Narrow Side Table

Screw three 7-1/2" rungs between each pair of legs with the 2-1/2" screws, two per joint — a little ladder. Put one rung flush at the top (it carries the top), one at your shelf height, one low.

Build the second set ON TOP of the first so the rung positions match exactly; mismatched rungs mean sloped shelves, and a 24"-wide table hides nothing.

Stand the leg sets up and screw the two 1x8 shelves onto the middle and lower rungs with the 2" screws, three per joint, arranged in a TRIANGLE rather than a row.

This is the structural move of the whole table: a row of screws is a hinge, a triangle is a brace. The shelves are what stop side-to-side wobble, which is also why the lower shelf isn't optional.

Center the 1x12 on the top rungs — even overhang at both ends, even on both sides — and screw it down from below through the top rungs, or from above with the screws countersunk and filled.

Sand thoroughly (edges especially), then stain or paint. Slide it against the sofa arm and put a lamp on it like it's been there for years.