How to build Simple Nightstands

These are a pair of nightstands I build to go with the sleighbed. However, these were completed in just a few hours long before the sleighbed was even close to its last evolution. These were constructed out of reject panel stock from a door company, but the same results can be easily duplicated with pre-glued panels from a Home Improvement store, plywood, or homemade panels. I was lucky enough to be able to select some of the most rustic wood from the rejected stock. These panels are ¾”, as are the dados. The stands are 32” high, 20” across, and 15” deep. There is also one drawer and a shelf inside the cabinet doors.

The only problem with this construction is that I used through dados for all the joints. If I had used blind dados on at least the shelf, I think it would have come out even better. Take a look at these pictures:

As you can see, the construction is pretty simple, there is a through dado, approximately ¼” above the arch along the sides, a blind dado for the shelf, and a full dado just below the drawer. You can of course put a full dado on the top as well, but I chose to have a small overlap of about 1” on the three sides away from the wall.

The back is just ¼” hardboard or plywood and sides, top and bottom are rabbeted to receive it. I rounded over all of the exterior edges, the top, all four sides of the drawer/doors, and the topside of the bottom and center shelf. As in any other case, screwing into endgrain is bad. But I did it anyway. I chose to use drywall screws again, and countersink them and plug the holes with wood.

The cabinet doors are just European cabinet hinges. These are very simple to install and should run about $10 a nightstand. The most expensive part of these are the pulls, but I must admit they really set off the wood.

The drawers are simple, and there is no need to buy drawer slides to go along with them. I did, but got the wrong size. Instead of taking them back and starting again the next day, I improvised and I think it works quite well. Mine are made of wood just under ½” because it was available. Feel free to use ¼” plywood or hardboard(be careful if using brads) and some glue. If you have never made drawers before, it is pretty simple. Cut strips that will serve as the sides, back and front. Determine the size of the drawer then router a ¼” dado through the bottom side of all of the pieces you have just cut. You should now have 4 pieces of drawer with a ¼” dado with approximately ¼” of wood below them. Your dado should be at or just under ½ way through your pieces. Verify the depth and cut the bottom of your drawer to the width of the drawer plus the dado depth, minus the drawer sides. So if you are using ¼” plywood and made 1/8” dados and your drawer is going to be 16” x 20” your bottom would be as follows:

16+ 1/8 + 1/8 – ¼ -1/4= 15-3/4”

20 +1/4-1/2 =19-3/4

Obviously, the bottom equation is the same as the top(just simplified in this version). Since in this case, the drawer front will be attached to the finished box, you can construct the box and attach it without fear of others seeing your shoddy drawer construction. Just cut to length the sides, at 20” for the example then rabbet ¼” from each edge at 1/8” deep. This will give just enough of a rabbet to receive the back and front with no over lap. If there is a little over lap, don’t even worry about it, just read on. Cut the front and back to equal your 16” total drawer and clean and torn grain from the edges. Use a little sandpaper if necessary and bevel the edges of the bottom so it fits easily into the dados. Apply glue to the sides, but let the bottom of the drawer float. It should be snug, but not too tight. Persuade the dados with a mallet if necessary, and when the box is together, use a few brads along each side to keep it snug while the glue dries.

You should check if for square, but if the bottom was square and the dados are bottomed out…there shouldn’t be a problem. If I had to do it over again, I would route another dado 1/8” deep along each finished side to receive a makeshift drawer slide. Mine rode along a drawer slide on the bottom and occasionally got a bit out of whack.

If the rabbet on the sides was a little long, you can use some sandpaper to clean it up, or a flush laminate trimming bit for a router will do it a lot faster. You only need one side to be smooth enough to attach to the drawer front. The backside…who cares. If you plan to use the drawer slide I suggest, attach it prior to assembly. It should be just under ¾” and about ¼” thick. Hardboard will work great. Measure from the tops of the finished sides and screw it is place. Just make sure they are even and straight.

Assemble the nightstand in the same fashion. Sand each horizontal piece that will enter a dado so they are snug and not tight. Pay special attention to the bottom shelf. Since the decorative arch only leaves about ¼” of material below the dado, it can be a bit touchy. Err on the side of loose if necessary. Put a little glue in each of the dados, but remember that the glue is going to screw up your staining if you put too much. Brush it on or wipe it on with a paper towel, or just don’t use too much! Put in the horizontals bottom out each of the dados and check for square. You do not what these to be uneven. You still have the top to put on, and it will really help if you know it is even and square prior to putting it together. Just as with the drawer, the dados should square it up, but check it anyway.

When it is square, first drill pilot holes, then drive your screws. Think of the screws as the secondary hardware, next to the glue. Drive just two per side per horizontal. After the sides are complete, use the same method on the top. You can route dados for the top to add some stability, but I just screwed it to the top of the sides. If I had the ability or agility to drive the screws from the bottom I would have, but I chose to countersink and plug. Unfortunately I never got around to plugging the holes. Too much of a rush, had to have them done before I got the sleighbed in place…TWO YEARS LATER!

Make the back a project after the glue has dried. When it is time, check the size and that the rabbets in all the components fit the back. Add a little glue and brad or screw it in place. Mount the doors using the instructions for the hinges. I designed my nightstands to be even when closed with the front of the sides. The final component to attach is the drawer front. There should be an even reveal all the way around the opening when the drawer front is centered. When this is case, drill holes through both the box and drawer front to receive the pull hardware.

Sand everything and finish as desired prior to the final mounting of the doors, the addition of the hardware, and the drawer front. I really like Polyurethane myself, especially with knotty or rustic woods. It really brings out the character. As always, email me with any questions or if any of this is unclear.