Furniture

Printmaker’s Coffee Table | RH Inspired

This faux antique Printmaker's coffee table is a beautiful addition to any living room and very simple to build.

Difficulty: Intermediate
Time: 4–7.8 hours
Cost: $$$

About this build

This faux antique Printmaker's coffee table is a beautiful addition to any living room and very simple to build. You can buy a similar piece at Restoration Hardware for $1250 or build it for roughly $125. The drawer fronts are decor only and the top opens revealing plenty of hidden storage space.

Tools

Essential

Drill / Driver
Miter Saw
Pocket Hole Jig
Random Orbit Sander
Table Saw

Optional / nice to have

Bar / Pipe Clamps
Tape Measure

Materials

Item	Qty
Pine, 2x2 96"	5 board
Pine, 1x4 96"	2 board
Pine, 1x6 96"	5 board
Pine Project Board, 3/4" Thick 20" x 48"	1 board
2" Butt-Type Non-Mortise Hinges	2 each
Wood Glue	1 each
Wood Stain (Provincial Color by Minwax shown here)	1 each
Wood Conditioner	1 each
Matte Wood Protection (Used Dead Flat by Saman)	1 each
2 1/2" Kreg Pocket Hole Screws	24 each
1 1/4" Kreg Pocket Hole Screws	77 each
Crescent Style Handles	6 each

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.

Cut list

Part	Qty	T × W × L
Legs	4	1" × 1" × 13"
Horizontal End Boards	4	1" × 1" × 16"
Top Span Boards	2	1" × 1" × 46"
Bottom Span Boards	2	1" × 1" × 43"
Top Two Faux Drawer Fronts	2	3/4" × 2" × 43"
Bottom Faux Drawer Front	1	3/4" × 3" × 43"
Spans between Faux Drawers	2	1" × 1" × 43"
Side Panels	4	3/4" × 5" × 16"
Back Panels	2	3/4" × 5" × 43"
Inside Bottom	3	3/4" × 5 1/2" × 43"
Top using project board	1	3/4" × 20" × 47"

What to buy

Buy 12 boards at 8 ft.

1" × 1"

5 boards

46"46"
43"43"
43"43"
16"16"16"16"13"13"
13"13"

3/4" × 20"

1 board

3/4" × 5 1/2"

2 boards

43"43"
43"

3/4" × 5"

2 boards

43"43"
16"16"16"16"

3/4" × 3"

1 board

3/4" × 2"

1 board

43"43"

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 →

Start building →

Instructions

1Front & Back Frames
Create two of these frames, one for the front and one for the back. Secure with wood glue and 2 1/2" pocket hole screws where indicated.
2Sides
Attach the front and back ends together with the 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" x 16.5" pieces using wood glue and 2 1/2" pocket hole screws as indicated.
3Bottom/Base
- Drill pocket holes in the locations indicated on the diagram. Dry fit the three boards into the base to ensure they are the right size.
- Remove, then glue and clamp the three boards together while you connect them with 1 1/4" pocket hole screws.
- Insert into the base of the frame, and attach with 1 1/4" pocket hole screws.
4Side Panels
- Insert the 3/4" x 5" x 16.5" boards (2 on each side) inside the end frame, but flush with the outside of the frame.
- Attach with wood glue and 1 1/4" pocket screws. Complete this on both sides of the frame.
5Back Panels
Insert the 3/4" x 5" x 43" boards inside the end frame, but flush with the outside of the frame. Attach with wood glue and 1 1/4" pocket screws.
6Front Boards
You can't see it in this diagram, however, you'll need two pocket holes at the end of each board for the front. The pieces between the faux drawers will use 2 1/2" pocket hole screws. The faux drawers will use 1 1/4" pocket hole screws. Attach as shown on the diagram, making sure that you inset the faux drawers at least 1/8" to give the appearance that they can actually move.
7Top
Center the top on the base. Find a helper to hold the top while you attach the Butt-Type Non-Mortise Hinges.
8Handles
- Mark locations for handles, approximately 14" from the edge of the coffee table.
- Mark the hole locations required for the handles (using the handles you purchase as a guide - all will be a little different).
- Drill 5/8" holes and attach handles.
9Sand, Condition, Stain & Seal
Sand all parts of the coffee table. If you want an even finish with the stain, make sure you sand well. We wanted a more vintage look so we didn't sand as carefully so that the stain would be absorbed more in some areas and less in others. We also used a dead flat varnish to seal and waterproof the piece.