Subway Tile Bookcase

Build the basic bookshelf by attaching the shelves between the two sides. Use pocket holes — the back isn't fully covered, which helps prevent racking but also means screws through the back would have nothing to grip. If you don't have a jig, 2" countersunk screws and glue will do; they just show. Keep the whole box square.

With the basic box built, add the dividers between the shelves to create the cubby grid. The top divider is taller than the rest. These are glued and nailed in place — they're not structural, so they go in quickly and don't need pocket holes.

Face frames on both the front and back beef up the bookcase and lock the grid against racking. If you have a jig, build the frames first, then attach with glue and 1-1/4" nails. Otherwise attach the long pieces first, then fit the short ones between them. Nail and glue the frames to every shelf and the top divider too, so the whole thing ties together.

Add the 1/4" plywood backs to the middle cubbies with glue and 3/4" nails — short nails are ideal here so nothing blows through the thin plywood. Fill nail holes, sand, and paint. Paint suits the subway-tile look better than stain, which would fight the clean grid.