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Unlike an open-shelf console, this one is a genuine face-frame cabinet: a plywood-backed 1x12 carcass with a center divider, faced with a mitered 1x3 frame, and closed up with four inset doors. Inset doors are the detail that separates a nice piece from an average one, and they're also the detail most likely to go wrong — get the door sizing and gap consistent and it reads as furniture; get it inconsistent and every uneven gap draws the eye.
Build and attach the face frame before the back goes on, not after — you need to be able to get a drill inside to drive the pocket screws, and a plywood back closes that access off completely. Size each door 1/4" less than its opening in both width and height, which nets an even 1/8" gap around all four sides once it's hung — measure your actual openings before cutting the doors, since real-world lumber width rarely matches a plan exactly.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| Pine, 1x12, 8 ftTop, sides, center divider, bottom shelf, shelves. | 4 each |
| 1/4" plywood or hardboard, 4x8 sheetBack panel. | 1 each |
| Pine, 1x2, 6 ftTop front trim. | 1 each |
| Pine, 1x3, 8 ftFace frame and door frames. | 6 each |
| Base moulding, 4-1/4" tall, 8 ft | 1 each |
| Cabinet door hinges, pair | 4 pair |
| Door knobs or pulls | 4 each |
| Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4" | 1 box |
| Brad nails, 3/4" and 1-1/4" | 1 box |
| Wood glue | 8 oz |
Overall cost: $$$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| TopPine 1x12 | 1 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 72" |
| SidesPine 1x12 | 2 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 35 1/4" |
| Center dividerPine 1x12 | 1 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 31 1/2" |
| Bottom shelfPine 1x12 | 1 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 69 1/2" |
| Interior shelvesPine 1x12 | 2 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 34 3/8" |
| Back panel1/4" plywood | 1 | 1/4" × 36" × 71" |
| Top front trimPine 1x2 | 1 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 72" |
| Face frame sidesPine 1x3 | 2 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 32 3/4" |
| Face frame headerPine 1x3 | 1 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 71" |
| Face frame footerPine 1x3 | 1 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 66" |
| Face frame center divider trimPine 1x3 | 1 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 27 1/4" |
| Base mouldingBase mouldingCut to fit each side of the base. | 4 | 3/4" × 4 1/4" × 20" |
| DoorsPine 1x3 frameSize to your actual openings — 1/4" less in width and height for an even 1/8" gap all around. | 4 | 3/4" × 15 1/2" × 15" |
Buy 12 boards at 8 ft.
1 board
5 boards
Assemble the top, sides, center divider, and bottom shelf into a box with pocket holes and glue. If you're adding the face frame with pocket holes hidden on the inside, drill those holes now, before assembly, with the 3/4" setting facing forward — you want the face frame on before the back closes off drill access.
Build the face frame separately with 3/4" pocket holes and 1-1/4" pocket hole screws, then attach it to the front of the carcass with 1-1/4" finish nails and glue.
Nail the plywood back panel on with 3/4" brad nails, checking the carcass for square right before it goes on — the back is your last chance to correct it.
Install the interior shelves either on shelf pins for adjustability, or fixed in place with pocket holes on their undersides.
Attach the base moulding around the bottom of the cabinet, mitered at the corners.
Measure your four door openings directly rather than trusting the plan numbers — build each door 1/4" less in width and height than its opening, which gives an even 1/8" gap on all sides once hinged. Install the doors so the gaps read consistent, and add a magnetic catch if your hinge style doesn't hold the door closed on its own.
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Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →