PINTEREST PROJECT: Rustic X Console
june 2017
In search of the perfect console table
One Pinterest-inspired project a month, all in the name of DIY.
I've been on the hunt for the perfect console table. My lovely but looooooooong Crate & Barrel sectional couch (bartered for in exchange for staging services!) needed a console table behind it.
I looked everywhere for inspiration - estate sales, antique stores, online outlets, and all of the usual retail suspects. Of course, Pinterest brought me the winner - Rustic-X Console Table:DIY plans for this Pottery Barn-inspired
The size was perfect, and building it myself meant I could customize the stain color to blend with my dining furniture. Voila - the perfect pick to make my June Pinterest Project happen.
Even better - this is an Ana White project! For those of you new to Ana White - she is my furniture-building spirit animal.
Like me (but with much better hair), she quickly realized that after scrimping, saving, and sweating through home renovation projects...there wasn't much left in the budget for furniture. A self- and husband-taught power tool lover, she's an expert at developing simplified "knock off" plans for furniture. She shares these plans - and her fans' results - for free at her website.
"But I don't have a miter saw!" I hear you! I, too, was once doomed to many years of hand-sanding projects until my wonderful husband (and his orbital sander) came into my life. So here are some great options for getting your hands on a particular power tool:
ask around with neighbors and friends
check your local Home Depot to see if it offers tool rentals
Google "tool rentals near me" to find a local business offering rentals
check out THIS AMAZING TOOL LIBRARY WEBSITE - dedicated to helping you find a Tool & Lending Library near you (yes, you check out tools like you would check out a book)
Rustic-X console table
COST:
About $80 to $120 - depending on local lumber prices and how many pieces and parts you already have kicking around. (That's over $400 cheaper than comparable tables at retail!)
MATERIALS:
SIX 2x2's @ 8 feet long
THREE 2x4's @ 8 feet long
ONE 1x12 @ 12 feet long
THREE 2x6's @ stud length (8 feet)
FOUR each of L-brackets and heavy bolts (for decorative hardware)
1 1/4" and 2 1/2" Pocket Hole Screws
ToolS:
Miter Saw
Power Drill
Sander
Kreg Jig (a Skill Sharpening blog post on this coming soon!)
Sander
Speed Square, Tape Measure & Pencil
Ear & Eye Protection (safety first!)
TIME:
Two to three solid afternoons to cut and assemble; one afternoon to stain; one afternoon to seal and apply decorative hardware.
RESUlts:
This project rates:
TWO & 1/2 HAMMERS
...on the
Pencil Sketch
Project Difficulty Hammer Scale
ONE HAMMER = Easy DIY
FOUR = For the love of God, HIRE SOMEONE
This project requires a relative comfort with power tools. The instructions are a bit vague at times, so it helps to review them - and read the webpage's comment section - to avoid any stumbling points. There are a few trickier angle cuts.
Must be built with a square and level to avoid a crooked table.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHts
Click photo for more details.
