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This is a genuinely efficient design: rip one 3/4" sheet of plywood into 15-3/4"-wide strips and both nightstand carcasses come from it, with a second sheet of 1/4" ply covering both backs and both drawer bottoms. Unlike a face-framed nightstand, there's no separate solid-wood frame at all — the plywood edges themselves are the finished surface, dressed up entirely with base moulding wrapped around the bottom and cove moulding along the top edge rather than a frame hiding the plywood underneath.
A single 1x2 shelf support board does three jobs at once: it ties the bottom of the carcass together, keeps the whole piece square, and gives the base moulding something solid to nail into — a good example of one part doing structural, dimensional, and finish work simultaneously rather than needing three separate pieces.
Install the drawer no more than 7" from the top, which is what lets the drawer face fully hide the plywood drawer box behind it. Attach the drawer face with a couple of finish nails from the outside first, test the fit, then remove the drawer and back up the face with real screws driven from inside — nail first, screw second, is what lets you make small positioning adjustments before committing to permanent fasteners.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 3/4" plywood, full sheet (ripped into 15-3/4" strips)Makes both nightstand carcasses. | 1 each |
| 1x2, 6 ft | 2 each |
| 1/4" plywood or hardboard, full sheetBoth backs and drawer bottoms. | 1 each |
| 1x4, 8 ftBoth drawer boxes. | 2 each |
| 1x8, 5 ftBoth drawer faces. | 1 each |
| Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4" | 60 each |
| Brad nails, 3/4" and 1-1/4" | 60 each |
| Drawer slides, 14", euro style | 2 set |
| Knobs or handles | 2 each |
| Edge banding | 12 ft |
| Base moulding, 4-1/4" | 12 ft |
| Cove moulding, for top edge | 12 ft |
| Wood glue | 3 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tops3/4" plywood, full sheet (ripped into 15-3/4" strips) | 2 | 3/4" × 15 3/4" × 30" |
| Sides3/4" plywood, full sheet (ripped into 15-3/4" strips) | 4 | 3/4" × 15 3/4" × 29 1/4" |
| Shelves3/4" plywood, full sheet (ripped into 15-3/4" strips) | 4 | 3/4" × 15 3/4" × 28 1/2" |
| Bottom shelf supports1x2, 6 ft | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 28 1/2" |
| Backs1/4" plywood or hardboard, full sheet | 2 | 1/4" × 30" × 30" |
| Drawer box sides1x4, 8 ft | 4 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 14" |
| Drawer box front/back1x4, 8 ft | 4 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 26" |
| Drawer bottoms1/4" plywood or hardboard, full sheet | 2 | 1/4" × 27 1/2" × 14" |
| Drawer faces1x8, 5 ft | 2 | 3/4" × 7 1/4" × 28 3/8" |
Buy 11 boards at 8 ft.
4 boards
1 board
2 boards
2 boards
1 board
1 board
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 →
Build the basic box for each nightstand out of the ripped plywood. If staining, edge-band the front edges before assembly. The shelf can be fixed now, or made floating with shelf pins and installed after the drawer.
Add the 1x2 bottom shelf support — it ties the bottom together, keeps the piece square, and gives you something solid to attach the base moulding to.
Attach the plywood backs with glue and finish nails.
Miter the corners of the base moulding and wrap it around the bottom with finish nails and glue.
Build each drawer box with 1-1/4" brad nails and glue, and attach the 1/4" plywood bottom with 3/4" brad nails and glue — use the bottom panel to help square up the box.
Install each drawer inside its cabinet no more than 7" from the top — this is what lets the drawer face fully hide the drawer box — inset 3/4" from the outside of the nightstand, using the drawer slides.
Attach a knob or handle to each drawer face first, then attach the face to the front of its drawer with a couple of finish nails from the outside. Remove the drawer and add a few 1-1/4" screws from inside for real holding power.
Trim the bottom edge of each drawer opening with the remaining 1x2, attached with pocket holes or 1-1/4" finish nails. Add the cove moulding to the top edges of both nightstands. Sand and finish.
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