iron-on veneer edge banding, a new sharp utility-knife blade, and 100-grit sandpaper. The source does not specify the banding brand, the exact trimming technique, or a sanding duration. It also does not state that every type of banding or substrate should be handled identically. If following the account, take the grain and the delicate corners into consideration, and do not mistake the author’s personal preference for a guarantee about a particular material.

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What primer and application method did she use?

For the raw unfinished wood and the island drawer fronts and doors, Linauer reported using Zinsser BIN Shellac-Based Primer. She used 4-inch rollers on the smaller pieces, then hand-sanded the primer with 220-grit paper. She said the primer dried within an hour and that she used one coat.

Those details describe her project, not an independently verified coverage, drying-time, or compatibility claim. Drying can depend on conditions and the product’s current label directions; readers should follow the instructions on the can for their own surface and environment. The post does not compare BIN with other primers, establish that one coat is sufficient for all woods, or assess long-term adhesion or durability.

She chose to apply the primer with a brush and/or roller rather than putting it through a paint sprayer. Her stated reason was cleanup: “The one problem with the shellac-based primer is that I don’t like putting it into my paint sprayer because it required chemicals to clean.” In the comment discussion, when asked whether she would roll or spray the island cabinet, she replied, “Brush.” The comments and post therefore support describing her approach as brush-and-roller application, not presenting spraying as a tested alternative.

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For readers deciding how to interpret that choice, the relevant trade-off in this account is convenience and cleanup, not finish quality. Linauer was reluctant to clean shellac-based primer from her sprayer using chemicals, so she opted for hand application. The source provides no measured comparison of brush, roller, and spray results and no claim that one method produces a better finish. The 4-inch roller detail applies to the smaller pieces she described; the reply to the cabinet question specifically says she planned to use a brush.

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What was the plan for paint and the plywood interior?

Linauer planned to paint the island components after priming them, while leaving the plywood interior unpainted and applying a clear coat there. The project also includes a 1/2-inch plywood work surface and 1/4-inch trim, according to the account’s stated measurements. The update records a plan, so it should not be read as confirmation of the final painted result or the completed clear-coat finish.

The different treatments reflect the parts’ intended appearance: the visible exterior components were headed toward paint, while the interior plywood was to remain visible beneath a clear finish. The post does not identify a paint color, clear-coat product, number of paint coats, or a final finish schedule. It likewise does not establish that the stated primer and finish sequence is right for every plywood, veneer, or cabinet project. Check the finish manufacturer’s surface-preparation and recoat instructions before applying products to a different project.

Which baskets did she find, and what happened with the order?

Linauer found decorative baskets for the island shelves and ordered ten. She reported receiving nine; the other shipment contained the wrong item. This is a useful reminder that the intended shelf arrangement and the actual delivered set may not match, but the post does not give a verified present-day listing, exact product name, basket dimensions, or current stock status.

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A comment reply linked to a Kohl’s item and said only small ones were left at that time. Because the retailer page could not be retrieved during research, that exchange does not confirm the exact product, size, current availability, or whether the same item is still sold. Treat the link as a historical pointer, not a current buying recommendation.

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For a similar shelf project, the update supports two basic checks before settling on baskets: confirm that the size fits the shelf and that the basket’s look works with the surrounding storage. Those are the factors the account makes relevant, but it gives no shelf dimensions or basket measurements from which to calculate a fit. Measure the actual opening and compare it with a retailer’s current product dimensions rather than assuming the pictured basket size will work for another closet.

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How were the label holders meant to work?

The label holders had originally been intended for homemade boxes. Linauer planned to mount them on small painted wood backplates so they would stand out against the baskets. She described using 1/4-inch wood for those backplates.

This is a small design detail with a practical purpose: a label holder can be hard to pick out against a textured or similarly colored basket, while a contrasting backplate creates a clearer place for the label. The post describes the plan but does not specify the backplate’s dimensions, paint color, attachment hardware, or final labels. It should not be taken as evidence that the holders were installed or that any particular labeling scheme was completed.

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What can readers take from this project update?

The most transferable idea is to treat the island as several finishing problems rather than one large cabinet task. The drawer fronts and doors needed finished edges before paint; the raw components received primer; and the shelves needed storage that fit their openings. Linauer’s methods were specific to her project, and the source does not validate a universal sequence or product combination.

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  • Protect delicate veneer edges. She trimmed with a sharp blade and chose hand sanding with 100-grit paper for control around corners.
  • Keep the finish plan tied to the component. The visible island parts were being prepared for paint; the plywood interior was planned for a clear coat instead.
  • Account for application cleanup. Linauer chose brush and roller application in part because she did not want to clean shellac-based primer from a sprayer with chemicals.
  • Verify storage dimensions and deliveries. She ordered ten baskets but received nine and one wrong item, and the historic retailer link does not establish current availability.
  • Use backing to make small labels legible. Her planned painted 1/4-inch wood plates were intended to help holders stand out against the baskets.

In short, this update is useful as a record of how one DIYer approached edge banding, priming, and shelf organization in a closet island. Its details can inform a project plan, but product suitability, current basket listings, and finish performance must be checked for the reader’s own materials and conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was the closet island update published?

The source page displays both June 27, 2025, and July 10, 2025, in its date line. That makes the post a 2025 project record, not confirmation of current product stock.

What paint color did the closet island use?

The account covered here does not identify a paint color. It describes the primer and the plan to paint the island components, but not the final color choice.

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Did the closet island update confirm that all ten baskets eventually arrived?

No later delivery confirmation is established in the account summarized here. Linauer reported nine baskets and a wrong item in the remaining shipment.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply. Prices as of November 14, 2026 10:04 pm GMT+0530.
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