Well, it took us 3+ weeks, but our 12 foot long DIYed living room console table is officially finished!
Before I get into any more pics of the final piece in place, let me back up a bit and recap some of the most recent constructions steps that got us there (since the last time you saw our console table it was stained but still topless). As you know, we had to turn to Plan B for the top since the pallets didn’t play nice (more on that here) so after lots of driving around town in search or something reclaimed that we could use (where sadly nothing was the right width or available in enough bulk) Plan B ended up being “buy new wood and make it look old.” Hence this pile in my basement:
After trying out a few different combinations of boards on the floor of Home Depot, I discovered that I could achieve a near-perfect width by placing four 1 x 4″ boards (in plain whitewood) sandwiched between two 1 x 2″ boards (in poplar). This arrangement, by total accident, ended up looking great since the poplar 1 x 2″s around the perimeter inadvertently added a nice border that would match the 1 x 2″ poplar framing that I used on the front of the bookshelves. Score.
Since we wanted to lay the boards on top in a staggered almost brick-like pattern, I cut all of my 1 x 4″ boards into two-foot lengths to start.
The next step was to distress each of the boards to make them look more aged and less straight-from-Home-Depot. This process, as well as staining them, is a whole story in itself so we’re going to do a follow-up post with an avalanche of details (it’ll have some video, which I have yet to edit – so that’s why you’re getting this reveal post first). But here’s a glimpse of the whole distressing process to tide you over (it involved a variety of things from hammering dents and dropping a bag of screws to making line imprints and roughing things up with pointy objects).
Once I had distressed all 27 pieces of wood (yep, over two dozen) Sherry worked her stain magic on them. Again, we’ll get into this more in a follow up post full of details (yup, there’s some staining video to edit too) but it basically involved doing a variation of applications using Minwax’s Dark Walnut and Ebony stains (some light, some dark, some mixed, etc). We ended up with a bunch of boards that looked aged and kinda beat up, like they were collected from a few different sources – instead of just purchased at the home improvement store a week ago looking all shiny and new.
Then it was time to attach them together to create one big solid tabletop – well, actually three tabletop pieces (two long ends and one small “puzzle” piece that would cover our hidden storage compartment in the middle, which can be lifted out). After doing some math, we decided to stagger the boards by four inches so that when it came to the open part in the middle there would be a small lip on each edge for the puzzle piece to rest on when it’s closed so it all looks flush (I promise this will make more sense once you see the final pics at the bottom of the post). The point is, my first few cuts looked something like this.
To attach the boards, I again used my beloved Kreg Jig to screw holes that would tightly join each piece to the one beside it.
After joining the end boards, I drilled the rest of the holes and continued screwing them together, one-by-one. It probably took me about 40 minutes to create each of the two long sides of the wood countertop (and then about twenty to build the smaller “puzzle piece” cover for the storage space in the middle).
Here’s what one side looked like when it was mostly complete (it was still missing the 1 x 2″ poplar border around the edge). You can see how I tried to vary the color on adjacent boards so the change in tone looked intentional and added lots of nice texture and character.
Once the second side was done I double checked everything by placing the tabletops on the console bases – making sure that my measurements were still accurate and I didn’t need to make any adjustments before attaching the poplar 1 x 2″s around the perimeter. Luckily, all was good. Big phew.
Let’s fast forward (past attaching side borders and screwing four staggered boards together to create the middle puzzle piece) and show you our final step before putting the whole darn thing together: touch-up staining and poly-ing. We realized that it would help to stain some of the cut ends and part of the middle storage piece so that no raw wood would be seen. Once dried, Sherry applied a coat of Safecoat Acrlacq polyurethane over everything that was stained to seal it all in and protect our beloved console baby (and our beloved real baby since Safecoat is non-toxic and water-based so it doesn’t off gas like regular oil-based poly does (read more about staining and sealing the consoles here).
Oh and before I forget, do you see the white fabric around the middle console piece in the pic above? That was just an extra sheet that we had which Sherry stapled neatly around the entire wooden frame to create a nice little fabric compartment so nothing that we attempt to store can slyly slip behind the sofa. Then those two baskets that you see stacked on the chair (that we also already owned) can be contained inside the fabric “box” for storing everything from board games and books to remotes and other stuff that you might want to put on a coffee table (since we have an ottoman instead). More pics of that in a minute.
After that last bit of staining and sealing (and a few days of drying) everything was finally ready to come back into the living room. We brought things in one-by-one (bases first, then the tops) and after we had everything lined up the way we wanted it, I drilled a few screws up through the bottom of the two bases on the ends to secure the wood tops in place. And with that, our nearly 12 foot console (with a hidden middle storage compartment and some sweet bookcase-sides for even more stash space) was officially complete.
Maybe we’re biased because it’s our creation, but we’re both convinced that it came out even better than we had imagined. In fact, we think the DIY distressed wood top looks way better in the space than the grey-ish pallets would have (we’re the first to admit that the room has enough gray going on already). Hallelujah for happy accidents.
It also made us really happy that we opted for a rustic warm wood look with lots of imperfections and character (since the room was beginning to skew a little more modern than we had intended). It definitely brings some much needed balance to the overall vibe (especially once we add a heftier TV stand and some table lamps to finish things off).
Oh, but I can’t forget to show you how the hidden storage compartment turned out in the middle. It’s my favorite feature, probably because it makes me feel like James Bond. Can you spot the removable puzzle piece there in the pic below?
Clearly it’s not 100% disguised, but when you’re looking at the console as a whole it doesn’t scream at you (just scroll a few up a few photos to see what I mean) since it’s flush and the ends are still staggered instead of being cut into a big obvious removable rectangle. Once we’ve actually got some stuff on the table (lamps, a lacquer box or two, some books, etc) we think it’ll call even less attention to itself. We were just proud to get such a snug fit without making it difficult to remove (miraculously it slides right out and drops easily back in).
Speaking of which, I did end up drilling a small oblong hole (about 4 John fingers / 5 Sherry fingers wide) to make lifting it out as simple as possible. Three cheers for the sanding bits on my Dremel (Sherry got me a Dremel Trio for Father’s Day last year) which helped me make the hole even and smooth. I was nervous to puncture my took-three-weeks-to-make-it creation, but it all worked out in the end.
When lifted out completely, we gain access to those two storage baskets that I mentioned a while back (we’ll eventually fill them with more games, maybe some DVDs, not-often-used remotes, and who knows what else). Oh and you can see below what I meant by staggering the boards to leave a lip for the puzzle piece to rest on for a nice flush look:
We don’t expect to use that storage on a daily basis, so for the most part it’ll maintain its secret identity as one solid piece except once or twice a week when we dig in there for a movie or a game or something.
Of course we still have to put the darn thing to use – aka add some table lamps to the top, store some items on the shelves on each side, and generally load that baby up with function and a little form (maybe a ceramic animal for the wife). But to give you a sense of what it might look like, here are our two bedside lamps playing stand-in for a minute. It reminds us why the 16.5″ width is perfect for us – it’s wide enough to fit a chunky table lamp without having to worry about knocking our heads into them (since we’re both guilty of over-exaggerated laughing spells during particularly funny moments of Modern Family).
And no reveal post is complete without – say it with me – a budget breakdown. So here it is:
- Wood (white wood & poplar from Home Depot) – $98
- Screws & Tools – $0 (already owned everything)
- White sheet – $0 (already owned)
- 2 storage baskets for middle compartment – $0 (already owned)
- Minwax Ebony Stain – $4
- Minwax Dark Walnut Stain – $0 (already owned)
- Safecoat Acrylacq Sealant – $0 (already owned)
- Cheap paintbrushes for staining – $2
- TOTAL: $104
Clearly wood was our biggest budget hog, but for a nearly 12 foot piece of furniture made from solid wood, we can’t really complain about the just over $100 price tag. Especially since this extremely similar piece from West Elm goes for $379 – and we would’ve needed to buy THREE of them, to the tune of $1,137. Yowsa.
So another big thanks to Ana White for inspiring the design and giving me the confidence to tackle it myself (with the help of my stain slingin’ wifey). Did anyone else out there complete any builds this week? Who’s still in the basement/garage/shed/workroom finishing something up? Speaking of finishing up, I have some videos to edit and a big post to write about our wood distressing technique, so here’s hoping I can get that up in a day or two. In the meantime I’ll leave you with this shot of our new “old” boards before we screwed them all together to make the console top. Is it weird that it gets me all hot and bothered? Whatever, my wife likes leopard heels and I like distressed lumber.
Psst- Wanna see all the past steps that went into building this beast of a console table? Here’s the first post, the second one, and the third one.
UPDATE: CHECK OUT THE ACCESSORIZED CONSOLE TABLE HERE.
Diana says
Love the console, but waiting to see how you will tie it in with your new, very modern aesthetic. That console would look divine in a more beachy-designed room with white couches, etc.
Sarah says
Love the table! I just have to comment that the last picture of the post, the close up of the wood, is really beautiful! You should add it to your hallway photo gallery!
blake says
Looks great. Love the pull-out puzzle piece in the middle.
I’m refinishing my stairs, and the hardest part has been sanding down the old stairs for a non-blotchy finish. Also didn’t realize how different the same stain would look on a platform at the bottom with new oak, versus the old oak stairs.
Any thoughts on using polystain (stain plus poly in one)? Cabot makes one with a water-borne poly.
YoungHouseLove says
It might be one way to skip a step, but the guy who refinished our floors in the old house used stain and a separate poly so maybe that’s the more standard method? Good luck!
xo,
s
Stephanie S says
Wow guys, really really fantastic! I’m equally impressed with you bravery at tackling such a huge project as with the final result! Any tips on how to get my main squeeze to build stuff for me?
YoungHouseLove says
Lots of praise. Gotta build up his confidence. Haha. We always play the “what’s the worst thing that could happen” game and it always seems worth the risk so we go for it.
xo,
s
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
LOVE IT!!! It came out great. Can’t wait to see it all decorated…..of course with one or two white ceramic pieces I’m sure. ;) The room is really coming together!
Gretchen says
When/if you move the rug, could you post about its placement? A previous commenter left a note about the rug either being totally free or almost 100% under the furniture. Not sure how that would work? I mean, you want it out of the furniture so Clara can have somewhere soft to play, but it’s way to large to be free of the furniture. I actually don’t see what’s wrong with it….but I’m learning about this whole design thing! BTW – i couldn’t figure out how to keep my comment in the thread, under Rachel H….
Thanks, GB
YoungHouseLove says
We’d never majorly move it because we like it grounded under Karl but it could scooch forward or back about 6″ or so (depending on how we like it once we get/make a media cabinet on the opposite wall, etc). We’ll definitely share pics as we go!
xo,
s
Amanda says
Gretchen,
Assuming you’re talking about replies, so your comment is under the original comment that you were referencing, or how Sherry/John reply to comments. All you do is click the “Reply” word under every comment, it’s green. Then it’ll be “attached” to the comment you choose! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes thanks for adding that note Amanda! Sometimes it’s hard to see how to add to a thread, but you have to scroll up to the first comment and hit “reply” (since you can’t find that button under other replies, only the first one). It’s tricky like that. Haha.
xo,
s
Karen says
First… great job on the build. You did a fantastic job.
I’m just not a fan of it in the room or with that sofa. It’s too rustic, IMO. I’ve always thought a console table behind the other part of the sofa… in front of the window… would look great.
But as you say… everyone has different tastes, and John definitely built a great piece of furniture.
I’m looking forward to seeing how you style it.
Elizabeth says
LOVE it!! The rustic look is amazing. Glad you have the patience and skills to do this. I don’t think neither hubby or I would ever attempt to even try doing something like this. Great job
kaytie says
The console looks great – congrats!! In my dad’s workshop we distress furniture using a big giant rock (especially good to make the corners look worn) and a ring of old keys attached to a piece of wood with a screw eye (great for beating out any frustration you might have from creating the darn thing). We also love scouring flea markets for strange what-cha-ma-call-it objects that could give wood a neat texture!
Bobbie Brown says
I am totally impressed! Now I can’t wait to see it with whatever ‘decor’ you put on it :) Awesome, AWESOME job!!!
Mary @ stylefyles says
AWESOME!
Deirdre says
I think the console is great and all, but what really caught my eye was your copy of Quiddler hiding in your new storage space! One of my favorite games! It so perfect for any group small or large, and so easy to take along on trips!
YoungHouseLove says
We had never heard of it until John’s mom got it for us and now we love it! It’s definitely a not-known-well-enough game! Spread the word. Haha.
xo,
s
Sewview says
Wonderful job. I am very impressed. I had my doubts mid-project, but soo pleased at how it turned out. Great job.
Marla says
You guys rock! I love it! I am probably your parent’s age and have been DIYing this kind of stuff for years. What I wouldn’t have given for the internet 25 years ago to find DIY soul mates like you two. Even if I had the $, I still think nothing beats dreaming an idea up in your head and making it come to life. I am new to your blog and can’t wait to see what you do next! ps–I think I found you through Ana White’s site–we made her farmhouse bed when we couldn’t find what we wanted anywhere else!
Emily says
Wow, awesome job! I want to go build something now! I love looking at Ana White’s site but don’t really have the space to build anything substantial, plus I’m slow – I don’t think anyone wants to lend me their garage for a month so I can build a nightstand!
From the secret compartment shot it looks like those baskets are stuck inside forever… or can you maneuver them out if needed?
I think the reason it looks “off” in your living room is because right now it’s the only rustic thing in the room. With a few more rustic pieces it will be a perfect mix.
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, the whole room is definitely a work in progress so we’ll bring in more “old” to go with our new console (along with some breezy curtains to make it feel airier and less heavy). Should be interesting. Haha. As for the baskets, they slide in and out easily (one at a time, not together). The opening is wider than the baskets are so we can get them in and out.
xo,
s
Meaghan says
ahhhhh, so pretty! love it. And love that you have Quiddler! We love that game, lol.
Shannon Hoving says
Beautiful job distressing and staining the boards for the table top. And what a clever idea to stagger the boards in the lift-off section. A little extra work, I’m sure, but so worth it!
Amanda L says
Great job! I am also a Ana White fan and have completed a headboard (inspired by your daybed), media center and bookcase. Right now my neighbor and I are making bunk beds. It is so exciting.
Gina says
Very impressive – especially the price! As always, you guys inspire us to roll our sleeves up and see what we can do ourselves.
Kim S says
I spy Quiddler in that console table basket! That is our favorite family game by far.
Lisa G. says
This is seriously awesome! Worth all the sweat and tears.
Kate says
Not exactly my cup of tea (but I think it will help if you tie a little more “rustic” into the room), but it really turned out wonderfully and I’m so glad you guys love it! And the hidden cubby area is fantastic, I might consider the same idea in the future.
One thought: you might want to put some felt pads on the bottom of the cut out portion in case you want to lift it off and then set it back down on the top of the console while you get stuff in/out. I know the console is already distressed, but it would be a shame to scratch off that lovely finish more than it has to!
Lindsay says
Looks awesome, I’m very impressed! Just wondering, is the removable part of the top very heavy?
YoungHouseLove says
It’s not light like the top of a woven basket but it’s no problem to hold with one hand or anything. Maybe it can be compared to lifting a tin lid off of one of those garbage cans?
xo,
s
Arlene says
Let me just tell you, you guys are legends. That piece is awesome!
margaux says
wow. I am beyond impressed. Gorgeous console. I had a tough time imagining how you were going to get to the center piece but then DUH there it was! I should consider building something like that to hide some of my yarn ;-) beautiful job!
Ali says
Love the console. Love Phil Dunphy.
“A Realtor’s just a ninja in a blazer. The average burglar breaks in and leaves clues everywhere. But not me. I’m completely clueless.”
YoungHouseLove says
Snort. That one got an audible snort. Phil Dunphy is the best!
xo,
s
Megan Elizabeth says
Wow it looks fantastic! And it really does change the look of the room.
And I love the hidden compartment!
ps – peakaboo I think thats John in the mirror in the first picture? :P
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, guilty.
-John
Kelly says
It turned out so cool! Love the storage feature. You guys are total rockstars!
sarah says
Love it, love it, love it, love it, love it. Sorry about the haters (though I admit to hating the curtain color/wall color combo in your master bedroom, but that’s the only thing I’m not jazzed about, and maybe it’s just fine in person and only looks weird in photos. But to me, mint green and yellowy-green do not blend).
Suggestion: revisit and update this post? Maybe regularly, like every few months?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny we were just talking about updating that every few months in a new post!
xo,
s
Sarah says
Totally unrelated to your beautifully built console table…but I think I spy Clara’s mirror in this post!
http://betterafter.blogspot.com/2011/04/excessorize.html
just thought I’d share!
YoungHouseLove says
Love it!
xo,
s
Angela says
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the console. Great work!! The rustic wood adds a beautiful little difference to the moderny feel of the rest of the room.
Also, you guys really have inspired me ever since I found your blog! My boyfriend and I are moving into our first home soon with barely anything and I was starting to lose sleep over wondering where we would find the time, energy, and money to furnish and decorate an entire house. Thanks to you guys we now know that it takes time to build a home you love…little by little!!
Katie says
Amazing work, as always. John, did you cut all that wood with your hand saw?! Do you ever have trouble getting a straight, even cut?
YoungHouseLove says
I actually used a miter saw for that, so it was easy to get straight cuts.
-John
Kelly says
It looks amazing! Great job you two.
Tia says
The console looks great!!! love the choice of wood =)
Anna says
Love the console. I also love anawhite.com. I frequently email projects I find on there to my husband…just hoping he will make them one day.
I also wanted to share with you that I was walking through our church lobby today and spotted some new chairs they had placed out there. There are six new chairs with the swirly print that you have on your new dining room chairs! I laughed a little to myself because when I first saw your picture I didn’t think it was that bad but when I saw them today they really do scream office or lobby. :)
becca says
Ok, I’m curious what you guys did about covering up the electrical outlet on the wall behind the middle section. I had thought a past post mentioned you could only plug in your (future) table lamps and such if you reached through your secret cubby, but then you wrapped it all up in a sheet. how do you reach it now? I suppose the easiest solution would be an extension cord, but thats definitely something I wouldnt have thought of until I had already moved all the heavy furniture against the wall. lol
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, an extension cord slipped through a flap in the fabric. Works like a charm!
xo,
s
Katy says
just curious, I know eventually you would like to replace all the floors throughout, but after checking out how you stained the console, would consider staining the floors a dark rich wood? I love the deep rich wood tones with the pop of green! so yummy!
YoungHouseLove says
We actually have dreams of refinishing the floors in a nice rich tone (not replacing them – we like to work with what we have when we can, so hardwoods stay). Someday…
xo,
s
Emma says
Wow-wee! I love your hidey-hole thing! What a great idea. And you sure beat up that wood good :) Great job!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, hidey-hole = that’s what she said.
xo,
s
Katie says
Okay…now can you get started on the one for my house? Just kidding. I really love the look of the top AND the secret storage. Genius! Now I want to add a secret component to all the projects on my to-do list.
Whitney @ Becoming says
Wow. That’s all I can say!!!
This is absolutely amazing guys. Thank you for sharing it with us!
dinah says
HOLY MOLY this console is GENIUS. I love it! The hidden storage is GENIUS. It came out so beautifully!!
I’d love to see a video of the console in action when you guys have it all dressed up and how you lift the lid out/use the console. Hope that doesn’t seem creepy X)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s my dream too! A glossy video with swank music and everything. Haha. Can you tell I’m in love?
xo,
s
Sarah@StyleandCentsability says
That is sick! And the good kind:) I love that you can hide stuff in it too. Well done!
https://styleandcentsability.wordpress.com/
Kathryn says
Awesome, guys! Love how the “rustic” boards turned out.
So, I copy you guys to the point of being creepy… I made this console table on the weekend to go behind our sectional while hubby and 6-month-old looked on :) I put shelves in the end too, but this pic was taken beforehand. Now I just need to sand and stain!
Yeah, DIY Girl Power!
http://yfrog.com/h7cua7j
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- you did an amazing job! That’s going to look great when you stain it! Good luck – and share pics when it’s done for sure!
xo,
s
Jen J. says
Wow!! It looks great!! I have to say I think it looks so much nicer than the one from West Elm and I LOVE the whole puzzle piece hidden storage area! I want one :)
Lindsay says
I can’t believe how amazing this table is! I’ve bookmarked this page, so my husband and I can replicate it! He especially thought the genius little cut-out in the middle was awesome. :) You guys are brilliant, and inspiring!
Trude says
It looks gorgeous!! All those hours were totally worth it. :) Congrats!
Samm Spangler says
you guys are amazing… like really… bravo!
Linda says
I’m with the minority on this one, but reserve the right to change my mind once your vision is fully executed. Just don’t see the rustic vibe fitting in w/anything you currently have. I’m totally prepeared to be wrong, based on your track record!
Donna Huebsch says
This console turned out great!! Especially like the functionality of the hidden storage area…first-class work!
Paula M. says
LOVE the rustic wood. Congrats on such a fantastic job!!!
One question: given the length of the piece, what do you do to make stored items easily reachable/accessible from each end? (I ask partly because when I had a very deep vanity in my bathroom with no sliding drawers, just deep shelving, I had to practically stand on my ear to reach boxed items at the rear of each shelf.)
Does your clever hidden center, lift-out-piece (genius idea!!) take care of that issue?
YoungHouseLove says
With the side storage, those bookcases have a back that’s only 15″ deep, so everything is easily reached in those side storage cubbies. And the reach-down baskets in our middle hidden storage things are on a shelf that’s up off of the floor so we can easily grab things and stash them back into those baskets without having to dive into the console or anything, haha.
xo,
s