Over a decade of marriage and Karen asked that I make her some legitimate bed side tables for her birthday (vs. the make shift ones we've had over the years including boxes filled with books for stability, my dad's old speakers, file cabinets, etc.).
She measured the bed (which sits higher than most beds), looked at styles and sizes she liked in pottery barn. Here are a couple that inspired the ones I made:
Based on these, Karen asked that I make something 30 inches tall, 20 inches deep, and 24 inches wide. Unliked these ones, she didn't like the idea of seeing all of the junk in the bottom--she wanted it to be closed. She also didn't like the baseboard being raised at the bottom. She wanted them to be flush with the floor so dust and toys can't get trapped in "under-furniture limbo."
Done, done, and DONE. This is all birch plywood and poplar. The bottoms are fully supported (you could throw 200 lbs of lead in the bottom cabinet and they'd be fine). The backs are 1/2 inch birth ply as opposed to the crappy 1/4 inch standard you get at places like pottery barn, restoration hardware, etc. I mean, really--if you're going to make something well, don't skimp on the last part(s). The drawer is deeper than most--a FULL 6 inches. I cant even fill it (I ran out of stuff to put in there; I'm sure I'll find more stuff over time). Two coats of paint--sanded in between and they're some pretty smooth surfaces which I like to run my fingers along.
Karen wanted glass knobs and these ones we picked up from Rockler are freaking AWEsome on the black. I LOVE them. LOVE.
I'm also happy to report no fingers were cut during this project. ; )
Happy birthday, babe.
