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An ambitious coffee table: a hardwood frame carrying four drawers (two per side) under a planked top that lifts on a mechanism so you can work or eat from the couch. The original was built in oak for the show surfaces with cheaper pine/poplar hidden inside — a smart way to get a furniture-grade look without buying oak for parts nobody sees.
This is a build where measuring beats trusting the numbers. Real boards aren't perfectly straight or exactly nominal, so the top glue-up quality depends on the boards you picked, and the interior supports and drawers all get fit to what you actually built. Cut everything first, dry-fit relentlessly, and keep your clamps handy — the frame and top both want clamping while glue and pocket screws set.
Drawers get built to the opening and the 10" slides, set back 3/4" from the front to leave room for an applied face — and the note in the plan is worth heeding: consider trimming about 1/8" off each side of the drawer face so it sits flush inside the frame rather than proud on the outside. The lift-top hardware isn't in the original list because there are several mechanisms; pick one rated for your top's weight and follow its template, because the top is heavy once it's assembled.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| Oak 1x4, 8 ftShow frame parts. | 3 each |
| Oak 1x4, 6 ft | 1 each |
| Oak 1x8, 8 ftDrawer faces and show sides. | 2 each |
| Oak 2x2, 3 ftLegs. | 3 each |
| Oak 1x12, 6 ftTop planks. | 2 each |
| Pine/poplar 1x2, 8 ftHidden interior supports. | 2 each |
| Pine/poplar 1x4, 6 ft | 1 each |
| Pine/poplar 1x6, 8 ftDrawer boxes. | 2 each |
| Pine/poplar 2x2, 8 ft | 1 each |
| Plywood, 1/2", half sheet | 1 each |
| Plywood, 1/8", full sheetDrawer bottoms. | 1 each |
| Drawer slides, 10" (sets) | 4 each |
| Lift-top mechanism (rated for the top weight)Not in the original list — pick a mechanism and follow its template. | 1 each |
| Drawer hardware / pulls | 4 each |
| Pocket-hole screws, 1-1/4" | 100 each |
| Wood glue | 16 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Side trimOak 1x4 | 4 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 22 1/2" |
| SidesOak 1x8 | 2 | 3/4" × 7 1/4" × 22 1/2" |
| LegsOak 2x2 | 4 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 15 1/4" |
| Front/back verticals2x2 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 7 1/4" |
| Front/back horizontalsOak 1x4 | 4 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 45 1/2" |
| Drawer mid supportsPoplar 1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 24" |
| Drawer side supportsPoplar 1x2 | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 22 1/2" |
| Interior support long2x2 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 9 13/16" |
| Interior support short2x2 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 3 3/4" |
| Interior cross supportPoplar 1x4 | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 24" |
| Drawer facesOak 1x8Consider trimming ~1/8" off each side to sit flush inside the frame. | 4 | 3/4" × 7 1/4" × 22" |
| Drawer sidesPoplar 1x6 | 8 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 10 3/4" |
| Drawer backsPoplar 1x6 | 4 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 18 1/4" |
| Drawer bottoms1/8" plywood | 4 | 1/8" × 10 3/4" × 19 3/4" |
| Top front and backOak 1x12 | 4 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 24 1/2" |
| Top middleOak 1x4 | 2 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 24 1/2" |
Buy 16 boards at 8 ft.
2 boards
2 boards
Cut every part to the dimensions in the cut list — those are actual dimensions (0.75 = 3/4", 0.75 x 3.5 x 22.5 is a 1x4 cut to 22-1/2"). Getting all the cutting done and organized up front makes the rest of this parts-heavy build manageable.
Assemble the top panels. If your oak boards are dead straight you'll get a clean fit; if they're not, you'll be fighting gaps, so pick your straightest stock for the top and clamp the glue-up flat. The top has to end up flat because it lifts and gets used as a surface.
Build the four drawer boxes: pocket holes join the sides and backs, and a brad nailer attaches the 1/8" plywood bottoms. Don't attach the faces yet — those go on last, fitted to the openings.
Get out the jig — this frame has pocket holes everywhere. The 45-1/2" horizontals need them in three spots each (both sides and the middle where the verticals mount), plus the show-side and interior parts. Doing all the pocket-holing in one pass keeps you from missing one and discovering it after assembly.
Put the sides together. With pocket holes already in the backs of the 1x4s and 1x8s, get your clamps out, start with a leg, and build each side assembly around it — clamped and square before you drive the screws.
Mount the long front and back pieces. Set the top 1x4 x 45-1/2" flush to the top of the legs, glued with at least two pocket holes each. These rails tie the two side assemblies into the table frame.
Mount the front/back verticals with pocket holes — measure very carefully to find the exact middle of the 45" horizontals so the drawer bays come out even. Add the interior supports and drawer-slide supports, hang the drawers on their 10" slides set 3/4" back from the front, then fit and attach the drawer faces. Finally, install the lift-top mechanism per its template and mount the top. Sand and finish oak-appropriately.
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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 →