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Cottage Media Console or Coffee Table

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Submitted by Ana White on Sun, 01/09/2011 - 18:12
Difficulty
Intermediate
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A simple console with two drawers perfect sized for CDs and DVDs. Large bottom shelf perfect for media consoles and books.

Collections
Cottage Collection

Have you every heard the saying that the "the carpenter's home is never finished?"

This saying always rings true for me.  I am always building something.  Always.  Every load of laundry I do turns up earplugs, hot pink ones.  I buy lumber by the bundles and plywood is delivered in bunks.  I build several projects a week, ending up in hundreds of projects a year.  Hundreds.

Yet I live in a home that is unfinished.

Why is it that the carpenter's home is never finished?

Is it because there are just so many options, and you can't commit to a project?

Or is it because you love building, and the thought of having a finished home is downright frightening to your livelihood?

Or do you spend all your energy, time and money building for others, and have nothing left to give your own home?

I'm sure it's a combination of factors, but this year, I've decided, I am going to finish my home.  So that means the projects I am going to build will be projects that I need for my home.  These include - but not limited too:

  • a Storage/Banquette wall for my dining area

  • a Storage Daybed/wall system for Grace's room

  • a Project Table and more storage for my office

  • a Media Wall with storage for my Great Room

  • Farmhouse Nightstands to match the Farmhouse Bed

  • Entryway Room Divider/Storage System for my Great Room

  • Kitchen cabinet organizers and trash bin

  • Utility Closet Organization


And then of course, lots of little projects to finish out the rooms.  I'll be developing brand new plans for all of these projects, and be sharing on Facebook and Twitter my progress, and of course, blogging the plans upon completion.

These are all giant projects, so in between building for myself, expect me to be blogging plans that you requested.  But I may not have the time to go out and build and provide you with a built photo, so have faith, trust that I would never publish a plan that I did not spend hours thinking about, would build myself, and fully expect a real person to print out and build.

I've been wanting to blog a cottage style media stand with hutch for a long long time. How about today?

This media center will fit a flat panel tv that is less than 43" wide.  The height is adjustable.



It is built in the same method and style as the lego coffee table and would coordinate perfectly.



And the Simple Nightstand, photo by Crissie at Design Eat Play.

Let me know if you would also like to see an end table and console table in this collection.

Dimensions
We will start with the media stand (bench height and coffee table height at 18″). In fact, for those of you not needing a lego table but liking the looks, you could build this media console as a coffee table with drawers. The drawers are simple wood drawers. You can put slides in, but for a 12″ deep drawer in a low use area, it’s not essential.

Preparation

Shopping List

2 – 8′ 1×12 board
5 – 1×2 boards, 8 feet long
1 – 1×3 board, 8 feet long
1 – 1×6, 12 feet long
1 1/4″ and 2″ finish nails
2″ screws or 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws
wood glue and wood filler
Sandpaper (120 grit)
Paint, primer or stain and poly
Knobs

Cut List

2 – 1×12 @ 44 1/2″ (Shelves)
4 – 1×2 @ 17 1/4″ (Side Legs)
4 – 1×3 @ 17 1/4″ (Front/Back Legs)
4 – 1×2 @ 41″ (Shelf Trim)
4 – 1×2 @ 8 1/2″ (Side Shelf Trim – adjust to fit the width of your 1x12s minus 3″)
2 – 1×12 @ 5 3/4″ (Sides of Drawer Box)
4 – 1×2 @ 11 1/2″ (Drawer Guides – match to width of 1x12s)
2 – 1×2 @ 5 3/4″ (Front/Back Trim for Center)
1 – 1×12 @ 48″ (Top)
2 – 1×2 @ 48″ (Top Trim)
1 – 1/4″ Plywood @ 7 1/4″ x 46″ (Back Plywood – Optional)
2 – 1×12 @ 18″ (Drawer Bottoms)
2 – 1×6 @ 18″ (Drawer Backs)
4 – 1×6 @ 12 1/4″ (Drawer Sides – adjust to fit the width of 1×12 boards plus 3/4″)
2 – 1×6 @ 19 1/2″ (Drawer Fronts)

Tools
Tape Measure
Speed Square
Pencil
Safety Glasses
Hearing Protection
Drill
Circular Saw
Power Sander
Drill Bit Set
General Instructions

This project has alot of pieces and drawers, which complicate the build. Please don’t attempt this as a first project. Always use safety equipment and precautions. Predrill all holes with a countersink bit or pocket hole system. Measure and mark all joints before attaching and cutting. Use glue. Be careful not to let glue dry one visible locations if you are staining. Measure the true widths of your boards first, and adjust as necessary to work with the plan. Be safe, have fun.

Instructions

Step 1

Side Legs

Mark your side legs as shown in the diagram above. Predrill holes and attach the shelves to the side legs. Use glue and 2″ screws or pocket hole screws. You can optionally taper your legs as done in the lego table.

Step 2

Front/Back Legs

Attach the front and back legs. At this step, I would use finish nails and glue if you have a nailer, but screws will do the trick. Just harder to hide if you are staining. If you are painting, don’t sweat screw holes. Wood filler is an amazing thing.

Step 3

Shelf Trim

Trim out the shelves with a nailer and 1×2 trim as shown above. Shelf tops are flush. You can leave the trim off the bottom shelf but the trim is needed on the top shelf.

Step 4

Drawer Box Sides

Attach the drawer box sides in place with 1 1/4″ finish nails and glue.

Step 5

Step 6

Drawer Guides

The drawer guides will keep your drawers straight as they are pushed in. Notice how the drawer guides are flus to the inside of the legs, and not the inside of the drawer box?

Step 7

Top

Attach the top to the project, overhanging 1″ as shown above.

Step 8

Top Trim

Now the top trim. Attach the top trim to the top with 2″ finish nails and glue as directed in the diagram.

Step 9

Back

This is purely optional. If you choose not to add the plywood to the back, your drawers will pass through – perfect for a coffee table.

Step 10

Drawer Backs

Attach the drawer backs to the drawer bottom as shown above.

Step 11

Sides

Now attach the sides to the back and bottom.

Step 12

Face

Here’s my trick from doing lots of building. Place the drawer box inside of the table, without the face. Line the face up, centering the gap around the face until it’s even and you are satisfied. Nail on with glue and 2″ finish nails around the edges.

Step 13

Finishing

To finish, remove drawers and fill all hole with wood filler. Do two coats, as wood filler tends to shrink as it dries. Then sand with 120 grit sandpaper. Clean all sanding residue and wipe down with a damp cloth. Prime and paint or stain as desired. Some tips: paint the insides first. Don’t paint the drawer box bottom, as the drawer opening and closing will just wear it off (opt for a stain). Add handles or knobs.

Project Type
Console Table Plans
Room
living room
Style
Cottage Style Furniture Plans

Comments

AmyLynn (not verified)

Sun, 01/09/2011 - 19:28

I was going to build the apothecary console for our living room and then decided it might require more space that I was willing to give up in my small living room. This may work much better at only a foot-ish deep.

And can I say how totally jazzed I am about the kitchen possibilities? Sounds heavenly! Guess I should get moving on my list so I'm ready when those plans arrive :)

Jess (not verified)

Sun, 01/09/2011 - 19:28

Hey Ana
I have been following yournblog for a few months. I love the work you do! I love all of the nursery items youbhave, but I am wondering if you could make plans for a crib in the style of the PB Kendall crib. I am in love with it, but I don't want to buy it:)
Thanks in advance!

Tanjia (not verified)

Sun, 01/09/2011 - 19:35

I want to make some goals, too.
-Get the cupboards and kitchen painted
-get the baseboards on in the whole house
-build the lego coffee table
-build the sofa
-build my friend a picnic table
-build two side tables for my living room
-build the swedish planked bed in King size.
I would love to have all of those things done in 6 months.

Kathy (not verified)

Mon, 01/10/2011 - 01:37

I'm anxiously awaiting the kitchen cabinet organizers. (and so are my disorganized cabinets!) The organizers are SO expensive that I can't wait for some DIY ideas!

Stacy Reddy (not verified)

Mon, 01/10/2011 - 04:30

I think I would like this for my entry! Bench, storage for gloves and hats. Just put some hooks in for storage!

Dena (not verified)

Mon, 01/10/2011 - 04:40

I'd love to see this as an end table! I might actually use an end table plan as a nightstand as well.

I'm also wondering how difficult it would be to build kitchen cabinets. I'm guessing installing them in a safe way might be more of a challenge.

Melanie (not verified)

Mon, 01/10/2011 - 04:48

I love this! However I am looking for an end table and console table instead. Would love to see those plans also. Thanks Ana!

Vanessa (not verified)

Mon, 01/10/2011 - 05:39

Yay! I love setting goals for the year and I have a ton of furniture to build to achieve those goals :) We are also trying to do the same thing around here (finish our house). My husband is a carpenter and the saying is very true!

Can't wait to see some photos of your finished projects and I'll be sharing mine!

Susan (not verified)

Mon, 01/10/2011 - 06:25

Your comment about the carpenter's house made me laugh! I am a seamstress, though you would never guess it to look at my windows :) Thank you for being such a great inspiration!

Ana White (not verified)

Mon, 01/10/2011 - 06:26

Dena, thank you. Kitchen cabinets aren't so much hard to build, but here's the thing. When you build a kitchen cabinet, and it get's tiled in and trimmed out, and worked on hourly for years, you must build the cabinets to a different standard. And because kitchen cabinets line up, you must build perfectly square to get all the cabinets to line up. I would love to put plans up, and will eventually (video too?) but want to make sure that if someone invests the time and money (not to mention the time it would take to uninstall poorly made cabinets) that they are building high quality lasting cabinets.

Thanks for asking. Ana

Katie (not verified)

Mon, 01/10/2011 - 06:52

Yeah Ana! You are the best. The kitchen builds sound very exciting, well it all does but I have been working on our little kitchen and have been thinking about tearing out the 1934 cabnits (very well built, but not my style) and putting farmhouse island in their place. So any kitchen builds would be WONDERFUL! Again, you are wonderful so anything you post is exciting. :) Happy New Year and good luck on your resolutions.

Hillary (not verified)

Mon, 01/10/2011 - 07:14

I'm looking forward to your Great Room Media Wall! We are feeling inspired by the RH Library Media System for our Great Room -- our walls in there are about 20 feet tall, so whatever we put in the room has to be huge and the Library System (145"W x 19"D x 95"H) seems to fit the bill. But now I think I'll wait to see what you build. :)

Nan Tovar (not verified)

Mon, 01/10/2011 - 07:55

Yes, Ana, I agree with everything you want to do....I would like to see plans for a banquette, please :)

wendemdau (not verified)

Mon, 01/10/2011 - 12:14

Love this plan! Would love to build a matching end table and console table as you suggested. So simple and elegant...you always have great ideas!

Christine (not verified)

Mon, 01/10/2011 - 13:45

I think I want to build this, but I have one of the older heavy tvs. Is there a way to modify the legs to hold the weight? As in using 2x2s?

Jessica (not verified)

Mon, 01/10/2011 - 17:26

Yeah for goals!!!

I would love, love, love to see an end table in this same collection ;-)

Ana White (not verified)

Mon, 01/10/2011 - 21:52

Christine, I'm not sure that the 2x2s would be much stronger. What you may consider doing is adding a 2x2 inside the open legs, especially on the foot part to "beef" things up without taking away style points. BTW How cute is your profile pic?

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