First things first: thanks for being such good sports about our April Fool’s Day prank (seen here).
Sherry couldn’t stop giggling while she made that over-the-top nautical dog-themed mood board. Even Katie Bower called and we shared a laugh or two. Every single comment — from readers who were fooled and from those who suspected the joke immediately — made her day, which of course made mine. With spirits high around here, I finally had the push to start the next big project.
I couldn’t avoid it any longer: it was time to build a behind-the-sofa-Karl console table for our living room. We needed something more functional than an ottoman, and it had to span the entire length of Karl: 140 inches long.
When Karl arrived we agreed that a traditional coffee table would feel too heavy and wouldn’t be baby-friendly for Clara. The ottoman has been great because it’s easy to move for playtime, hosting or vacuuming, but we wanted a long console behind the sectional to add lamps, a place for drinks, a basket for remotes, and more display and storage. The problem: where do you find a nearly 12-foot console table? Not many retailers sell anything that long unless you’re ready to pay thousands for a custom build.
So I spent a few months planning a custom DIY solution. We considered floating shelves, but that left too much empty space underneath and didn’t deliver the weathered, handmade look we wanted to balance the modern elements like the green rug and the sleek sectional. That’s when a plan from Ana White caught our eye and inspired the overall structure.
I planned to build the 140-inch piece in three sections: two end units and a middle unit, with one long tabletop to create a seamless look. The two end sections would borrow the open-shelf concept from the plan I liked, but I simplified the interior shelving since parts of it wouldn’t be accessible once placed behind the sectional. My hand-drawn version looked rough, but the idea was clear.
We tested measurements using a hallway console table we already owned. That helped determine a comfortable depth for a table lamp — the existing table was just barely deep enough, so we chose to make the new console a bit deeper to avoid lamp-shade conflicts. We also adjusted the height to sit slightly above the back edge of the sofa but below the back cushions for a balanced, functional profile.
With rough plans in hand, we went to Home Depot and had most of the lumber cut to size in-store, which saved time and let us fit everything in the car. To save money we used basic whitewood for most of the structure and reserved 1×2” poplar for visible trim around the end bookshelves. If I were a pro I might have used premium hardwood throughout, but this build was meant to be budget-friendly and forgiving.
For one of the end pieces I joined a 1×8 and a 1×10 side-by-side to achieve the desired depth. Although labeled widths can be misleading, those boards measured about 7.25″ and 9.25″, which combined to roughly 16.5″ — right in the range we wanted.
At home I put my Kreg Jig to work. The Kreg makes clean pocket holes for joining boards quickly and securely, which sped up assembly and gave me tight joints for the three wide planks that would form the top and the two sides (or “legs”) of each console section.
The pieces didn’t need to be perfect on the hidden sides because a separate long tabletop will cover most seams, so I focused precision on the exposed, open-shelf ends. After drilling pocket holes and clamping, I attached the first leg and added 1×2” rails for extra support.
Next came the bookshelf side: two 1×12 boards for the sides, a back panel, and the interior shelves. To save time I pre-drilled pilot holes for all the screws, then attached the sides, back and shelves. Because the console will sit between the sofa and the wall, I reserved the neat finish for the inside faces that will be visible; the hidden side could tolerate more blemishes.
I finished the visible edges with 1×2 trim cut on a miter saw and attached with the pre-drilled holes. The whole end piece came together faster than expected — about 1.5 Clara naps (roughly two hours) for one section without the tabletop. Not bad for an amateur woodworker.
This second end piece looked great, and the first one turned out well too (I was so focused on not making mistakes with the first I forgot to photograph it during assembly). The pieces improve with each repetition, so building three sections will be quicker than building one.
The middle piece is mostly built and includes a top-entry storage compartment even though it will sit between the two end sections. For the long tabletop we plan to reuse slats from old shipping pallets to bring a rustic, weathered look that will contrast with the darker stained base so the top becomes the focal point. Using reclaimed pallet wood also keeps costs down.
So far we’ve spent about $65 for the two end pieces and the nearly finished middle piece; that total does not include the tabletop since we’re reclaiming pallet wood. We’ll share a final budget breakdown with stain and finishing supplies once the project is complete.
We’ll post more updates as the console comes together. Have you taken on any DIY furniture projects lately? Did you adapt plans from designers like Ana White or develop your own modular approach? We’d love to hear what you’ve built and how you solved tricky measurement and assembly challenges.
