Hack #26 hidden dinette storage.

There is a fairly large area that is completely unused behind the back cushion of the dinette. It is in the pantry area behind the drawers and under the deep pantry.
Before doing this hack, remove a couple of the drawers the shine a light back in there to make sure nothing is running through this space on yours. GD likes to change things.
Once you know it is indeed empty, you can open it up.
Remove at least one of the drawers. Measure the distance from the from the front edge to the wall in the back. Now measure the distance from the front edge to behind the rear bracing for the drawers. There are actually 3 layers of plywood and paneling to cut through.

Subtract the second distance from the first for the distance from the brace to the wall then subtract an inch or 2 more for precaution. I used my Bosch Oscillating saw to make the cut through the first panel. I marked the cutting line with masking tape for a cutting guide. The saw left a very small area so I finished it off with a box cutter.

You only need to make one cut up the right side of where the opening will be. Once that is done, use a small pry bar to remove the panel. The left trim should remain attached. Remove any exposed nails. I nailed the trim with brads (bent over in the back and covered with duct tape) to make sure it stayed on.
There is no framing on the right side of the hole so add one. Cut a piece of 2×2 to fit snugly then glue and nail it in place.

Cut through the remaining panels. I used a fine blade in my Saw Zaw for this. Save the paneling for later uses. Clean up any cuts that need it then sand the rough edges off everywhere.

I added a thin piece of trim to the bottom of the opening to prevent snags when taking things in and out.

Build a small frame around the inside of the door panel to sturdy it up. 1″ by ¾” stock works fine. Be sure to size and position it to fit inside the opening when you place it back in place. You will likely need to trim a very small amount off the bottom for the door to fit in easily.
Cut a piece of the extra paneling to use as trim for the door. Sand the edges smooth and paint just the edges,

The bottom edge of the door fits behind the top of the seat top panel. I added a small screw to make sure it stays in at the bottom.

You can use common pincher door catches at the top but you would need to drill a hole in the door to grasp it by. I went with magnetic pop-up catches instead.

You press in and they pop out allowing you to pull the door open but do not pull it closed as tightly as the others.

I painted all of the bare wood inside even though you don’t normally see it. This is not necessary as the whole thing is normally hidden behind the cushion and the inside is only visible when the door is off.