DIY: Bed Side Table with Drawer & Cabinet - Simple & Easy

I have been kicking around some ideas for different projects I would like to build.  Before I begin a project, especially furniture projects, I spend a fair amount of time in my drafting program working out the kinks.


Some ideas and plans I come up with work and I build them.  However, a fair amount of them get tossed by the way side.  Destined for the virtual trash heap of despair.  OK, I'm being a little melodramatic.  Some of them I do like and would like to build but they do not meet the approval of other members of the house for one reason or another.  Of course I can not build all of them, even if I wanted to.

I have learned however, that even though some designs meet one persons eye one way.  They meet another persons eye a completely different way.  So I have decided to share my designs with you.  Perhaps you will find some of them pleasing and/or helpful.  Whatever the case may be -

Never Stop Building!

TIPS: The following measurements may be substituted.
1.5" = 1x2's
2.5" = 1x3's
3.5" = 1x4's
5.5" = 1x6's

Use caution working with solid lumber wider than 1x6's.  Especially soft woods such as pine.  I find they show a greater propensity to warp, twist and cup.  Gluing boards side by side, otherwise known as a glue up, will offer greater stability across the project.

Bed Side Table with Drawer and Cabinet

Cut List

8 - Leg Pieces @ 30" x 3.5"
2 - Bottom Stretchers (Front & Back) @ 18" x 2.5"
2 - Botom Stretchers (Sides) @ 9.5" x 2.5"
2 - Top aprons (Sides) @ 9.5" x 2.5"
1 - Top apron (back only) @ 18" x 2.5"
1 - Front drawer & cabinet divider @ 18" x 1"
2 - Drawer spacers @ 14.75" x 3.5" x 1.5" (2x4's)
1 - Bottom shelf @ 25" x 15" (typically plywood.  Big box home improvement stores will be able to cut this dimension for you if you are uncomfortable)
2 - Furring strips @ 25" x 1.5" (1x2's)
2 - Furring strips @ 13.5" x 1.5" (1x2's)
2 - 1/4" side panels @ 25.5" x 14.75"
1 - 1/4" back panel @ 25.5" x 24.75"

Table Top

2 - Pieces @ 27.5" x 3.5"
2 - Pieces @ 10.5" x 3.5"
3 - Pieces @ 20.5 x 3.5"

Drawer

1 - Drawer front @ 19" x 6"
2 - Drawer sides @ 12.5" x 5.5"
2 - Drawer sides (front & back) @ 17" x 5.5"
1 - 1/4" Drawer bottom @ 17.5" x 13"

Cabinet Door

2 - Stiles (vertical members) @ 20" x 2.5"
2 - Rails (horizontal members) @ 14" x 2.5"
1 - 1/4" door panel @ 15.5" x 14.5"

Accessories

2 - drawer knobs or pulls

 Step 1

Cut 1x4's to length on Miter saw and attach.  Be mindful to keep the wide side of the legs to the back and front respectively.  If you put the wide side of the legs facing the side, all the other measurements will be thrown off.

Step 2

Attach bottom stretchers so that the bottom of the stretchers are 2" from the bottom of the legs.  Pocket holes would suffice.  You can also use my DIY Dowel jig.  Click here if you have not seen that project video.

Step 3

Attach the top aprons.

Step 4

Attach furring strips with glue and brad nails.

Step 5

A bead of glue on the four furring strips will hold the bottom shelf in place after it dries.

Step 6

Glue and tack in place with brads the 1/4" back and side panels

Step 7

2x4's are cut to length and attached 4.5" below the top of the legs.  Drawer slides can be mounted to these spacer blocks.

Step 8

Build the drawer.  Drawers can be a deeply personal subject to some DIYers.  (coughwoodworkerscough).  It is perfectly acceptable to cut the sides to length and attach the drawer bottom with glue and brads from the underside.

However, that method is not the method used to determine the measurements for the drawer here.  I used the method I generally use (but not always).  If you want to see how I do it, you can click here for the DIY Table saw Workstation: Storage video.  I give a pretty good show on the method I had in mind. 

The drawer front can be attached with glue or simple screws from the inside of the drawer.

Step 9

Build the door.  Again attaching the 1/4" panel from the back side would be acceptable. (In my opinion)  And again my DIY Dowel jig will get the job done attaching the stiles and rails.

Step 10

The bed side table top is a glue up of several 1x4's.  My DIY Dowel Jig makes short work of a glue up like this.  I think a running theme is starting to develop here.

Step 11

I envisioned shaker style drawer pulls.  Measure and mark the center of the drawer front and attach.

For the door knob I usually mark and attach so that they are level with the bottom of the top rail.

Final Thoughts

Bedside tables are generally meant to stand a few inches above the level of your mattress.  This is so if you happen to swing an arm out, you won't knock anything off of the top such as a lamp or glass of water.  Height adjustments can be made fairly easily buy adding or subtracting a few inches from the length of the legs.

I would not adjust the height one way or the other by more than a few inches without adjusting the width of the unit as well.  The visual proportions would be thrown off or you could inadvertently make a top heavy bedside table that tips over easily.  I'm just guessing here but I don't think anyone would want that.

Find me on Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest.  Also be sure to check out my YouTube channel for lots of great project videos.  If you see any of these project designs that you would like to see a video for, let me know.  If I get enough interest in one I will be sure to build and upload.

Until then,

Happy DIYing!!