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A low buffet cabinet with plank doors and open display shelves, cut from a single sheet of plywood. Casework with real hinged doors — the doors are the hard part.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top and bottom | 2 | 3/4" × 15 3/4" × 55 1/2" | 3/4" plywood | ☐ |
| Main shelf Cut to fit the finished opening. | 1 | 3/4" × 15 3/4" × 36 1/4" | 3/4" plywood | ☐ |
| Sides / dividers | 3 | 3/4" × 15 3/4" × 25 1/2" | 3/4" plywood | ☐ |
| Small shelves Cut to fit. | 2 | 3/4" × 15 3/4" × 17" | 3/4" plywood | ☐ |
| Back | 1 | 1/4" × 27" × 55 1/2" | 1/4" plywood | ☐ |
| Face frame stiles/rails (long) | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 55 1/2" | 1x2 | ☐ |
| Face frame verticals | 3 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 24" | 1x2 | ☐ |
| Base sides | 2 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 15 3/4" | 1x6 | ☐ |
| Base front | 1 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 34" | 1x6 | ☐ |
| Base rail | 1 | 3/4" × 2 1/2" × 34" | 1x3 | ☐ |
| Door frame pieces Both ends beveled 45° off square, long point to long point. | 4 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 17 1/2" | 1x2 | ☐ |
| Door panels | 5 | 3/4" × 3 1/2" × 23 3/4" | 1x4 | ☐ |
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Plywood, 3/4", 4x8 sheet Ripped into 15-3/4"-wide strips. Plan the cuts — there's just enough. | 1 each | ☐ |
| Plywood, 1/4", sheet or backerboard Back panel. | 1 each | ☐ |
| 1x2, 8 ft (Pine) Face frame and door frames. | 3 each | ☐ |
| 1x6, 6 ft (Pine) Base. | 1 each | ☐ |
| 1x3, 3 ft (Pine) Base rail. | 3 foot | ☐ |
| 1x4, 10 ft (Pine) Door panels. | 2 each | ☐ |
| Butt hinges (sets) | 2 each | ☐ |
| Magnetic catches | 2 each | ☐ |
| Knobs | 2 each | ☐ |
| Pocket-hole screws, 1-1/4" | 40 each | ☐ |
| Brad nails, 1-1/4" | 80 each | ☐ |
| Wood glue | 8 oz | ☐ |
| Stain One medium tone, worked two ways on the doors. | 1 each | ☐ |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools: Tape Measure. Materials: 1x4, 10 ft
Wood isn't always true to width, and the doors drive everything. Measure the 1x4s you'll use for the door panels. If they're a full 3-1/2" wide, proceed as drawn; if they're under, note the difference — your door will be narrower and the face-frame opening has to shrink to match. Decide this now, before you cut the carcass openings.
Tools: Circular Saw, Drill / Driver, Iron for Edge Banding, Pocket Hole Jig. Materials: Plywood, 3/4", 4x8 sheet, Pocket-hole screws, 1-1/4", Wood glue
Cut the plywood parts, planning them onto the single sheet so they all fit. Assemble the top, bottom, sides, and dividers into the carcass. If you altered the opening width for the doors, that changes the small-shelf width too — cut those to fit and attach them, pocket-holed on the underside with 1-1/4" pocket screws. Edge-band the exposed shelf edges if you want a finished look.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Pocket Hole Jig. Materials: 1x2, 8 ft, Pocket-hole screws, 1-1/4", Brad nails, 1-1/4", Wood glue
Build the face frame flat on the ground with 3/4" pocket holes and 1-1/4" pocket screws, then nail the whole frame onto the front of the cabinet. Building it flat first gives cleaner joints than fitting stick by stick.
Tools: Brad Nailer. Materials: Plywood, 1/4", sheet or backerboard, Brad nails, 1-1/4", Wood glue
Nail and glue the 1/4" back onto the carcass. It squares the cabinet and closes the cabinets off behind the doors.
Tools: Drill / Driver, Pocket Hole Jig. Materials: 1x6, 6 ft, 1x3, 3 ft, Pocket-hole screws, 1-1/4", Wood glue
Assemble the 1x6 base sides and front with the 1x3 rail into the lifted base, and attach it under the carcass. The base is what gives the buffet its midcentury float.
Tools: Brad Nailer, Miter Saw. Materials: 1x2, 8 ft, 1x4, 10 ft, Brad nails, 1-1/4", Wood glue
Build the plank doors carefully so the ends match — square is everything here. Glue between each 1x4 panel board, and glue and nail the back supports (the beveled 1x2 frame) on. A door out of square will never hang with an even gap no matter how you fuss the hinges.
Tools: Drill / Driver. Materials: Butt hinges (sets), Magnetic catches, Knobs
Hang the doors on simple butt hinges set into the gap between door and face frame. Shim for a consistent 1/8" reveal all the way around — this is the detail everyone notices. Add magnetic catches to keep the doors shut and mount the knobs.
Tools: Random Orbit Sander. Materials: Stain
Stain the whole cabinet a medium tone. Then work the doors: sand some boards back to lighten them and re-stain others a touch darker, so the door panels read as a random midcentury gradient rather than one flat color. Seal when you've got the look you want.