I followed the basic plans for the kent wood nightstand but made a few changes. I made paneling out of 3/4" plywood for the sides and door/drawer and routed a 1/2" by 1/2" channel into the face frames to slide the panels in. I added a drawer and made the door smaller. Instead of using the strips of wood for the top I framed it with 1x3's and inset a piece of Wedi tile underlayment. Wedi is a closed cell foam that is coated with a cement membrane. It is pretty durable and completely waterproof. I then used white thinset mortar and set 3x6 tumbled travertine in a herring bone pattern using a 3/16" v notch trowel. Grouted the top of the tile and caulked with color matching latex caulk where the tile meets the wood frame.
Estimated Cost
$350-$400 for both
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
1 coat of Min Wax provincial wood stain. After 24 hours 1 coat of Min Wax polyurethane was added. After 24 hours I sanded the irregularities and put a second coat on. I used 3x6 chiaro tumbled travertine with poly blend linen grout and sealed it with 2 coats of miracle sealants impregnator sealer enhancer for porous stone
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate