Building a console table

Part of the danger of blogging is reading other people's blogs and feeling the compulsion to do their great ideas.  I found the plans for this table from Anna at Knock off Wood.  Her plans are really user friendly and take all the scariness out of building furniture.  There are some plans of hers that I love, like her Farmhouse Bed, Farmhouse Table, (especially the narrow version) and Kid's Play Area.  I started off easy with her Console Table.  Here's my experience with the table.  I bought all my lumber at Lowe's.  I found that I could have saved money by buying one of the 1x12 and one of the 1x4 in a 4' length.  Wood here must be more expensive than where she lives because it cost me about $40 for the lumber.

Here's the lumber all laid out,

everything cut to length.

I was the brace holding down the 1x12 while Dode cut it.

We assembled the table in the tv room.  It's nice to get another opportunity to use the nail gun and air compressor I bought for the hall trim.  It took us about two hours to cut and assemble it.

The 1x12 had a bow in it so we had to glue and clamp it down overnight.

Our big problem. 

A 1x12 isn't really 12", it's 11 1/4".  Her plans assumed the 1x12 would be 11 1/2" wide (maybe wood is wider in Alaska!) so the base of my table was 1/4" too wide.  It's hidden up against the wall but it was still frustrating to have the table not be quite perfect.  Once we got ready to put the top on, it was too late to make the sides skinnier.  If you decide to make this table, measure your 1x12 ahead of time and if it's the same size as mine, adjust the plans accordingly. 

Here is the finished table.  I'm not an expert at staining and being lazy I purchased an all in one (stain + varnish).  There are some spots with drips and some where the finish isn't quite at sharp but it's only noticeable if you get up close and examine it.  I love the clean smell of the fresh varnish.

hall before all the updating                                  hall after

This wall is what you see when you walk into our home.  I think our house has a much better "entrance" now with the trim (details about the trim) and table.  I also love the framed photo, a birthday gift from my mom.  It's a path by the ocean taken at the beginning of sunset. I can imagine myself walking down the hall and right into the photo, if I was a character in a fantasy book, I could do it.

Building the table was a great easy project and I have to keep myself from bringing everyone who comes over up to it to brag about the fact that Dode and I built it ourselves!