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A media tower is really just a very tall, very narrow bookcase with a door on it — six shelves stacked in a 3/4" plywood box, hinged on whichever side makes sense for the room.
The shelves sit flush with the back panel but set back an inch from the front edge of the sides — that's not a styling choice, it's what gives the door somewhere to close against without hitting shelf edges. Get that reveal consistent on every shelf and the door closes clean; skip it and you'll be planing shelf edges after the fact.
Edge-band every visible plywood edge before assembly, not after. It's a five-minute job per board on a bench and a miserable one once the cabinet is standing up.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 3/4" plywood, 4x8 sheet | 3 sheet |
| Pocket hole screws, 1-1/4" | 60 each |
| Brad nails, 1-1/4" | 30 each |
| Edge banding | 20 ft |
| Cabinet door hinges | 2 pair |
| Cabinet pull | 1 each |
| Wood glue | 4 oz |
| Primer and paint (or stain and sealer) | 1 quart |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sides3/4" plywood | 2 | 3/4" × 19 1/4" × 75" |
| Bottom3/4" plywood | 1 | 3/4" × 19 1/4" × 22 1/2" |
| Bottom supports3/4" plywood | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 22 1/2" |
| Back3/4" plywood | 1 | 3/4" × 22 1/2" × 72 3/4" |
| Shelves3/4" plywoodSet back 1" from the front edge of the sides, flush with the back — that reveal is what the door closes against. | 5 | 3/4" × 18 1/4" × 22 1/2" |
| Top3/4" plywood | 1 | 3/4" × 20" × 24" |
| Door3/4" plywoodCan be hinged on either side. | 1 | 3/4" × 22 1/4" × 72 1/2" |
Buy 9 boards at 8 ft.
1 board
1 board
1 board
3 boards
2 boards
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 →
Cut the side panels, bottom, back, shelves, top, and door to size from the plywood sheets. Apply edge banding to every edge that will show once assembled, and trim it flush before you move on — this is much easier on flat boards than on a standing cabinet.
Drill pocket holes in the side edges of the bottom panel and attach it to the two sides with glue and pocket screws, set 1-1/2" up from the bottom edge of the sides.
Attach the two bottom support strips underneath the bottom panel, into the sides. Then attach the back panel to the sides and bottom with pocket holes and glue.
Attach each shelf flush with the back panel — which automatically sets it back 1" from the front edge of the sides — gluing and pocket-screwing through the sides and back at each one.
Keep that 1" reveal identical on all five shelves. An inconsistent reveal is what makes a door hang crooked later.
Screw and glue the top panel onto the assembled carcass.
Attach the two hinges to the door — either side works — and hang it on the cabinet. Add the cabinet pull, then prime and paint, or stain and seal.
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