As someone who is constantly decorating, I myself know that it is a process and can take a long time and a lot of $$ to make a house feel like home. So sometimes I have to come up with creative ways to save some money if I want to add something to a space.
We had nothing behind this sofa in our great room for the longest time. And there really isnt anywhere to lay down and be able to sit a glass. We temporarily had a table that I had bought for the basement set behind it while we were renovating that. Well now that table is moved and I miss having a piece there. It made me realize just how bare this space looked.
Well with all of the expenses we are incurring from finishing our basement, I really didnt have a ton of money to spend on some big beautiful console table. I. knew I wanted something simple and a space to sit two ottomans for extra seating. My kids also love to now sit here to eat snacks while they watch TV.
I started searching for tables and absolutely loved both of these by two of my favorite trade vendors. Problem is I don't have that kind of moolah to spend since I'm focusing mostly on the basement. Plus I just finished buying all my dining room furniture. So I wanted to get creative.
I knew coming up with a basic plan for building this would be pretty easy and luckily since my husband has tons of tools, this was a breeze to complete.
I loved the simple shape of the first console, but wanted to add the reeded texture to the front like the second table. These both have drawers but I didnt really need those and wanted to keep this easy.
SUPPLY LIST - Links provided
TOOLS NEEDED
Miter Saw
Brad Nailer
Measuring Tape
Pencil
Step 1
Cut all of your oak board ends at a 45 degree angle. Make sure to keep the length, we are just wanting to miter the edges. This will allow us to to join the sides to the bottom and top without showing any end-grain. Once you have them all cut, lay them out like I've shown above.
Step 2
Apply wood glue to the ends and then secure them together using a brad nailer. You will end up with a cool looking box!
Step 3
Now you will create an apron to help structurally support it and to also be able to apply the fluted detail. Measure the exact space you have between the two sides. Then you will do a straight cut on the poplar boards.
Step 4
Place the first 1x4 poplar on the inside of the oak boards at the top. Make sure to inset the position in slightly (about an inch or so) as we will be applying our trim boards to the front. secure with brad nails on the side as well as the top
Step 5
Repeat this with the second poplar board but set it flush with the back.
Step 6
Measure the exact size of your 1x4. Since these boards are usually shown in nominal dimensions, that means that the board isnt actually 1"x 4". Mine was 3 1/2". So I started to cut the fluted trim into small 3 1/2" sections until I ran out. (Note: These are quite small so they tend to splinter quite a bit, dont worry though, we will fix that later)
Step 7
Now is the fun part! Let start glueing all of these small trim pieces to the front of the apron. My daughter had so much fun helping me with this part.
This really helped to give this piece some character instead of just making some boring plain console.
Note: If you would like a larger apron front you can get whatever size for the poplar board. I just wanted to make sure that people could fit their legs underneath if they wanted to sit there to watch tv.
Step 8
Now that we have the piece built, its time to start cleaning her up. Fill all of the nail holes, joints, and other imperfections with some wood putty. DONT go overboard on the putty! this does not stain well, so make sure to add a VERY thin layer. Wait for this to cure before going to step 9.
Step 9
Sand the piece down using a 120 to remove any extra putty, smooth down edges and corners and to smooth and even out the bottom of the fluted trim pieces. Then do a finish sand using the 220 just to make sure it is nice and smooth. Make sure to wipe down the piece to remove any residue from sanding.
Step 10
You're almost there! Put on some gloves because its about to get messy. Now start staining the piece, applying a generous amount of stain to the wood and wiping in evenly throughout the piece.
Step 11
Once your stain is dry, then apply a coat of polyurethane and you are ready to use.
Here is a close up of the piece once I styled it. Its light but sturdy enough that both of my kids can eat at it.
This took me about 1 full day of work to complete, and that includes running to the store to get the materials.
I hope you guys enjoy this tutorial and can make one of your own to enjoy! Make sure to leave a comment below or ask any questions you may have. :)