Planked Wood Bedside Table with Shelves

Lay four 1x4 planks edge to edge on the bench, square them up, and nail a 1x2 trim rail across near the top and bottom — two 1-1/4" brads per plank overlap, with glue.

Check each panel for square by its diagonals BEFORE the glue sets, and build the second panel on top of the first so they match. Panels built flat come out flat; panels built in the air come out interesting.

Drill 3/4" pocket holes on the inside edges of each panel's outer planks and screw the panels between pairs of 2x2 legs with 1-1/4" pocket screws. Keep the panel faces flush to the legs' outside faces.

Set the jig to 1-1/2" and drill one pocket hole in each end of the six 2x2 shelf supports. Connect the two side assemblies — three supports per shelf level (front, back, center), 2-1/2" pocket screws and glue.

The supports set the shelf heights; put the lower shelf high enough for the books that actually live beside your bed, not the ones in the catalog photo.

Lay four 1x4 shelf boards across each level of supports and nail down with glue — even gaps, ends flush. The planking stiffens the frame the way decking stiffens a joist system.

Nail and glue the five top planks down with 1-1/4" brads, even overhangs. If phones and chargers will live here, add the optional 1/4" plywood back with 3/4" brads — the two-minute insurance against the nightly behind-the-table phone drop.

Sand well (planked surfaces have lots of edges to ease), fill brad holes or don't (farmhouse forgives), and stain or paint. Then build the second one — beds have two sides.