ADD STYLE & STORAGE WITH DRAWERS
I searched high and low for a minimalist style floating night stand that would coordinate well with our IKEA MALM (white stained oak veneer) storage bed. In order to access the bed drawers, the nightstand needs to "float" above the drawer. I found a few options that I liked, but they fell way outside of our budget at $220 a piece! So, we got creative and decided to try making these on our own and VIOLA! A perfect fit at a fraction of the cost of purchasing them.
We found that common pine board would closely match the tones of the bed and it was also a cost efficient material for this project.
COST FOR TWO NIGHTSTANDS: $94 DIY vs $440 online
TOOLS:
Table Saw
Miter Saw
Pneumatic nail gun (or good ol' hammer and nails)
Power Sander (or some sanding paper)
Drill
Level
MATERIALS:
(2) 1"x12"x8" Common Pine Boards
(2) Door pulls
(8) 1/2" Flat Corner Braces
Wood filler to match stain
Nails
Sandpaper
Screws and anchors (for attaching to wall)
THESE DIRECTIONS ARE FOR 1 NIGHTSTAND, SIMPLY REPEAT THE STEPS FOR A SECOND!
Build Box:
1. Start by cutting the box frame pieces with 45 degree angles to form 4 mitered joints. Our nightstands are 11"H x 15"L x 11.25" deep. (The 11.25 depth is the "actual" width of a 12" common board). So for one nightstand, cut (2) 11" pieces and (2) 15" pieces with 45" angles.
2. Glue the mitered edges with wood glue and use tie straps to tightly secure the frame, while the glue dries (suggest drying overnight). Since the bottom of the box won't be seen, we used a few nails for added security on the under side of the box.
3. Attach flat corner braces to the back corners of the box.
Note this was the way we originally attached the braces, but we got ahead of ourselves by attaching all four braces. You'll want to only attach the bottom 2 braces in this step. (You'll see why in the step 4 image).
4. We didn't have wood filler on hand, so we used wood glue and sawdust to fill the in the corner of the mitered gaps.
5. Optional: Once the glue has dried, drill a hole in the back corner of the bottom of the box to easily conceal charging cords for devices (phone, tablet, etc.)
BUILD DRAWER:
1. Cut the pieces for the drawer. Make sure to account for space for the drawer slides. Also account for space in the back of the box for a support bracket.
2 side piece dimensions: 3"H x 9.5"L
Back piece dimension: 3"H x 11"L
Front piece dimension: 4.75"H x 13.5" L
Bottom piece dimension: 12.5"W x 9.5"L
2. Glue the 4 sides of the drawer with wood glue. Attach the bottom to the sides with nails.
3. Attach the front of the drawer to the sides with a corner brackets on each side.
4: ATTACH BACK BRACE TO FRAME
This is the piece that will anchor to the wall. I didn't get a photo of this step, so I've modeled up a diagram. We used MDF for the back brace. If you have scrap lumber laying around, I suggest not using nice hardwood for this piece, since it won't show. You'll notice that we "notched" out the sides to accommodate the drawer track. In addition to the flat corner braces that we used on the top corners of the frame, we secured the bottom of the brace to the frame with 3/4" corner braces - see bottom of white brace.
5: SAND AND STAIN BOX & DRAWER
Sand - We used a power sander to sand the surface and mitered joints.
Stain - I really liked the look of light wood (and we wanted to mimic the veneer on the bed) so we applied 2 coats of water based polyurethane.
6: INTALL DRAWER SLIDES
7: INSTALL NIGHTSTAND ON WALL
Without the drawer being installed in the frame, attach the frame to the wall, utilizing the back brace. *Be sure to use screws and the appropriate anchors for your type of wall. Most ideally, you'll secure this to a stud. If you have questions about appropriate anchors, I'd recommend speaking with a specialist at your local hardware store.
Step 8: INSTALL THE DRAWERS ON THE DOOR TRACK
This is the last part! If you've made it this far in the project, congrats and happy slumbers!
If this has inspired you to build your own, please make sure to share with us on Instagram at @Hyyge_Spruce We'd Love to see your project!
